The Secretary of Tourism of the Government of Mexico, Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, reported that, according to UN Tourism, Mexico remains the sixth most visited country in the world, registering the arrival of 45 million international tourists in 2024, which represents an increase of 7.4 percent compared to 2023.
Rodríguez Zamora highlighted that, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), last year the arrival of 86.4 million international visitors was recorded, an increase of 15.5 percent compared to 2023. Likewise, a foreign exchange revenue of 33 billion dollars was recorded, which means a growth of 7.4 percent compared to 2023 and 34 percent compared to 2019.
The head of the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur) highlighted that in 2024 23.2 million international tourists arrived in Mexico by air, 1.5 percent more than in 2023 and 18 percent more compared to 2019 with an average expenditure of 1,167 dollars, 3.6 percent more than in 2023 and 16.5 percent more than in 2019.
He mentioned that the positive trend has been maintained in 2025, since during the first quarter the arrival of 31.5 million international visitors was recorded, which represents an increase of 13.3 percent compared to the same period in 2024. In that same period, foreign exchange income reached 13,311 million dollars, a growth of 6.4 percent compared to 2024.
From January to April 2025, 4.3 million passengers arrived on cruises to the different ports of the country, generating an economic spill of 369 million dollars, 13 percent more than in the same period of the previous year.
In this context, to ensure that Mexico is a tourist power due to its greatness, the warmth and joy of its people, its history symbolized in more than 30 World Heritage sites, its artistic splendor housed in 1,669 museums, the colors of its craftsmanship, its gastronomy recognized worldwide, the pride of its millennial roots represented and preserved both in its 194 archaeological areas, as well as in its Indigenous and Afro-descendant Peoples, and its unsurpassed wonders such as the Chichen Itzá, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, which is positioned as a symbol of the development and growth of the sector.
On the other hand, the head of Sectur pointed out that in 2023 the Gross Tourist Domestic Product (GDP) reached 2 billion 582 billion pesos in current values, with a growth rate in constant values of 4.4 percent compared to 2022, a figure higher than the growth of the national total GDP, which increased by 3.2 percent; she also explained that the participation of the Tourist GDP within the national GDP was 8.6 percent in current values.
Regarding the resilience of the sector, he stressed that Mexico has demonstrated a dynamic recovery after the pandemic, unlike other tourism powers, by already exceeding the levels prior to the health crisis.
The tourism official highlighted the importance of tourism activity as a national economic engine and the social benefits it entails, through the generation of direct and indirect jobs. He added that the population employed in the sector in the first quarter of 2025 amounted to 5.0 million people, 2.9 percent more than in 2024.
In this sense, he maintained that, according to the Center for Research and Tourism Competitiveness of the University of Anáhuac Mexico, 5.1 million Mexicans came out of poverty from 2018 to 2022, of which almost 490,000 did so thanks to tourism activity, that is, 9.7 percent.
In addition, Mexico ratifies its position as a tourist reference in America, since, according to UN Tourism, it ranks second in tourist arrivals, only after the United States.
Rodríguez Zamora reiterated that, as part of the Mexico Plan, the country is sought to rise to fifth place in the world ranking of most visited countries by 2030.
“This is our great goal: to be the fifth most visited country. Given that, the whole sector has to work. And not only the tourism sector; all the federal secretariats, because being Mexicans we have to be ambassadors of our country of the good news and the greatness it has,” he said.
He pointed out that the year 2026 will be key to achieving this goal, since Mexico will host historical events of international stature that will place it in “the eyes of the world”, highlighting its craftsmanship, gastronomy, culture, ancient history, natural wealth and the warmth of its people.
Among these events, the World Cup 2026 stood out; the International Tourism Fair (Fitur) 2026 where Mexico will participate as a partner country, and the first edition of the German Tourism Fair ITB Americas that will take place in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
During the current administration, community tourism has been a priority, with a focus focused on strengthening the productive chain from the local communities of the 32 federal entities, with the aim of distributing the economic spill equitably in all regions of Mexico.