Mexico recorded a 6.24% increase in international tourist numbers compared to last year, as the country continues to benefit from a rebound in global travel demand after the COVID-19 pandemic. According to data by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), Mexico received 21.
8 million international tourists in the first half of the year, compared to the 20.4 million during the first six months of 2023. Tourism spending also went up by 7.
7%, reaching US $17.5 million. This figure surpassed pre-pandemic numbers by 34.
6% when tourism spending reached US $13.01 million in the first six months of 2019. The INEGI reported that while tourism numbers increased in its annual comparison, they are 1.
07% below pre-pandemic figures, when Mexico registered 22 million international visitors in the first six months of 2019. However, in other ways the tourism industry has already grown beyond its pre-pandemic numbers . From January to November 2023, 108 million people flew in Mexico on national and international flights — almost 20% more than in 2019.
Air travel numbers remained strong in 2024. The Ministry of Tourism (Sectur) reported that the first six months of the year saw 11.9 million travelers enter Mexico via air.
That is 4.9% more than 2023 and 18.6% more than the same period of 2019, before the pandemic.
The three countries that exported more travelers to Mexico in the first half of the year include the United States, Canada and Colombia, which represent 79.5% of t.