The importance of international tourism in Mexico

The importance of international tourism in Mexico
Dr. Ma. de los Angeles Mendoza González
 

     Tourism is a very important source of income and comprises a great diversity of elements, both material, and human. Mexico has exotic places, landscapes, beaches, and archaeological sites, among other elements that attract a large number of people year after year. This document will address economic data and important tourism sites in Mexico that allow us to visualize a broad panorama of what this issue represents today. 

    Tourism is considered a social, cultural, and economic phenomenon that involves the displacement of people to countries or places outside their usual environment for personal, professional, or business reasons. These people are called travelers (who may be either tourists or hikers; residents or non-residents) and tourism covers their activities, some of which involve tourist expenditure.  Tourism can be national and international.

Despite the pandemic experienced in recent years, tourism has remained one of the main pillars of the Mexican economy. The National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) for its acronym in Spanish, establishes that in 2021 tourism revenues represented 7.5% of gross domestic product (GDP), which is equivalent to around 95, 475 million dollars.  The population employed in Mexico's tourism sector amounted to 4 million 264 thousand people employed in the fourth quarter of 2021.  The number of international  tourists in 2021 was 31.9 million during 2021, 31.3% more than in 2020. By 2022, the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur) estimated the arrival of more than 40 million international tourists.  International tourists come mainly from the United States of America (78.9%) and the rest from Colombia, Brazil, Canada, and France.

As is known, the most visited places are the archaeological sites, since they represent the sample of the ancestral culture of the Mexican people. Beaches occupy an important place as well.  In addition to Mexico City, for its cosmopolitan life, theaters, museums, and of course historical places such as Chapultepec Castle and the historic center are of paramount importance.  The most visited beaches were Los Cabos in Baja California Sur, Cozumel  and Cancun  in Quintana Roo, and Progreso in Yucatan.

As for the archaeological sites, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) has under its protection a total of 187 archaeological zones open to the public throughout the country, 365 days a year.  Regarding the most visited areas in 2021, Chichén Itzá in  Yucatan is number one, followed by Tulum in Quintana Roo,  Teotihuacán in the State of Mexico, Cobá in Quintana Roo and Palenque in Chiapas.

In addition to travel, air and land transport benefits. As well as hotels, restaurants, local pottery businesses, jewelry, and other handicrafts, among others.  Of course, one of the great additional attractions for international travelers is  the exchange parity ratio of the dollar and euro between the main currencies, with the value of the peso. Visitors find cheap prices, in addition to beautiful places, delicious food, folklore, and ancestral customs.

     In conclusion, several important elements can be established, such as:

a)       Tourism occupies a very important place in the Mexican economy.

 

b)      Tourism can be national and international.

c)       The number of international visitors continued despite the pandemic. Especially during 2022 when the sanitary restriction was lifted.

d)      International tourists mainly visit beaches and archaeological sites.

e)      Mexican culture is important and unique.

f)        Local hotels, restaurants, and businesses benefit from international tourism.

g)       The value of the foreign currency (dollar and euro) concerning the peso, represents a great attraction for international tourists.

 

Therefore, it is convenient to reflect that Mexico has known how to take advantage of its tourist and cultural attractions. For decades, Mexico obtained income exclusively from oil, while today it has diversified and in addition  to the export of agricultural products and manufacturing and remittances, important income is obtained from tourism, which forces to improve the hotel infrastructure, roads, and train the staff so that they can live up to the needs and expectations of tourists,  including quality in service, efficiency and of course the learning of foreign languages to be able to grant better experiences.

 

 
 
 
References
INEGI (2022). Recovered de
https://inegi.org.mx
INHA (n.d.) Archaeological sites of Mexico. Retrieved from
https://inha.org.mx
UNWTO (n.d.) Glossary of terms. Retrieved from
https://www.unwto.org/es/glosario-terminos-turisticos
Statista (2021). Archaeological sites with the most visits in Mexico 2021. Retrieved from
https://es.statista.com/estadisticas/1125431/zonas-arqueologicas-mas-visitadas-mexico/
Tourism (2021). Results of tourism activity 2021. Retrieved from
https://www.datatur.sectur.gob.mx/RAT/RAT-2021-07(EN).pdf