Mexico´s SECTUR Foresees 12 Percent Increase of Foreign Tourist Arrivals

Mexico´s Tourism Department (SECTUR) estimates a 12 percent spike in the number of foreign tourist arrivals for the upcoming summertime vacations.

SECTUR chief Rodolfo Elizondo Torres said in a recent interview all expectations are running high and his office expects to keep hotel demand in the neighborhood of 62 percent nationwide.

All major indicators are posting double-digit figures, including the flow of incoming visitors (12 to 13 percent) and revenues (nearly 19 percent).

In the case of the domestic market, some 21 million Mexicans are expected to sally forth across the country this summer.

Hotel occupancy in some of the nation´s top travel destinations is peaking 80 percent right now, with beaches and colonial cities bearing the brunt of this major increase.

“Beach destinations and colonial cities are looking good this year, slightly better than in 2004,” Mr. Elizondo explained. “I´m sure we´re going to see bigger numbers this summer, say, up 10 percent from the year before,” he beamed.