Mexico Sees Surge in International Air Arrivals in Early 2024

Between January and April 2024, Mexico recorded the arrival of 8.466 million international tourists by air, reflecting a 5.9% increase compared to the same period in 2023. This influx also surpassed 2019 figures by 21.2%, underscoring the significant recovery and growth in Mexico's tourism sector post-pandemic.

Secretary of Tourism Miguel Torruco Marqués highlighted that data from the Migration Policy Unit-Registration and Identity of Persons of the Ministry of the Interior (Segob) revealed that the top nationalities arriving in Mexico were from the United States, Canada, and Colombia. These three countries accounted for 6.712 million tourists, representing a 7.7% increase compared to the previous year and a 32.3% rise from the same period in 2019.

Specifically, tourists from the United States numbered 5.091 million, marking a 7.5% increase from 2023 and an impressive 39.7% jump from 2019. Canadian tourists also showed a significant increase, with 1.413 million arrivals, up 12.3% from the previous year and 12.2% higher than in 2019. Colombian tourists totaled 207,430, exceeding the 2019 figures by 24.3%.

Other nationalities contributed 1.754 million tourists, making up 20.7% of the total arrivals. The most frequented airports were in Cancún, Mexico City, and Puerto Vallarta, welcoming a combined total of 6.251 million tourists, 4.9% more than in 2023 and 17.4% more than in 2019. Cancún airport saw 3.932 million international arrivals, a 6.2% increase compared to 2023. The Mexico City International Airport (AICM) hosted 1.433 million international tourists, while Puerto Vallarta received 886,873 tourists, an 8.8% increase from the previous year.

Other airports with international operations received 2.215 million tourists, an 8.9% increase compared to the same period in 2023, capturing 26.2% of the market share. Torruco Marqués emphasized that this surge in tourism not only highlights the sector's recovery but also its economic impact on local communities, aligning with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's vision of using tourism as a tool for social reconciliation.