Mexico Reports International Tourism Growth in September

New data shows that while Mexico failed to reach pre-pandemic totals, the country experienced impressive international tourism growth in September.

According to Mexico News Daily, a study from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) revealed that 2.77 million international travelers visited the nation in September 2022, a 12.9 percent increase from last year.

September’s totals were still down 8.8 percent compared to 2019, and decreased compared to the summer-traffic led 3.1 million international tourists who visited in August. Data also showed that 1.63 million tourists stayed at least one night in Mexico in September, a 27.1 percent increase compared to last year.

Travel spending increased, with the country earning $1.8 billion in September, and average expenditures for arriving air travelers reached $1,057 in September, a jump from the $1,123 average in September 2021.

In total, the INEGI found that 27.5 million international tourists visited Mexico through the first nine months of the year, a 22.4 percent increase over the same period in 2021. In 2019, the country welcomed 32.8 million during the first nine months of the year.

While the total number of arrivals is down from 2019, spending figures for the first nine months of 2022 have increased from $16.9 billion to $19.3 billion, due in part to inflation and a higher cost of living.

Last month, the Tourism Promotion Council of Quintana Roo revealed the coveted Mexican Caribbean destinations of Cancun, Riviera Maya, Isla Mujeres, Tulum, Chetumal, and Holbox registered a combined 17 million tourist arrivals from January to September 2022.