Tourism is one of the main sources of income for many countries, and Mexico is no exception. The tourism industry annually accounts for between 7% and 9% of the national economy.

With its rich culture, beautiful landscapes, and warm climate, Mexico attracts millions of tourists each year. Among these, Canadian tourists hold a prominent place, being the second largest source of tourism to Mexico after the United States.

Increase in Canadian tourism to Mexico

According to recent data, during the first two months of 2023, Mexico welcomed 3.616 million international tourists via air, an increase of 23.1% compared to the same period in 2022.

Of these, 2.114 million were from the United States, while 656,293 were from Canada, an impressive increase of 135.3% in the months of January and February compared to the same period in 2022.

This means that Canadian tourists account for 18.1% of the total tourists who arrived in Mexico in the first two months of 2023.
 

Which cities do Canadian tourists arrive in?

Most Canadian tourists arrived at the airports of Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, and Mexico City. In total, these four destinations received 591,796 Canadian tourists during the first two months of the year 2023.
 

Importance of tourism for Mexico

The importance of tourism to the Mexican economy cannot be underestimated. Tourism generates employment, attracts foreign currency, drives economic growth, and helps to spread more about our traditions, our cultural and natural heritage. In addition, tourism fosters understanding and mutual appreciation between different cultures.

It is important to note that Canadian tourists do not need a visa to visit Mexico, which facilitates travel between the two countries. Similarly, Mexicans also do not require a visa to visit Canada for tourism purposes, the requirements to travel to Canada have been greatly simplified since Canada added Mexico to its list of visa-exempt countries, so Mexican travellers need a Canadian eTA. The simplification of travel document procedures has contributed to the growth of tourism in both directions.

Canada is a vital source of tourism for Mexico, and the relationship between the two countries in terms of tourism is strong and mutually beneficial. With the continued opening of borders and facilitation of travel, the number of Canadian tourists visiting Mexico is expected to continue growing in the coming years.

Source: https://www.datatur.sectur.gob.mx/RAT/RAT-2023-02(ES).pdf