The recovery in international tourism to Mexico is driven by the government’s decision not to close air borders during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, tourist currency was received for 19,795.6 million dollars, a figure that was 19.4% below 2019, and of that amount, 82% was generated by tourists who arrived by air, mainly from the United States, reported the del National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI).
In contrast, the arrival of international tourists (international tourists and border tourists) recovers at a slower rate: 31 million 875,955 people last year, which meant a drop of 29.2%, compared to pre-pandemic 2019. During December, foreign currency capture added its fourth consecutive month registering historical figures. In that month they added 2,532.3 million dollars, 2.1% more than in December 2019.
“2021 was a little better than expected in terms of income, the rest was predictable. The cut compared to 2019 is, in round figures: 20% less income, 25% fewer air tourists, 30% fewer international tourists, 35% fewer border tourists and 80% fewer cruise passengers. However, it is still a bad scenario. A better behavior in tourism was highlighted during the second half of the year”, said the director of the Anáhuac Tourism Research and Competitiveness Center (Cicotur), Francisco Madrid.
Regarding the reasons why currencies increased, the expert stated that there is an evident recovery of rates.