The Tourism Secretariat (Sectur) announced number of international tourists arrived in Mexico between January and August of 2013.
According to the announcement, a total of 16 million international tourists arrived in Mexico, pouring more than $9.3 billion into the economy. According to Sectur, this represents an increase of 0.8 percent on the same period in 2012, when 15.8 million international tourists visited Mexico.
Francisco Madrid Flores, director of the School of Tourism at Anáhuac University, said that although 54 percent of the foreigners who visit Mexico come from the United States, the latter country’s budget problems will not affect Mexico’s 2013 tourism figures.
“We’ve seen 16 months of rising numbers of tourists and the United States remains the principal market with 54 percent of arrivals, followed by Canada,” Madrid Flores said.
The next major tourist season for U.S. tourists is the end-of-the-year holidays, Madrid Flores said, adding that the majority of U.S. citizens who planned to travel during that time would have already purchased their tickets before the government shutdown in their country began.
