The Secretary of Tourism of the Government of Mexico, Miguel Torruco Marqués, announced that the income of foreign currency from international visitors in January-March 2023 was 8 thousand 338 million dollars, this is 23.1% more compared to the same 2022 period; and also exceeding with 18.4% what was captured in the first quarter of 2019, which was 7 thousand 45 million dollars.
The head of the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur) highlighted that, based on the results of the International Travelers Survey published by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), between January and March 2023, 10 million 60 thousand international tourists entered the country, which represents 17.3% more than what was captured in January-March 2022; being 9.2% away from reaching the 11 million 75 thousand international tourists who entered in the same period of 2019.
He indicated that the foreign exchange income from international tourists in January-March 2023 was 7,773 million dollars, which represents 21.5% more compared to the first quarter of 2022; also surpassing with 20.1% the currencies of the same period of 2019, which were 6 thousand 471 million dollars.
He pointed out that the average expenditure of international tourists in the period January-March 2023 was 772.6 dollars, which means 3.5% more compared to the first quarter of 2022, and also exceeding with 32.2% the 584.3 dollars registered in the same period of 2019.
Torruco Marqués reported that, in the first three months of 2023, 5 million 912 thousand international tourists by air arrived in Mexico, this represents 15.9% more compared to the same period in 2022, also exceeding 6.9% of international tourists by air. aerial captured in January-March 2019, which were 5 million 527 thousand tourists.
He commented that the income of foreign exchange by tourists entering by air between January and March 2023 had an increase of 20.5% compared to the first three months of 2022, registering 7 thousand 118 million dollars, which also represents an increase of 21.9%. compared to the 5 thousand 838 million dollars raised in the first quarter of 2019.
He pointed out that the average expenditure of tourists traveling by air during January-March 2023 registered one thousand 204 dollars; with a growth of 4% compared to the same period of 2022, and exceeding by 14% the average expense of one thousand 56.2 dollars, registered in the first quarter of 2019.
The Secretary of Tourism stressed that, between January and March 2023, 18 million 807 thousand international visitors entered the country, registering a growth of 25.9% compared to the first quarter of 2022; being only 23.6% away from reaching the arrival of international visitors in the same period of 2019.
He explained that, in the first quarter of the year, 2 million 923 thousand cruise passengers arrived at the different ports of the country, exceeding by 8.1% the 2 million 705 thousand cruise passengers who arrived in the same period of 2019.
He added that the foreign exchange income from cruise ship excursionists amounted to 241 million dollars, which represents an increase of 28.5% of what was captured in the first three months of 2019, when 187.5 million dollars were registered.
The head of Sectur reported that, in January-March 2023, the balance of the balance for international visitors was 6,607 million dollars, this is 19.9% more than what was registered in the first quarter of 2022; also exceeding with 40.1% the balance of dollars raised in the same period of 2019.
The head of Sectur reiterated that, based on the indicators for the first three months of the year, it could be asserted that by the end of 2023, Mexico will attract 31,169 million dollars from international visitors, by focusing on attracting foreign currency and per capita spending. In this way, our country will consolidate itself as a tourist power in the economic sphere, and the benefits will permeate the communities of the 235 places with a tourist vocation, in compliance with the instruction of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to make tourism a tool for social reconciliation.