The Secretary of Tourism of the Government of Mexico, Miguel Torruco Marqués, announced that, according to the World Tourism Barometer of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), it is estimated that in 2022 Mexico will rank ninth in income foreign exchange for international visitors.
The head of the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur) highlighted in this vein, that Mexico rose from the 17th place registered in 2018, at the beginning of this administration, to the ninth in 2022, in attracting foreign currency from international visitors, which consolidates it among the first ten places for the second consecutive year in this area, with which the tourist potential of a nation is measured.
He pointed out that, in 2022, the income of foreign currency from international visitors to our country totaled 28 thousand 16 million dollars, this is 41.7% higher than that observed in 2021 and 14% above 2019.
He emphasized that this important increase complies with the premise of the current tourism policy, where foreign currency capture by international visitors is prioritized, over the number of tourists, with the purpose that the economic spillover permeates the communities of the 235 plazas. with a tourist vocation in our country, in accordance with the instructions of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to make tourism a tool for social reconciliation.
Torruco Marqués pointed out that, during 2022, 38 million 327 thousand international tourists arrived in our country, which represented a growth of 20.3% compared to what was observed in 2021 and only 14.9% of what was registered in 2019. In this way, Mexico is it ranks sixth in the UNWTO ranking, below France, Spain, the United States, Turkey and Italy; which represents progress, considering that at the end of 2018, our country was ranked 7th in arrivals of international tourists.
He added that, as he had anticipated, after the Covid-19 pandemic, the international tourism market is beginning to be restored, which suffered a significant drop in 2020, when the world market dropped considerably by 72.2% in terms of tourists. and 62.6% in spending.
The Secretary of Tourism stressed that, thanks to the policies implemented by the president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador: the non-restriction of international flights; the elaboration of biosanitary protocols jointly between the Ministry of Health, Sectur, and the private initiative; as well as the vaccination strategy, Mexico, only had a drop of 46.1% in the arrival of international tourists and 55.3% in the income of foreign currency from international visitors.
For this reason, the president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, received recognition from the UNWTO Secretary General, Zurab Pololikashvili, for implementing these measures that allowed the speedy recovery of the tourism sector in our country.
Torruco Marqués reported that according to the UNWTO, in 2022 the arrival of international tourists on a global scale totaled almost 963 million tourists, a level 111.2% higher than what was observed in 2021.
He asserted that by 2023, the UNWTO highlights that in response to the challenging global economic environment, tourists are expected to make short-haul trips more frequently and increasingly seek satisfactory value for money.
In this sense, the head of Sectur reiterated that the successful results of tourism in Mexico are proof that the policy instructed by the Head of the Executive Power, since before the pandemic, was correct, by promoting the development of anchor products in the different destinations in the country, to diversify the tourist activity and that it is not concentrated in only six places.
In addition, in coordination with the authorities of the three levels of government and the private initiative, high-impact events are carried out, programs such as Ángeles Verdes, Pueblos Mágicos and now Barrios Mágicos, among others, are strengthened; Also, at the end of the administration, priority projects will be consolidated: trains, airports, and highways. All of this will boost the economic spillover and the uptake of foreign currency.
The Secretary of Tourism affirmed that according to the forecasts, by the end of 2023, Mexico will attract 31 thousand 169 million dollars for international visitors, this is 11.3% more than in 2022, and 26.8% more than in 2019.