Mexico Continues Seeing Positive Growth With a 6.4 Percent Increase in International Air Travelers in 2010, Compared To 2008
Mexico’s Secretariat of Tourism recently announced that from January to September of this year, the number of international tourists arriving in Mexico by air increased by 18.8 percent, in comparison to the same period last year and 6.4 percent in comparison to 2008, one of Mexico’s healthiest tourism years on record.
The United States and Canada continue to be the main market sources for travelers into Mexico. In the first nine months of 2010, 4.6 million American travelers arrived in Mexico, a 15 percent increase in respect to the same period in 2009 and a 2.6 percent increase over 2008. More than 1.75 million travelers from Canada traveled to Mexico from January to August 2010, a 21.8 percent increase in comparison to the same period in 2009, and an impressive 31.9 percent increase in comparison to 2008.
Aside from American and Canadian travelers, Mexican airports also saw a surge in Spanish visitors, with 225,833 Spaniards touching down in Mexico from January to September 2010, a whopping 45.6 percent increase compared to 2009 and a 1.2 percent increase above 2008 figures.
According to the National Institute of Migration, Argentina is the Latin American country that most visits Mexico. In the first nine months of 2010, 132,674 tourists from Argentina arrived in Mexico. This is a 44.1 percent increase in comparison to 2009, and a 33.7 percent increase when compared to figures from 2008.
Although Argentina holds the top spot in Latin America, Brazil comes in at a close second with tourism numbers doubling since 2009. From January to September 2010, 84,959 Brazilians have traveled to Mexico, a 93.7 percent increase compared to 2009, and a 45 percent increase compared to 2008. Colombia and Venezuela are also important markets for Mexico’s tourism industry. In 2010, Mexico has seen a 53.3 percent increase in Colombian travelers compared to 2009, while Venezuelan travelers increased by 53.3 percent as well.
