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that the Cathedral of Puebla is devoted to “ Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepción ” (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception), and was consecrated on April 18, 1649, that is, 74 years after its construction began as a sumptuous religious site from the Viceroyalty era; with a height exceeding 70 meters and declared as a World Heritage Site, it has 14 side chapels, whose main altar is known as the Altar of the Kings.

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Mexican government's tourism strategy aims to promote sustainable and inclusive growth

Mexico | Tourism

Mexican officials are turning to the tourism sector in a drive to create a more inclusive and sustainable economy based on technological advancement, as well as value-added products and services. The National Development Plan (Plan Nacional de Desarrollo, PND) 2019-24, released by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador – commonly known as AMLO – aims to promote the responsible use of resources and reach 6% economic growth by 2024. It is expected to have a wide impact on the overall Mexican economy, and the tourism sector is no different. Tehe plan seeks to position Mexico as a popular, sustainable and inclusive destination and will use tourism’s contribution as a percentage of GDP to track progress. The government is also investing heavily in infrastructure to accommodate the growing number of tourists, from the Maya Train – a tourist connection running between the states of Quintana Roo, Yucatán, Campeche and Chiapas – to a new airport in Mexico City to complement Mexico City International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México, AICM), which is over capacity. New hotels and resorts are opening as a result of the infrastructure development, highlighting the central role tourism plays in supporting economic growth.

Tourism Strategy

Mexico’s plans for tourism go beyond the PND 2019-24. In February 2019 AMLO announced the National Tourism Strategy (Estrategia Nacional de Turismo, ENT) 2019-24 to complement the overarching economic development plan. The ENT 2019-24 focuses on five pillars: the integration and development of the south-east regions with high-impact infrastructure projects; the regionalisation of destinations into macro-regions to encourage wider development; efforts to increase tourist spending; the utilisation of tourism to generate economic wealth for Mexicans in underdeveloped locations; and the diversification of source markets.

Under this umbrella, there will be five major projects to help achieve the goals of the ENT 2019-24. The first will be the Maya Train, to which the government has allocated MXN65bn ($3.4bn). The second will be to group tourist sites into eight regions to encourage those visiting Mexico City, for instance, to explore other destinations nearby. The third project will target domestic tourists and will seek to reduce seasonality in the segment. To this end, the state is introducing the Disfruta México (Enjoy Mexico) marketing strategy that will encourage tour operators and strategic partners to offer low-cost tourist packages. For the fourth, two programmes were proposed to diversify source markets. Operación Toca Puertas (Operation Open Doors) will focus on attracting tourists from countries with high purchasing power such as those from the US, the UK, the EU, the UAE, India, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia. The Reencuentro con mis Raíces (Reunion with my Roots) strategy will target Mexican-Americans.

Lastly, the fifth project will see the implementation of multi-sector endeavours to ensure the areas around tourist locations meet basic infrastructure needs such as housing, drinking water, drainages and electricity. “We want to support tourism and, at the same time, support the regions that have lagged in terms of growth and in terms of development,” AMLO told local media.

Flying High

In a referendum held in October 2018 voters rejected the completion of the partially built multibillion-dollar new airport 25 km north-east of Mexico City, which caused work on the facility to come to a halt. However, 69% of voters rejected the New Mexico International Airport and only 1m people – or around 1% of the total electorate – participated. Before taking office the president had criticised the airport as an improper use of resources with significant environmental impact. He then proposed building an airport in Santa Lucía, around 50 km north of the existing AICM, which is over capacity. At a cost of MXN78.6bn ($444.7m), the proposed Santa Lucía airport was expected to have a maximum annual passenger capacity of 20m to offset AICM’s passenger load.

Because of the distance between Santa Lucía and AICM, however, authorities estimate there would need to be an additional MXN11.9bn ($615.3m) invested to boost connectivity between the two facilities. Central to this would be a new 45.7-km road connecting the two airports with exclusive lanes for bus transfers. However, there remain concerns that the distance will make the airports inconvenient and uncompetitive. “If you were flying to Mexico City internationally and have to go to Santa Lucía to fly domestically to Aguascalientes, it would be faster to drive or take a bus to Aguascalientes, which is not very comfortable for someone who has already travelled quite a distance,” Beat Wille, general country manager for Mexico at BCD Travel, told OBG.

Santa Lucía is one of three airports that the authorities have proposed developing to boost capacity and serve the capital city. It may operate alongside AICM and an international terminal in the state capital of Toluca. However, in August 2019 a judge issued a ruling that suspended construction. Later that same month a judge overruled the environmental approval given to the Santa Lucía airport by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. The path forward is unclear after a series of legal challenges and setbacks, but in September 2019 AMLO told local media that he expects soon there will be “no legal obstacle” to its construction.

Tourist Train

The Maya Train project, already under way, will construct seven train lines running a total of 1470 km at a cost of MXN150bn ($7.8bn). An estimated MXN65bn ($3.4bn) will come directly from the state and the remaining funds from private and social enterprises. The railway will transport tourists, as well as freight, across the region. Importantly, it will allow the tourist economy in Cancún and other resorts to spill into less prosperous areas. The train was originally conceived to have 15 stations, but in August 2019 officials from the National Fund for the Development of Tourism announced it would add three more stations: Cancún Centro and Chetumal in Quintana Roo, and El Triunfo in Tabasco. In September 2019 the government announced it was preparing to invite bids on the project. While the project is an opportunity for tourists to explore more of Mexico, it also makes acute the need for increased investment in basic infrastructure and services. “At the very least there needs to be services like running water and bathrooms, and many of our archaeological sites are in jungle areas,” Nicolás Cano Ibarra, director of strategic planning at the Ministry of Tourism, told OBG. “They offer only basic amenities and are poorly connected to nearby towns and villages. Establishing better connections to these cultural heritage sites is essential.” The challenge, he said, is to construct the facilities needed to make the sites tourist-friendly without causing harm to the environment and communities living there.

Resort Living

Hotel and resort facilities are expanding to meet the increased demand from the improved tourist infrastructure. There will be 352 new hotels opening between 2019 and 2022, according to consulting firm CBRE. Luxury all-inclusive resorts continue to dominate the new openings. In Los Cabos, Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve development, opened in the spring of 2019, with 115 rooms, suites and villas, all with butler services and terraces overlooking the sea. In April of that year the Hotel Nobu Los Cabos opened, with 200 rooms. In November 2019 the resort city will see the opening of the Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos in Costa Palmas, which will have 145 rooms, three bars and restaurants, four swimming pools and a spa. However, the expansions are not only targeting couples and others looking for a relaxing beach holiday. In 2020 a Nickelodeon resort is expected to open, with 276 ocean-front suites, four themed penthouses, and a 500,000-sq-feet area with a water park and playground.

Investment in tourism and supporting infrastructure such as utilities, transport and accommodation is expected to fuel continued growth in the sector, which despite some turbulence, has expanded every year from 2011 to 2018. The successful implementation of the government’s programmes under the PND is likely to determine whether officials can transform tourism growth into equitable long-term economic expansion.

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How have planning instruments and governance mechanisms been a catalyst for change in the coastal and marine tourist sector? What are examples of innovation that could be replicated or scaled?

Sustainable tourism development zones, an opportunity for a coastal and marine tourism model in Mexico

In order to envision a shift towards a sustainable coastal tourism by 2030 we need to set specific goals that will assure results by 2025. This means that in the next three years we need to set the basic building blocks that will sustain and ensure sustainable tourism models for biodiversity-rich coastal and marine areas. Furthermore, if we want to start envisioning what a sustainable tourism must look like in 2050, we must immediately establish a stable and sustainable foundation by 2030.

‘Mainstreaming Biodiversity Conservation Criteria in Mexico’s Tourism Sector with Emphasis on Biodiversity-Rich Coastal Ecosystems’, better known as Kuxatur (or ‘Living Tourism’ in the Mayan language Yucatec), is a unique Global Environment Facility (GEF) project launched in Mexico City in October 2020 with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) as implementing agency and, as implementing partners, Mexico’s Ministries of Tourism and of Foreign Affairs and NGOs based in three Mexican states: Amigos de Sian Ka’án in Quintana Roo, ISLA in Baja California Sur and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on the coast of Oaxaca.

Kuxatur will lay the foundation for sustainable tourism by 2025 focusing on the establishment of sustainable tourism development zones ( zonas de desarrollo turístico sustentable , or ZDTS), which will be piloted in three regions and will function as tangible and replicable models.

The main outcome is expected to be a viable model for a sustainable coastal and marine tourism in which the three levels of government, the private sector, academia and civil society will strengthen their respective capacities to reverse environmental degradation and take advantage of natural resources in a sustainable and equitable manner. The foregoing will be achieved through the mainstreaming of biodiversity, environmental sustainability, low-emission development and the blue and green economy in the process of legislation, planning and decision-making.

Sustainable tourism development zones

The ZDTS model offers an alternative scenario based on the mainstreaming of biodiversity conservation safeguards in the tourism sector through a new sustainable tourism development model, one that can be replicated with best practices for other tourism development initiatives.

Presently two ZDTS are being established: one in Punta de Mita, in the state of Nayarit, and another one in Tulum, in Quintana Roo. Kuxatur aims to establish three additional ZDTS in the three pilot projects:

• Maya Ka’an in Quintana Roo with Amigos de Sian Ka’án
• The coast of Oaxaca from Huatulco to Lagunas de Chacahua with WWF
• Baja California Sur from La Paz–Sierra la Laguna to Los Cabos with ISLA

The present situation of these richly biodiverse coastal tourism zones is the following:

• Ecosystem degradation and loss of biodiversity.
• Loss of ecosystem services.
• Lack of biodiversity conservation safeguards for tourism development, which has progressively encroached on fragile ecosystems, including biodiversity rich coastal areas.
• Inadequate financial and compensatory mechanisms and incentives to promote sustainable tourism development, resulting in unabated biodiversity-intensive tourism activity, mainly related to boating, fishing and diving, but also other activities.

To achieve its goals, the ZDTS model proposes four key shifts:

• Strengthen the institutional, regulatory and policy framework.
• Enable favourable conditions in the tourism sector for rectifying market failures and catalyse financing for biodiversity conservation.
• Mainstream biodiversity in coastal tourism development and operation with co-benefits in blue carbon enhancement.
• Promote knowledge management and learning.

Building back better: A catalyst for change

The global pandemic offers an unprecedented opportunity to transform coastal and marine tourism, as visitors are keen to explore nature and find new ways to travel. Social distancing has brought tourism to a new dimension in which mass tourism is shifting towards ecotourism and the exploration of nature. Also, environmental awareness has increased and the threat of climate change and loss of biodiversity have become real and tangible. The pandemic has also opened a valuable opportunity for communities living in ZDTS to develop new business models and sustainable tourism infrastructure.

The pandemic has also increased threats to sustainable coastal tourism. Developers have seen new business opportunities in attractive coastal areas and have started to apply the same unsustainable tourism model, increasing the pressure on already fragile ecosystems.

As people have become used to working from home, it has become evident that it is no longer necessary to live in a crowded and expensive city, and this has triggered migration to attractive coastal tourism sites previously considered vacation places. As tourists have become permanent residents, new challenges and threats have become evident:

• A lack of basic infrastructure to support a fast-growing population (waste water management, solid waste management, transportation, supply chains, etc.).
• Increased pressure on local landowners and communities ( ejidos and bienes comunales ) to sell their land to developers and real estate investors, thus increasing the pressure on natural protected areas and nature reserves and leaving local communities without land ownership.
• A lack of proper and long-term coastal tourism planning.
• Increased environmental pressure on coastal ecosystems such as forests, mangroves and coral reefs.
• A lack of biodiversity and conservation safeguards for tourism development.
• New highways and transportation infrastructure that harm basic and fragile ecosystems providing environmental services and tourist attractions.

For this reason, new tourism models that are innovative and sustainable need to be implemented urgently.

Transformation: The role of coastal and marine tourism in a sustainable ocean economy

Kuxatur hopes to transform these three zones by legally protecting them through the presidential decree of ZDTS. To qualify to become a ZDTS, a site needs to meet specific requirements following the guidelines of the Ministry of Tourism SECTUR in order to ensure its sustainability.

Establishing long-term public policy and economic incentives to promote biodiversity-friendly tourism, and encouraging active participation by local authorities and communities, should bring an enduring change. This change will have a transformative impact on all sectors of society and will lay the foundations for a sustainable tourism.

Kuxatur’s mission is to include local communities in the sustainable tourism development model by enhancing capacity building, implementing new sustainable business models, mainstreaming gender equity and including young people’s active participation in all planning processes. The main objective is to strengthen local communities and ensure them direct economic benefits from tourism and the conservation of biodiversity.

Also, the Indigenous Peoples Programme is integral to the development of Kuxatur and includes equity and integration of ancestral and biocultural knowledge, values and organisation. Kuxatur has developed a strategic yearly planning system for specific activities advancing achievement of its goals. In all three pilot sites, an inclusive and participatory model is in constant development, including federal, state and local authorities, communities, NGOs, the private tourism sector, academia and other important stakeholders. With this support, the project aims by 2025 to establish at least three ZDTS that will serve as models that can be replicated in other coastal tourism sites with the potential to turn into ZDTS.

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Secretary of Tourism (SECTUR), Mexico

The Mexican Secretary of Tourism (Spanish: Secretaría de Turismo, SECTUR) is the government department in charge of the nation's tourism promotion and development. The Secretary is appointed by the President of the Republic and is a member of the federal executive cabinet. The department conducts the development policy for national tourist activity and promotes tourist development zones in conjunction with the states.

Website http://www.sectur.gob.mx/

• Mainstreaming Biodiversity Conservation Criteria in Mexico’s Tourism Sector with Emphasis on Biodiversity-rich Coastal Ecosystems

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Mexican government and business leaders present progress of marca pais program.

The Mexico Ministry of Tourism, the Business Coordinating Council, the Ministry of the Economy and the Mexico Tourism Board presented the progress of the Marca Pais program, a strategy that has strengthened the image of Mexico abroad and increased the…

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With Mexico’s proximity to and familiarity with the United States, it is no surprise that travel and tourism represents a best prospect sector for U.S. destinations seeking Mexican travelers. After a difficult 2020 and 2021 for the global travel and tourism industry, Mexico experienced a significant recovery in travel numbers in 2022. These figures have been boosted by improving economic conditions and the reopening of U.S. travel and tourism services, in addition to the implementation of marketing campaigns to attract Mexican travelers.

The United States is the primary destination for Mexican travelers. In 2022, 12.5 million Mexicans traveled to the United States, representing 24 percent of total foreign arrivals. Mexico the second-largest source of international visitors. Even though 2022 saw a significant recovery in Mexican tourism to the United States, it was still 31 percent below 2019 record levels. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), spending by Mexican travelers in 2022 totaled USD 19.2 billion. The top destinations for Mexican travelers are Texas, California, Florida, Nevada, and New York, followed by New Mexico, Colorado, Illinois, and Georgia.

Table: Arrivals of Mexican Travelers to the United States (Figures in Millions of Travelers)

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce National Travel and Tourism Office

Leading Sub-Sectors

It is important to differentiate between land and air travelers to the United States. Mexican land tourists typically travel to the southwestern states for shorter visits for family or shopping purposes. On average, Mexican air travelers tend to stay longer and purchase packages that include transportation, lodging, shopping, and recreational activities. Business travel, educational travel, and meeting/conference/incentive/exhibition travel (MICE) are additional segments worthy of attention.

Opportunities

Mexicans are drawn to the United States because of the diversity in destinations, infrastructure, and excellent travel and tourism services. Mexicans enjoy destinations that offer shopping, gaming, entertainment, amusement parks, and a cosmopolitan environment. Natural parks and other outdoor destinations are typically not as popular among Mexican travelers, with skiing being the notable exception. In winter months, Mexican tourists flock to resorts in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah to ski.

Wholesale operators continue to be an important distribution channel in the Mexican travel and tourism market. Wholesalers sell packages to travel agents who provide services to consumers. Mexican travelers prefer to purchase vacation packages through travel agencies, though purchasing airfare and hotel packages online has become much more common in recent years. United States wholesalers and tour operators are key players in the Mexican market, in part because they can negotiate directly with U.S. travel and tourism service companies and therefore offer competitive prices and packages. To save money, wholesalers in Mexico are now buying products and services from tour operators in the United States, who deal directly with local tourism service providers that develop travel packages. The younger Mexican population is much more comfortable buying travel packages over the Internet. The biggest online travel agencies in Mexico now offer hotel rooms, air tickets, and travel packages through their own websites. Travelers often have the option to pay for their travel to the United States by debit or credit card in fixed installments with no interest.

Social networking is increasingly important for the promotion of travel and tourism services. Several U.S. destinations and providers of travel and tourism services represented in Mexico have launched promotional campaigns through social networks including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Most of these promotional campaigns are in Spanish and include interaction with the end-consumer and travel agents.

To be successful in the market, it is crucial to establish and maintain personal relationships with travel and tourism companies in Mexico. United States travel and tourism firms are advised to travel to Mexico and develop a comprehensive follow-up strategy in order to gain sufficient exposure in the Mexican market. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, all U.S. destinations and service providers have invested in aggressive post COVID-19 marketing and promotional campaigns to recover market volume. These activities should include deals and promotions by travel services and destinations for local wholesalers. United States destinations and services providers are taking advantage of IT tools and virtual communication platforms to increase education on future attractions and services among potential Mexican tourists. Social media has represented an important way to continue promoting U.S. destinations and services to maintain the interest of the Mexican traveler and to entice them to visit the United States.

Mexican buyers have identified specific activities and segments of the market with good business potential. Entertainment options, such as attending major sports events or concerts in the United States, have become very popular among Mexican travelers. Promoting destinations and tourism services to the Mexican LGBTQI+ community also represents a good market opportunity. Multiple studies show that LGBTQI+ individuals are often considered strongly entrepreneurial, are usually owners of their businesses, and dedicate a significant amount of financial resources to leisure activities such as tourism. Culinary activities are also an important market niche that gets the attention of the Mexican visitor to the United States. 

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, 33.5 million U.S. citizens traveled to Mexico in 2022. This travel may also present business opportunities to U.S. firms offering packages and travel services geared towards U.S. travelers to Mexico.

• International Pow Wow (IPW), May 3-7, 2024. Los Angeles, CA
• Brand USA Mission to Mexico, January 2024. TBD

For more information on the travel and tourism services sector in Mexico, please contact:

Juan Carlos Ruíz

Commercial Specialist

U.S. Commercial Service —Mexico City

Tel.: +52 (55) 5080-2000 ext. 5223

[email protected]

Mexico Ministry Of Tourism (Secretaría De Turismo, Or Sectur)

Mexico Anticipates Record-Breaking Tourism Numbers and Economic Boost in 2023

• January 2, 2024

MÉXICO » News » January 2024 » Mexico Anticipates Record-Breaking Tourism Numbers and Economic Boost in 2023

Published by Verónica González | Real Estate Market & Lifestyle on January , 2024

Mexico is gearing up for a tourism boom in 2023, with the Ministry of Tourism projecting a significant increase in international visitors. According to Miguel Torruco Marqués, the head of the Ministry of Tourism, more than 40 million tourists are expected to have visited Mexico by the end of the year. This surge is predicted to generate a substantial income of $30.9 billion, marking a remarkable 25.7% increase compared to 2019.

One key indicator of this positive trend is the average expense for international tourism by air, estimated at $1,163, reflecting a 16.1% increase from the pre-pandemic year. The overall tourist consumption is also anticipated to exceed $176 billion, showcasing a 0.4% rise compared to 2019 figures. Torruco Marqués emphasized the strength and stability of Mexico’s peso, dispelling the myth that currency devaluation enhances competitiveness. This, he asserted, aligns with the government’s goal of using tourism as a tool for social reconciliation.

In addition to the surge in international arrivals, the tourism sector in Mexico has witnessed a boost in hotel occupancy. From January to October 2023, hotel occupancy increased by 3.4 percentage points compared to the same period in 2022, reaching an impressive 59.3%. Notably, the country has added 87,000 new hotel rooms during the current administration, solidifying its position as the seventh world power in hotel infrastructure.

The positive impact extends to employment, with tourism-related jobs reaching 4.76 million in the third quarter of 2023. This marks a notable growth of 4.7% compared to the same period in 2022, surpassing the historical employment record in the first quarter of 2020, before the pandemic hit.

Torruco Marqués acknowledged that Mexico had experienced a decline in international tourism rankings but attributed this to a loss of positioning on the global stage. To counteract this trend, the government initiated tourism infrastructure projects in 2019, including the significant Mayan Train initiative. These efforts are now paying off, with Mexico poised to reclaim its status as a top international tourist destination.

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Durango’s National Fair 2024, named “Francisco Villa,” is expected to attract more than a million attendees, with a significant portion being tourists visiting during the vacation season, stated Elisa María Haro Ruiz, Durango’s Secretary of Tourism. The event aims to boost tourism and economic activity in the region.… Read More

Sinaloa Showcases Tourism at Guadalajara’s Arlag International Fair

In a bid to promote Sinaloa’s diverse tourist attractions, Ricardo Velarde Cárdenas, head of the Sinaloa Tourism Department, joined forces with the Hotel and Motel Associations of Mazatlán and Los Mochis to participate in the Arlag International Fair in Guadalajara. This significant event, held from May 22 to 24, aims to boost tourism by showcasing the state’s offerings.… Read More

Durango Announces Exciting Lineup for “Feria Nacional Francisco Villa Durango 2024”

The Secretary of Tourism in Durango, Elisa Haro Ruiz, has announced the much-anticipated “Feria Nacional Francisco Villa Durango 2024,” set to take place from July 19 to August 4. This event promises nearly 30 days of vibrant activities, including music performances, livestock exhibitions, mechanical rides, charro shows, sports activities, and wrestling matches.… Read More

Strengthening Mexican Cuisine and Tradition: A New Partnership

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Tabasco Chocolatier Shines at Serbia’s International Agricultural Fair

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Tourist attractions in México

• Archaeological Sites

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• Capital Cities

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• Magical Towns

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The Gastronomy of Mexico has a great diversity of typical dishes, which is why it was recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The basic and representative ingredients of Mexican dishes are: corn, coriander, chili, beans, piloncillo, nopal and tomato. Mexican cuisine is also characterized by its sauces, which serve as an accompaniment to traditional dishes, prepared based on spices.… Read More

States Of Mexico

Mexico has an incredible diversity of landscapes, where the beauty of its beaches, internationally recognized, stands out. In its vast territory of coasts, there are beaches of unparalleled beauty, and colorful landscapes. A large network of first-class hotels and tourist services is available to visitors to these beaches. Mexico is also mystical places, dotted with archaeological testimonies inherited from its original inhabitants. Monuments made by the Mayas, Aztecs and Toltecs are located in magical landscapes, like lighthouses in an ocean of natural beauty. They offer visitors buildings that tell their history, and museums that collect their cultural heritage. And that keep alive ancestral traditions, in ceremonies and festivals, where you can enjoy cultural activities and entertainment.… Read More

On the Beaches of Mexico you can immerse yourself in the intense blue ocean of the Pacific bays, sunbathe on the shore of the warm and transparent waves of the Caribbean Sea in Quintana Roo or even rest on the beautiful coasts of the Gulf of Mexico. Mexican beaches hide wonderful secrets for the traveler. By visiting them, in addition to enjoying the excellent climate and water activities, you can discover splendid archaeological sites and interesting colonial cities without traveling long distances.… Read More

• Traditions in Mexico

It is practically impossible to make a meticulous, and above all, accurate selection of the places to visit in Mexico. Each place that our country houses is unique and beautiful in its own way. Mexico, with its nearly 2 million km², has a large number of scenarios to offer, as well as endless activities to do. Do not lose your way and enter the places to visit in Mexico. In Mexico, apart from the beaches and its famous archaeological sites, there are many other really interesting sites and activities that you should know. In the surroundings of the main cities you will find places full of culture and tradition, where you can spend relaxing, interesting and fun vacations. On your trip through Mexico you cannot stop obtaining souvenirs, the crafts that are made here are of the highest quality and recognized worldwide. A shopping tour cannot be missed.… Read More

• Ecotourism and Adventure

Mexico is one of the best countries for Ecotourism as it has a great variety of flora and fauna, as well as a large number of refuges for extraordinary species. You can enjoy recreational activities of appreciation and knowledge of nature through contact with it, such as: stargazing, observation of natural attractions, wildlife and bird watching. Throughout México there are more than 176 protected natural areas, 5 of them considered by UNESCO as Natural Heritage of Humanity. Just for this and much more, we believe that Mexico is a Paradise for Ecotourism.… Read More

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• States of Mexico
• Animal Rescue in Mexico

• Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores

Tourism and Foreign Ministries strengthen Mexico's tourism promotion strategy abroad

Tourism-foreign affairs joint press release.

Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores | November 28, 2023 | Press Release

• Tourism Secretary Miguel Torruco and the Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights at the Foreign Ministry, Joel Hernández, presented the Permanent Tourism Observatory, saying it would innovate Mexico's tourism promotion strategy abroad.
• The Observatory is a channel of communication with 169 Mexican representations abroad that is available to state tourism ministries, chambers and associations, said Secretary Torruco.
• Undersecretary Hernández underscored the need to promote Mexico as a diverse country, and reiterated the Foreign Ministry’s readiness to continue promoting Mexico’s tourism industry abroad.

Mexican Tourism Secretary Miguel Torruco and the Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights at the Foreign Ministry, Joel Hernández, presented the Permanent Tourism Observatory, aimed at innovating Mexico’s tourism promotion strategy, promote Mexico's image abroad and diversify marketing strategies for Mexico’s tourism products and services.

At a meeting with state tourism secretaries and presidents of the main tourism chambers and associations, the two officials said that the Observatory is an instrument for coordinating Mexico’s tourism policy that grew out of the Tourism Diplomacy Council (CDT) and incorporates the lessons learned from the pandemic and the reactivation of Mexico’s tourism sector.

The Permanent Tourism Observatory is a channel of communication with 169 Mexican representations abroad, 85 embassies, 73 consulates and 3 liaison offices around the world. It is available to the state tourism ministries, and has the invaluable support of the Association of Tourism Secretaries of Mexico (Asetur), headed by Nayarit Tourism Secretary Juan Enrique Suárez del Real, and the country’s main tourism chambers and associations.

Secretary Torruco said that the Tourism and Foreign Ministries had joined forces to promote Mexico as a tourist destination in the international market following the president’s instructions to streamline the structure of the Mexican government.

To this end, in 2019, the ministries signed an agreement for a joint work plan, where the Tourism Ministry defines and gives content to Mexico’s tourism policy and the Foreign Ministry helps promote Mexico in international tourism markets.

Embassy and consular personnel were trained in managing and developing Mexico’s tourism promotion, and the CDT was created to implement strategies to promote Mexico internationally.

Given the new challenges to the tourism industry, which is constantly evolving, Mexico’s response must also evolve, launching new projects that allow our tourism industry to continue advancing, in line with President López Obrador's philosophy of making tourism a tool for social reconciliation.

Secretary Torruco concluded by saying, "I would like to thank the Foreign Ministry, headed by Alicia Bárcena, for its prompt and expeditious actions to work in coordination with the Tourism Ministry in this endeavor.”

Undersecretary Joel Hernández acknowledged the valuable work of the CDT board members and Tourism Secretary Torruco in positioning and strengthening Mexico's tourism industry.

He highlighted the need to promote Mexico as a diverse country, rich in natural and cultural resources, with honest and warm people and a privileged geopolitical position. He stressed the important role of the Matias Romero Institute (IMR) in the professionalization and training of Mexican Foreign Service personnel in tourism promotion, and of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME) for capitalizing on tourism and investment.

"The two ministries have joined forces with the states, tour operators, and the network of embassies and consulates to provide training and publicize these initiatives abroad. We reiterate the readiness of the Foreign Ministry to continue promoting Mexico's tourism abroad," he said.

Participating in the event on behalf of the Tourism Ministry were Tourism Undersecretary Humberto Hernández Haddad and Emmanuel Romain Ernest Rey, Director General of International Affairs and Promotion. The Foreign Ministry was represented by Juan Patricio Riveroll Mendoza, Executive Director of Cultural and Tourism Diplomacy; IMR Director General María Teresa Mercado; Luis Gutiérrez Reyes, Head of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad; and other officials.

Also participating were Asetur President and Nayarit Tourism Secretary Juan Enrique Suárez del Real; and the Tourism Secretaries of Baja California, Miguel Aguiñiga Rodríguez; Nuevo León, Maricarmen Martínez Villareal; Guerrero, Santos Ramírez Cuevas; Baja California Sur, Rosa Maribel Collins Sánchez; Sonora, Roberto Gradillas Pineda; Sinaloa, Estrella Palacios Domínguez; Hidalgo, Elizabeth Quintanar Gómez; Michoacán, Roberto Enrique Monroy García; Tamaulipas, Benjamín Hernández Rodríguez; Morelos, Julieta Goldzwelg Cornejo; Guanajuato, Juan José Álvarez Brunel; Yucatán, Michelle Fridman Hirsch; Chiapas, Katyna de la Vega Grajales; Campeche, Mauricio Arceo Piña; Quintana Roo, Bernardo Cueto Riestra; Mexico City, Nathalie Veronique Desplas Puel; Oaxaca, Saymi Pineda Velasco; Aguascalientes, Gloria María Romo Cuesta; Zacatecas, Le Roy Barragán Ocampo; Veracruz, Ivan Francisco Martínez Olvera; Jalisco, Claudia Vanessa Pérez Lamas; San Luis Potosí, Juan Carlos Machinena Morales; and Querétaro, Adriana Vega Vázquez Mellado; and the Tourism Undersecretary of Colima, Jorge Padilla Castillo.

The business sector was represented by the presidents of the National Association of Hotel Chains (ANCH), Luis Barrios Sánchez; the Mexican Association of Travel Agencies (AMAV), Felipe Cervantes Vega; the Mexican Association of Travel Agencies in Mexico City (AMAV CDMX), José Julián Arroyo Corvera; the National Council of Tourism Services Exporters (Conexstur), Víctor Manuel Enríquez; and the Association of Progressive Entrepreneurs, Jean Paul Pelletier; the Director General of the Quintana Roo Tourism Promotion Council, Javier Aranda Pedrero; the president of Viajes Bojórquez, Armando Bojórquez Patrón; the Director General of the Los Cabos Tourism Promotion Trust, Rodrigo Esponda Cascajares; the president of the Mexican Council of Meetings Industry (COMIR), Michel Wohlmuth; and the president of Alchemia Communication Strategy, Lourdes Berho, among other representatives of the leading tourism chambers and associations.

La legalidad, veracidad y la calidad de la información es estricta responsabilidad de la dependencia, entidad o empresa productiva del Estado que la proporcionó en virtud de sus atribuciones y/o facultades normativas.

Now boarding: Faces, places, and trends shaping tourism in 2024

After falling by 75 percent in 2020, travel is on its way to a full recovery by the end of 2024. Domestic travel is expected to grow 3 percent annually and reach 19 billion lodging nights per year by 2030. 1 Unless otherwise noted, the source for all data and projections is Oxford Economics. Over the same time frame, international travel should likewise ramp up to its historical average of nine billion nights. Spending on travel is expected to follow a similar trajectory, with an estimated $8.6 trillion in traveler outlays in 2024, representing roughly 9 percent of this year’s global GDP.

About the authors

This article is a collaborative effort by Caroline Tufft , Margaux Constantin , Matteo Pacca , and Ryan Mann , with Ivan Gladstone and Jasperina de Vries, representing views from McKinsey’s Travel, Logistics & Infrastructure Practice.

There’s no doubt people still love to travel and will continue to seek new experiences in new places. But where will travelers come from, and where will they go? We developed a snapshot of current traveler flows, along with estimates for growth through 2030. For the purposes of this report, we have divided the world into four regions—the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa.

Our analysis identifies three major themes for industry stakeholders to consider:

• The bulk of travel spending is close to home. Stakeholders should ensure they capture the full potential of domestic travel before shifting their focus to international travelers. And they should start with international travelers who visit nearby countries—as intraregional trips represent the largest travel segment after domestic trips.
• Source markets are shifting. Although established source markets continue to anchor global travel, Eastern Europe, India, and Southeast Asia are all becoming fast-growing sources of outbound tourism.
• The destinations of the future may not be the ones you imagine. Alongside enduring favorites, places that weren’t on many tourists’ maps are finding clever ways to lure international travelers and establish themselves as desirable destinations.

The bulk of travel spending is close to home

International travel might feel more glamorous, but tourism players should not forget that domestic travel still represents the bulk of the market, accounting for 75 percent of global travel spending (Exhibit 1). Domestic travel recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic faster than international travel, as is typical coming out of downturns. And although there has been a recent boom in “revenge travel,” with travelers prioritizing international trips that were delayed by the pandemic, a return to prepandemic norms, in which domestic travel represents 70 percent of spending, is expected by 2030.

The United States is the world’s largest domestic travel market at $1 trillion in annual spending. Sixty-eight percent of all trips that start in the United States remain within its borders. Domestic demand has softened slightly, as American travelers return abroad. 2 Dawit Habtemariam, “Domestic U.S. tourism growth levels off as Americans head overseas,” Skift, August 18, 2023. But tourism players with the right offerings are still thriving: five national parks broke attendance records in 2023 (including Joshua Tree National Park, which capitalized on growing interest from stargazers indulging in “dark sky” tourism 3 Scott McConkey, “5 national parks set attendance records in 2023, and the reasons may surprise you,” Wealth of Geeks, April 16, 2024. ).

China’s $744 billion domestic travel market is currently the world’s second largest. Chinese travelers spent the pandemic learning to appreciate the diversity of experiences on offer within their own country. Even as borders open back up, Chinese travelers are staying close to home. And domestic destinations are benefiting: for example, Changchun (home to the Changchun Ice and Snow Festival) realized 160 percent year-on-year growth in visitors in 2023. 4 Shi Xiaoji, “Why don’t Chinese people like to travel abroad anymore? The global tourism industry has lost 900 billion yuan. What is the situation?,” NetEase, February 12, 2024. In 2024, domestic travel during Lunar New Year exceeded prepandemic levels by 19 percent.

China’s domestic travel market is expected to grow 12 percent annually and overtake the United States’ to become the world’s largest by 2030. Hotel construction reflects this expectation: 30 percent of the global hotel construction pipeline is currently concentrated in China. The pipeline is heavily skewed toward luxury properties, with more than twice as many luxury hotels under construction in China as in the United States.

India, currently the world’s sixth-largest domestic travel market by spending, is another thriving area for domestic travel. With the subcontinent’s growing middle class powering travel spending growth of roughly 9 percent per year, India’s domestic market could overtake Japan’s and Mexico’s to become the world’s fourth largest by 2030. Domestic air passenger traffic in India is projected to double by 2030, 5 Murali Krishnan, “Can India’s airports cope with rapid passenger growth?,” Deutsche Welle, February 7, 2024. boosted in part by a state-subsidized initiative that aims to connect underserved domestic airports. 6 “India is seeing a massive aviation boom,” Economist , November 23, 2023.

When travelers do go abroad, they often stay close to home (Exhibit 2).

Europe and Asia, in particular, demonstrate strong and growing intraregional travel markets.

Recognizing this general trend, stakeholders have been funneling investment toward regional tourism destinations. An Emirati wealth fund, for instance, has announced its intent to invest roughly $35 billion into established hospitality properties and development opportunities in Egypt. 7 Michael Gunn and Mirette Magdy, “UAE’s $35 billion Egypt deal marks Gulf powers’ buying spree,” Bloomberg, April 27, 2024.

Europe has long played host to a high share of intraregional travel. Seventy percent of its travelers’ international trips stay within the region. Europe’s most popular destinations for intraregional travelers are perennial warm-weather favorites—Spain (18 percent), Italy (10 percent), and France (8 percent)—with limited change to these preferences expected between now and 2030.

Despite longer travel distances between Asian countries, Asia’s intraregional travel market is beginning to resemble Europe’s. Intraregional travel currently accounts for about 60 percent of international trips in Asia—a share expected to climb to 64 percent by 2030. As in Europe in past decades, Asian intraregional travel is benefiting from diminishing visa barriers and the development of a low-cost, regional flight network.

Thailand is projected to enjoy continued, growing popularity with Asian travelers. Thailand waived visa requirements for Chinese tourists in 2023 and plans to do the same for Indian tourists starting in 2024. It has aggressively targeted the fast-growing Indian traveler segment, launching more than 50 marketing campaigns directed at Indians over the past decade. The investment may be paying off: Bangkok recently overtook Dubai as the most popular city destination for Indian tourists. 8 “Bangkok overtakes Dubai as top destination for Indians post visa relaxation, reveals Agoda,” PR Newswire, January 18, 2024.

A McKinsey ConsumerWise survey on consumer sentiment, conducted in February 2024, suggests that Chinese travelers are also exhibiting high interest in international travel, with 36 percent of survey respondents indicating that they intend to spend more on international travel in the next three months. 9 Daniel Zipser, “ China brief: Consumers are spending again (outside of China) ,” McKinsey, April 8, 2024. Much of this interest is directed toward regional destinations such as Southeast Asia and Japan, with interest in travel to Europe down from previous years. 10 Guang Chen, Zi Chen, Steve Saxon, and Jackey Yu, “ Outlook for China tourism 2023: Light at the end of the tunnel ,” McKinsey, May 9, 2023.

Given travelers’ preference for proximity, how can tourism stakeholders further capitalize on domestic and intraregional travel demand? Here are a few strategies:

• Craft offerings that encourage domestic tourists to rediscover local gems. Destinations, hotels, and transportation providers can encourage domestic tourists to integrate lesser-known cultural landmarks into their trips to visit friends and relatives. In France, the upscale hotel chain Relais & Châteaux markets historic properties that lie far from classic tourist sights—such as Château Saint-Jean in rural Auvergne—as a welcome escape from the bustle of Paris. In Mexico, the Pueblos Mágicos program has successfully boosted domestic tourist visits to a set of “magical towns” that showcase Mexican heritage.
• Fold one-off domestic destinations into fuller itineraries. Route 66 in the United States is a classic road trip pathway, which spurs visits to attractions all along the highway’s length. Tourism stakeholders can collaborate to create similar types of domestic itineraries around the world. For instance, Mexico has expanded on its Pueblos Mágicos concept by branding coordinated visits to multiple villages as “magical routes.” In France, local tourism boards and vineyards have collaborated to promote bucket list “wine routes” around the country.
• Make crossing borders into neighboring countries seamless. Removing logistical barriers to travel can nudge tourists to upgrade a one-off trip to a single attraction into a bucket list journey across multiple, less-trodden destinations. In Africa, for example, Ethiopian Airlines is facilitating cross-border travel to major regional tourist sites through improved air connectivity. In Asia, Thailand has announced its intent to create a joint visa easing travel among Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Source markets are shifting

The United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, and France remain the world’s five largest sources of travelers, in that order. These countries collectively accounted for 38 percent of international travel spending in 2023 and are expected to remain the top five source markets through 2030. But interest in travel is blossoming in other parts of the world—causing a shift in the balance of outbound travel flows (Exhibit 3).

North Americans’ travel spending is projected to hold steady at roughly 3 percent annual growth. US consumers voice growing concerns about inflation, and the most cost-constrained traveler segments are reducing travel, which is affecting ultra-low-cost airlines and budget hotels. Most travelers, however, plan to continue traveling: McKinsey research suggests that American consumers rank international and domestic travel as their highest-priority areas for discretionary spending. Instead of canceling their trips, these consumers are adapting their behavior by traveling during off-peak periods or booking travel further in advance. Travel spending by Europeans paints a slightly rosier picture, with roughly 5 percent projected annual growth. Meanwhile, the projected 12 percent annual growth in Chinese travelers’ spending should anchor substantial increases in travel spending across Northeast Asia.

Alongside these enduring traveler segments, new groups of travelers are emerging. Eastern Europe, India, and Southeast Asia are still comparatively small source markets, but they are developing fast-growing pools of first-time tourists (Exhibit 4).

India’s breakneck GDP growth of 6 percent year over year is bolstering a new generation of travelers, 11 Benjamin Laker, “India will grow to become the world’s third-largest economy by 2027,” Forbes , February 23, 2024. resulting in a projected annual growth in travel spending of 9 percent between now and 2030. Indian air carriers and lodging companies are making substantial investments to meet projected demand. Budget airline IndiGo placed the largest aircraft order in commercial aviation history in 2023, when it pledged to buy 500 Airbus A320 planes 12 Anna Cooban, “Biggest plane deal in history: Airbus clinches massive order from India’s IndiGo,” CNN, June 19, 2023. ; that same week, Air India nearly equaled IndiGo’s order size with purchase agreements for 250 Airbus and 220 Boeing jets. IndiGo later added an order for 30 additional Airbus A350 planes, well suited to serving both domestic and international routes. 13 “Airbus confirms IndiGo's A350 aircraft order,” Economic Times , May 6, 2024. The Indian Hotels Company Limited is ramping up its hotel pipeline, aiming to open two new hotels per month in the near future. International players are not sitting on the sidelines: seven hotel chains are launching new brands in India in 2024, 14 Peden Doma Bhutia, “Indian Hotels expansion plans: 2 new brands launching, 2 hotels opening every month,” Skift, February 2, 2024. including Marriott’s first Moxy- and Tribute-branded hotels in India and entrants from Hilton’s Curio and Tapestry brands. 15 Forum Gandhi, “Check-in frenzy: International hotel giants unleash fresh brands in India’s booming hospitality landscape,” Hindu Businessline , February 13, 2024. Development focus has shifted away from major metropolises such as Mumbai and Delhi and toward fast-developing, smaller cities such as Chandigarh and Hyderabad.

Southeast Asian travel spending is projected to grow at roughly 7 percent per year. Pockets of particularly high growth exist in Cambodia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. To capitalize on this blossoming source market, neighboring countries are rolling out attractive visa arrangements: for example, China has agreed to reciprocal visa waivers for short-term travelers from Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. 16 Julienna Law, “China launches ‘visa-free era’ with Southeast Asia. Will travel retail boom?,” Jing Daily , January 30, 2024.

Travel spending by Eastern Europeans is expected to grow at 7 percent per year until 2030—two percentage points higher than spending by Western Europeans. Areas of especially high growth include the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland, where middle-class travelers are increasingly venturing farther afield. Major tourism players, including the TUI Group, have tapped into these new source markets by offering charter flights to warm-weather destinations such as Egypt. 17 Hildbrandt von Klaus, “TUI develops Czech Republic as a new source market,” FVW, December 22, 2023.

Although the number of travelers from these new source markets is growing, their purchasing power remains relatively limited. Compared with Western European travelers (who average $159 per night in total travel spending), South Asians spend 20 percent less, Eastern Europeans spend 40 percent less, and Southeast Asians spend 55 percent less. Only 3 percent of the current Asian hotel construction pipeline caters to economy travelers, suggesting a potential supply gap of rooms that could appeal to budget-constrained tourists.

While acknowledging that historical source markets will continue to constitute the bulk of travel spending, tourism players can consider actions such as these to capitalize on growing travel demand from newer markets:

• Reduce obstacles to travel. Countries can look for ways to strategically invest in simplifying travel for visitors from growing source markets. In 2017, for example, Azerbaijan introduced express processing of electronic visas for Indian visitors; annual arrivals from India increased fivefold in two years. Requirements regarding passport photocopies or in-person check-ins can similarly be assessed with an eye toward reducing red tape for travelers.
• Use culturally relevant marketing channels to reach new demographics. Unique, thoughtful marketing strategies can help destinations place themselves on first-time travelers’ bucket lists. For example, after the release of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara , a popular Bollywood movie shot in Spain with support from the Spanish Ministry of Tourism, Indian tourism to Spain increased by 65 percent. 18 “ Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara part of syllabus in Spain colleges,” India Today , June 6, 2004.
• Give new travelers the tech they expect. Travelers from newer source markets often have access to tech-forward travel offerings. For example, Indian travelers can travel anywhere within their country without physical identification, thanks to the Digi Yatra app. The Southeast Asian rideshare app Grab has several helpful travel features that competitors lack, such as automated menu translation and currency conversion. Tourism stakeholders should consider how to adapt to the tech expectations of newer travelers, integrating relevant offerings that ease journeys.
• Create vibrant experiences tailored to different price points. Crafting lower-budget offerings for more cost-constrained travelers doesn’t need to result in giving them a subpar experience. Capsule hotels, in which guests sleep in small cubbies, began as a response to the high cost of accommodations in Japan, but they have become an attraction in their own right—appearing on many must-do lists. 19 Philip Tang, “24 of the best experiences in Japan,” Lonely Planet, March 23, 2024.

The places you’ll go: The destinations of the future may not be the ones you imagine

The world’s top ten destination countries (the United States, Spain, China, France, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Italy, Thailand, Japan, and India, in that order) currently receive 45 percent of all travel spending, including for domestic travel. But some new locales are gaining traction (Exhibit 5).

A significant number of travelers are expanding their horizons, booking journeys to less visited countries that are near to old standbys. For instance, Laos and Malaysia, which both border Thailand—an established destination that is home to Bangkok, the world’s most visited city 20 Katherine LaGrave, “This is the world’s most visited city,” AFAR , January 31, 2024. —are up a respective 20 percent and 17 percent, respectively, in year-over-year international travel spending.

The world’s top ten destination countries currently receive 45 percent of all travel spending, including domestic-travel spending. But some new locales are gaining traction.

Several other countries that have crafted thoughtful tourism demand generation strategies—such as Peru, the Philippines, Rwanda, and Vietnam—are also expected to reap benefits in the coming years. Vietnam logged a remarkable 40 percent increase in tourism spending in the five years before the pandemic. Postpandemic, it has rebounded in part by waiving visa requirements for European travelers (while indicating intent to offer similar exemptions in the future for Chinese and Indian travelers). 21 Ashvita Singh, “Vietnam looks to offer visa-free entry to Indians: India report,” Skift, November 20, 2023. The Philippines has made a concerted effort to shift its sun-and-beach branding toward a more well-rounded image, replacing its long-standing “It’s more fun in the Philippines” tourism slogan with “Love the Philippines.” Peru is highlighting less visited archeological sites while also marketing itself as a top-notch culinary destination through the promotion of Peruvian restaurants abroad. Rwanda is investing in infrastructure to become a major African transit hub, facilitated by Qatar Airways’ purchase of a 60 percent stake in the country’s major airport. 22 Dylan Cresswell, “Rwanda plots ambitious tourism recovery,” African Business , July 28, 2022. Rwanda has also successfully capitalized on sustainable tourism: by charging $1,500 per gorilla trekking permit, for instance, it has maximized revenue while reducing environmental impact.

Tourism players might consider taking some of these actions to lure tourists to less familiar destinations:

• Collaborate across the tourism ecosystem. Promotion is not solely the domain of destination marketing organizations. Accommodation, transportation, and experience providers can also play important roles. In Singapore, for instance, the luxury resort Marina Bay Sands partners extensively with Singapore Airlines and the Singapore Tourism Board to offer compelling tourism offerings. Past collaborations have included flight and stay packages built around culinary festivals and a Lunar New Year drone show. 23 “Singapore Tourism Board, Marina Bay Sands & UOB partner to enliven Marina Bay precinct,” Singapore Tourism Board news release, January 25, 2024.
• Use infrastructure linkage to promote new destinations. By extending route options, transportation providers can encourage visitors to create itineraries that combine familiar destinations with new attractions. In Asia, Thailand’s tourism authority has attempted to nudge visitors away from the most heavily trafficked parts of the country, such as Bangkok and Phuket, and toward less popular destinations.
• Deploy social media to reach different demographics. Innovative social media campaigns can help put a destination on the map. Australia launched its “Ruby the kangaroo” campaign in China to coincide with the return of postpandemic air capacity between the two places. A video adapted for Chinese context (with appropriate gestures and a hashtag in Mandarin) garnered more than 20 million views in a single day on one of China’s largest social media platforms. 24 Nicole Gong, “Can Ruby the kangaroo bring Chinese tourists hopping back to Australia?,” SBS, June 5, 2023.
• Embrace unknown status. “Off the beaten path” messaging can appeal to widely traveled tourists seeking fresh experiences. Saudi Arabia’s “#WhereInTheWorld” campaign promoted the country’s tourist spots by acknowledging that they are less familiar to travelers, using a series of images that compared these spots with better-known destinations.

As tourism stakeholders look to the future, they can take steps to ensure that they continue to delight existing travelers while also embracing new ones. Domestic and intraregional tourism remain major opportunities—catering to local tourists’ preferences while building infrastructure that makes travel more seamless within a region could help capture them. Creative collaboration among tourism stakeholders can help put lesser-known destinations on the map. Travel tides are shifting. Expertly navigating these currents could yield rich rewards.

Caroline Tufft is a senior partner in McKinsey’s London office, Margaux Constantin is a partner in the Dubai office, Matteo Pacca is a senior partner in the Paris office, Ryan Mann is a partner in the Chicago office, Ivan Gladstone is an associate partner in the Riyadh office, and Jasperina de Vries is an associate partner in the Amsterdam office.

The authors wish to thank Abdulhadi Alghamdi, Alessandra Powell, Alex Dichter, Cedric Tsai, Diane Vu, Elisa Wallwitz, Lily Miller, Maggie Coffey, Nadya Snezhkova, Nick Meronyk, Paulina Baum, Peimin Suo, Rebecca Stone, Sarah Fellay, Sarah Sahel, Steffen Fuchs, Steffen Köpke, Steve Saxon, Sophia Wang, and Urs Binggeli for their contributions to this article.

This article was edited by Seth Stevenson, a senior editor in the New York office.

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Woman mayor shot dead in Mexico day after Claudia Sheinbaum's historic presidential win

Updated on: June 4, 2024 / 3:06 PM EDT / CBS/AFP

The mayor of a town in western Mexico was killed on Monday, the regional government said, barely 24 hours after Claudia Sheinbaum was elected the Latin American country's first woman president . Officials said the mayor's bodyguard was also killed in the attack.

The Michoacan state government condemned "the murder of the municipal president (mayor) of Cotija, Yolanda Sanchez Figueroa," the regional interior ministry said in a post on social media .

The murder of the woman mayor comes after Sheinbaum's landslide victory injected hope for change in a country riven by rampant gender-based violence .

Sanchez, who was elected mayor in 2021 elections, was gunned down on a public road, according to local media, with one outlet reporting she was shot 19 times outside of a gym. 

According to a statement from the Michoacan attorney general's office, Sanchez's bodyguard, identified as Jesús V., was also hit by the gunfire and died. The office said that they were attacked by gunmen inside a white truck who opened fire "from the moving vehicle and then escaped."   

Her Facebook profile says she is "defined by my preparation and the desire to make Cotija a better place to live."

Authorities have not given details on the murder, but said a security operation had been launched to arrest the killers.

The politician was previously kidnapped in September last year while leaving a shopping mall in the city of Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco, which neighbors Michoacan.

Three days later the federal government said she had been found alive.

According to local media reports at the time, the kidnappers belonged to the powerful Jalisco Cartel - New Generation  (CJNG), who allegedly threatened the mayor for opposing the criminal group's takeover of her municipality's police force.

Michoacan is renowned for its tourist destinations and a thriving agro-export industry, but is also one of the most violent states in the country due to the presence of extortion and drug trafficking gangs. In March, three farmers were killed by a bomb apparently planted in a dirt road in Michoacan -- just days after Mexico's outgoing president acknowledged that an improvised explosive device  killed at least four soldiers  in what he called a "trap" likely set by a cartel.

Election marked by bloodshed

At least 23 political candidates were killed while campaigning before the elections -- including one mayoral hopeful whose  murder was captured on camera last week. Alfredo Cabrera's death came just one day after a mayoral candidate in the central Mexican state of Morelos was  murdered .

The week before that,  nine people were killed  in two attacks against mayoral candidates in the southern state of Chiapas. The two candidates survived.

Last month, six people,  including a minor and mayoral candidate  Lucero Lopez, were killed in an ambush after a campaign rally in the municipality of La Concordia, neighboring Villa Corzo.

One mayoral hopeful was  shot dead last month  just as she began campaigning.

Around 27,000 soldiers and National Guard members were deployed to reinforce security on election day.

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Where are all the pilgrims? The current state of religious tourism in the Holy Land

June 4, 2024 Catholic News Agency News Briefs 3 Print

Jerusalem, Jun 4, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

During the month of May in Jerusalem, the major holidays of the three major religions — Christian Easter, Jewish Passover, and the month of Ramadan — passed with an almost total absence of pilgrims from abroad.

The holy sites and the streets of the Old City are usually crowded with tourists and pilgrims at this time of year, but they have been empty for the past eight months due to the Israel-Hamas war.

Muslims orderly make their way to the entrances of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound for noon prayer, but otherwise, the Via Dolorosa is completely empty. There are no pilgrims ascending to the Holy Sepulcher. The Sanctuary of the Flagellation, maintained by the Franciscans at the starting point of the Via Crucis path, is always open — but that is empty, too.

Things aren’t any better at Gethsemane.

“Before the war, we had more than a hundred groups a day. Today, we welcome two or three groups on a good day,” Brother Siniša Srebrenović, the guardian of the Franciscan Convent of the Agony (Gethsemane), told CNA. “They mostly come from Asia or South America. Some come from Eastern Europe, mainly Orthodox Christians.”

The absence of pilgrims also means the absence of income.

“We friars sustain ourselves with the offerings of the pilgrims. The charity of the pilgrims also helps cover the maintenance expenses of the sanctuary and some development projects,” Srebrenović explained. “Today, everything is at a standstill. Workers from the Palestinian Territories do not have permission to come, and the financial resources are only enough for the ordinary. Despite this, the custody continues to financially support its workers and has not laid off any of them.”

At the Holy Sepulcher, the waiting time to enter the edicule (where Jesus’ tomb is kept) is just a few minutes, compared with up to two hours last year. The daily procession of the Franciscan friars inside the basilica is attended by only a handful of faithful — mostly residents of Jerusalem.

Even Bethlehem is empty

“Tourism in Palestine is effectively zeroed out. Every day we lose $2.5 million,” lamented Majed Ishaq, director general of the marketing department of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Palestine.

He described to CNA a dramatic situation: “Tourist facilities are closed; people working in the sector — including many Christians — have had no income for months. People are trying to sell houses, cars, furniture, to survive.”

“International tourism passes through Israel; they control our borders. We are under a kind of siege,” Ishaq continued. “Reaching Bethlehem is still possible, but cities in the north, like Nablus or Jenin, and also Hebron further south, are almost unreachable. Even local tourism and internal travel are severely affected due to attacks by settlers.”

Some groups arrive, especially via Jordan. The hope is that something will move at least by the end of the year, especially for the Christmas holidays.

According to data from the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, just over 80,000 people (tourists and pilgrims combined) entered the country in April — a decrease of 77% compared with April 2023 and 80% compared with April 2019, the peak year before the pandemic.

Cumulatively, from January through April, about 285,000 tourist arrivals were recorded, a decrease of about 78% in relation to the corresponding period in 2023.

“The decline is attributed to the impact of the ‘Iron Swords’ war [the name Israel has given to the campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip following the events of Oct. 7, 2023] although in the months that have passed since the outbreak of the war, there has been a certain increase in the number of tourist arrivals to Israel, but it is not yet possible to identify any trend.”

Dr. Yaron Ergas, director of research, statistics, and information management at the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, told CNA that “the Ministry of Tourism conducts a survey among incoming tourists, where they are asked several questions including the main purpose of their visit. Tourists choosing ‘pilgrimage/faith based tour’ are considered religious tourists. That percentage, in 2019, was 16.6%” out of about 5 million entries.

At the outbreak of the war, in October 2023, “we stopped the surveys,” Ergas explained, so there is no useful data on religious tourism since then.

“Recovery is not expected until late 2025,” he added.

Other statistics, focused on Christian pilgrims, were provided to CNA by the Christian Information Centre (CIC), sponsored by the Custody of the Holy Land. CIC has been providing information about Christianity and on the Holy Land, including shrines, holy places, and liturgies, for more than 50 years. Additionally, it is the only official channel for booking Masses in the holy sites.

From October to December 2023, approximately 2,800 groups (107,000 individuals) had booked at least one celebration through the CIC, and they all canceled as soon as the war broke out. Of these, 95% were Catholics and 4% were Protestants. Ninety percent were groups from abroad. From January to April of this year, the groups registered by the CIC ranged from 100 to 200 per month (averaging 5,000 to 6,000 individuals per month).

The lack of Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land is especially due to the fact that many companies are unwilling to issue insurance policies for those heading to a territory considered dangerous and risky.

Arrivals from Southeast Asia and South America continue, however (while the United States remains the top country for entries, the second group surprisingly comprises Indonesians). This is largely due — as the pilgrims themselves admit — to the fact that agencies do not refund prepaid trips, which many have invested their life savings in. This compels people to travel despite everything.

“We want to encourage Jews and Christians leaders to push their believers to come on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. We assume, and I think it is correct, that there’s a desire to come and visit,” Pini Shani, deputy director general and head of marketing administration of the Israel Ministry of Tourism, shared with CNA.

Hopes for the 2025 Jubilee

In 2025 there will be two interesting events for religious tourism in the Holy Land.

“A special exhibition of the Isahia scrolls will be held in 2025 at the Israel Museum to commemorate its 60th anniversary. We are confident that many people will show interest. We will try to engage people who come on pilgrimage to the Holy Land to visit this special exhibition,” Shani said.

Furthermore, in 2025, Catholics will celebrate a jubilee year.

“We were very encouraged by the pope’s call for the jubilee,” Shani said. “The churches of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, the Annunciation in Nazareth, and the Nativity in Bethlehem will be jubilee places; people will be encouraged to visit them, and we’re sure it will help to recover tourism.”

The main Christian religious leaders in the Holy Land have never stopped issuing appeals to pilgrims to return to the holy places. “Do not be afraid, return to Jerusalem and to the Holy Land! Your presence is always a presence of peace, and we sincerely need peace today; may you come and bring us your peace,” said the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, at the end of the Palm Sunday procession.

An echo of those words is found in the message released by the Dicastery for Evangelization on May 28, on the occasion of the 45th World Tourism Day, to be held on Sept. 27 on the theme “Tourism and Peace.”

“The interest that moves millions of tourists can easily be linked with the commitment to brotherhood, so as to constitute a network of ‘messengers of peace’ who speak to the entire world to invoke the end of all war and the reopening of territories full of history, culture, and faith. … Being peace-builders is not only possible; it is required of those who embark on a journey,” the dicastery’s message said.  

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• Christians in Holy Land
• Israel-Hamas war
• Middle East - Africa
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I believe the October 2023 attack on Israel by the Hamas terrorists is the main reason that created a pall that deterred tourists. Today, there is turmoil throughout the region. Moreover, with the blitzkrieg attack, killing 34 thousand Palestinians, nearly half are women and children. Israel has been labelled with genocide on the innocent Palestinians in Gaza. Netanyahu continues his unabated assault using American made 2,000 lb fire bombs designed to spread death over a large area. The cleric are Noticeably absent.

The faithful tourists must feel abandonned being ubable to safely visit the Holy Land.

Tourists are scarce in Israel but there are still some arriving. One of my children was there just recently. They said the security was a little higher but everything was mostly going on as usual. Some tour guides have shifted to posting YouTube video tours of the Holy Land sites.

Greetings, blessings and heartfelt prayers from Ireland! Thinking of all the people in The Holy Land! I’ve long wanted to return especially since my conversion to The Catholic Church! Is there anyone in Ireland with a desire to travel there with me? My email address is [email protected] Be assured of my continuing prayers and warmest good wishes for everybody. Thank you and God bless you all! Mary Wrenne, Cork, Ireland 🇮🇪 🙏 ❤️

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Panama prepares to evacuate first island in face of rising sea levels

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On a tiny island off Panama’s Caribbean coast, about 300 families are packing their belongings in preparation for a dramatic change. Generations of Gunas who have grown up on Gardi Sugdub in a life dedicated to the sea and tourism will trade that next week for the mainland’s solid ground.

They go voluntarily — sort of.

The Gunas of Gardi Sugdub are the first of 63 communities along Panama’s Caribbean and Pacific coasts that government officials and scientists expect to be forced to relocate by rising sea levels in the coming decades.

On a recent day, the island’s Indigenous residents rowed or sputtered off with outboard motors to fish. Children, some in uniforms and others in the colorful local textiles called “molas,” chattered as they hustled through the warren of narrow dirt streets on their way to school.

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“We’re a little sad, because we’re going to leave behind the homes we’ve known all our lives, the relationship with the sea, where we fish, where we bathe and where the tourists come, but the sea is sinking the island little by little,” said Nadín Morales, 24, who prepared to move with her mother, uncle and boyfriend.

An official with Panama’s ministry of housing said that some people have decided to stay on the island until it’s no longer safe, without revealing a specific number. Authorities won’t force them to leave, the official said on condition of anonymity to discuss the issue.

Gardi Sugdub is one of about 50 populated islands in the archipelago of the Guna Yala territory. It is only about 400 yards long and 150 yards wide. From above, it’s roughly a prickly oval surrounded by dozens of short docks where residents tie up their boats.

Every year, especially when the strong winds whip up the sea in November and December, water fills the streets and enters the homes. Climate change isn’t only leading to a rise in sea levels, but also warming oceans and thereby powering stronger storms.

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The Gunas have tried to reinforce the island’s edge with rocks, pilings and coral, but seawater keeps coming.

“Lately, I’ve seen that climate change has had a major impact,” Morales said. “Now the tide comes to a level it didn’t before, and the heat is unbearable.”

The Guna’s autonomous government decided two decades ago that they needed to think about leaving the island, but at that time it was because the island was getting too crowded. The effects of climate change accelerated that thinking, said Evelio López, a 61-year-old teacher on the island.

He plans to move with relatives to the new site on the mainland that the government developed at a cost of $12 million. The concrete houses sit on a grid of paved streets carved out of the lush tropical jungle just over a mile from the port, where an eight-minute boat ride carries them to Gardi Sugdub.

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Leaving the island is “a great challenge, because more than 200 years of our culture is from the sea, so leaving this island means a lot of things,” López said. “Leaving the sea, the economic activities that we have there on the island, and now we’re going to be on solid ground, in the forest. We’re going to see what the result is in the long run.”

Steven Paton, director of the Smithsonian Institution’s physical monitoring program in Panama, said that the upcoming move “is a direct consequence of climate change through the increase in sea level.”

“The islands on average are only a half-meter above sea level, and as that level rises, sooner or later the Gunas are going to have to abandon all of the islands almost surely by the end of the century or earlier.”

“All of the world’s coasts are being affected by this at different speeds,” Paton said.

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Residents of a small coastal community in Mexico moved inland last year after storms continued to take away their homes. Governments are being forced to take action, including the Italian lagoon city of Venice and the coastal communities of New Zealand.

A recent study by Panama’s Environmental Ministry’s Climate Change directorate, with support from universities in Panama and Spain, estimated that by 2050, Panama would lose about 2.01% of its coastal territory to increases in sea levels.

Panama estimates that it will cost about $1.2 billion to relocate the 38,000 or so inhabitants who will face rising sea levels in the short- and medium-term, said Ligia Castro, climate change director for the Environmental Ministry.

On Gardi Sugdub, women who make the elaborately embroidered molas worn by Guna women hang them outside their homes when finished, trying to catch the eye of visiting tourists.

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The island and others along the coast have benefited for years from year-round tourism.

Braucilio de la Ossa, the deputy secretary of Carti, the port facing Gardi Sugdub, said that he planned to move with his wife, daughter, sister-in-law and mother-in-law. Some of his wife’s relatives will stay on the island.

He said the biggest challenge for those moving would be the lifestyle change of moving from the sea inland even though the distance is relatively small.

“Now that they will be in the forest their way of living will be different,” he said.

Delacroix and Zamorano write for the Associated Press. Zamorano reported from Panama City.

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