Significant Growth Across Mexico's Tourism Industry

- Mexico's Report on Tourism Indicates Robust Growth from Public and Private Sector

NEW YORK, Oct. 5,  2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Mexico's Secretary of Tourism, Gloria Guevara released the Sixth Government Report on Tourism. The Report chronicles a period of strong growth in tourism arrivals – both domestic and international - in addition to public and private sector investment in tourism over the past six years. Tourism, which constitutes more than nine percent of Mexico's gross domestic product, is a national priority.

The report details five key priorities, domestic tourism growth; international tourism growth; public tourism investment; private tourism investment and market diversification.

Mexico has seen a 53.7% increase in private sector investment, from $12,833,000,000 pesos in 2001 to $20,200,000,000 pesos in 2012 - which has been a key factor in Mexico having the best year of tourism ever in 2011 with 23.4 million people [international air arrivals].

Public sector investment has also sky-rocketed, during the Calderon administration, 582% over the administration of President Ernesto Zedillo and 146.8% over the administration of Vicente Fox.

Between 2006 and 2011, the number of domestic and foreign tourists increased from 162 million to 191.5 million (18.2 percent increase), an historic record.

A focus has been on diversification – targeting consumers beyond the U.S. and Canada in an effort to grow tourism to the region. There has been significant growth from 2006 to 2011.  Specifically regarding North American tourists – Mexico saw 6,157,505 people in 2006 compared to 7,291,136 people in 2011 – an increase in 18.4% during the time period.  Conversely, related to other nationalities – Mexico saw 1,948,612 consumers in 2006 vs. 2,852,084 in 2011 – a significant increase in 46.4%.

Secretary Guevara said that tourism, a corner stone of the Mexican economy, is truly a national priority. Government has forged a strategic alliance between legislators, bureaucrats, business, unions and academics, thereby establishing a solid basis to ensure the future development of the industry.

Mexico aggressively pursued a market diversification strategy to reduce dependence on the United States market, attracting tourists from a wide range of other countries, including Brazil, China, Russia, Canada and Korea.

Secretary Guevara also attributed the success of the sector to the creation of innovative tourism products such as Mundo Maya ("The Mayan World"), Pueblos Magicos ("Magical Towns"), the 18 gastronomic routes, the documentary "Mexico: The Royal Tour", the Routes of Mexico and an enhanced Magic Towns program.

Mexico's global image was repositioned in part due to organizing and hosting global forums such as the United Nations' World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Americas Summit, the World Economic Forum (WEF), the T20 meeting of Tourism Ministers in Merida and the G20 held in Los Cabos and participating in forums such as OECD and APEC.

Secretary Guevara said that today more than ever Mexico is seen as a global leader in the tourism industry and is well on track to being a top five destination by 2018.