Six out of every ten visitors who entered Mexico in 2016 were from the United States, according to a report issued recently by the National Tourism Council (CNET) and the Universidad Anáhuac.
Canadians comprised 11 percent of all visitors to Mexico; British citizens 3.2 percent, Colombians 2.4 percent and Argentineans 2.3 percent, the study said.
The number of Americans coming to Mexico last year increased by 11.4 percent, to 7.9 million. Europe was the top destination for 28.7 percent of all travelers from the United States, followed by Mexico at 18.1 percent. Mexico beat out two major regions, the Caribbean and Asia, which captured 16.1 and 11 percent of U.S. visitors last year.
Americans also spent 10.4 percent more in Mexico in 2016 than in the previous year – 19.5 billion dollars,.
“These findings reflect a combination of the relative solidity of the U.S. economy, the vigor of Mexican tourism businesses, the strength of the dollar and the initial effects of the new airline agreements,” the report said.
On the other hand, Mexicans are traveling in fewer numbers to the United States, possibly due to the rise and election of President Donald Trump. Data shows that nine percent fewer passengers flew from Mexico to the United States between March and November 2016, according to analysts ForwardKeys. This trend has maintained a similar rhythm through March of this year.
Meanwhile, ForwardKeys noted that travel from Mexico to Canada increased by 16 percent between March and November of last year. And these numbers spiked after Canada lifted its visa requirement for Mexican tourists last December. Airline passenger traffic to Canada increased by a whopping 82-percent between December 2016 and March 2017, the analytic data firm said.