Mexican and foreign tourists are expected to spend big while attending Day of the Dead celebrations between Oct. 28 and Nov. 2.

Tourism Minister Miguel Torruco said in a statement that tourists are predicted to spend 37.72 billion pesos (US $1.9 billion) in the six day period.

About 9% of that amount – 3.43 billion pesos – is expected to be spent on accommodation, with the remainder of the predicted outlay to go to other tourism service providers such as restaurants, airlines and bus companies.

Torruco said that 2.16 million people are expected to stay in hotels across the country between Friday and next Wednesday, a period that encompasses both Halloween and Day of the Dead festivities. That figure is just short of the 2.27 million people who stayed in hotels during the pre-pandemic Día de Muertos period in 2019.

The tourism minister said that just under three-quarters of hotel guests this year are expected to be Mexicans, with foreigners making up the remainder. An additional 2.45 million Mexicans are expected to stay with family or friends, or in holiday homes, while partaking in Day of the Dead activities – and spending their hard-earned cash in the local economy.

Michoacán, home to popular Day of the Dead destinations such as Pátzcuaro and Morelia, is one state that is expecting a large influx of visitors. Large crowds will also flock to festivities in Mexico City, including the Day of the Dead parade this Saturday.

Torruco said that hotel occupancy of almost 80% is expected in Mexico City Saturday night, with some 78,000 guests set to wake up in the capital Sunday morning, possibly after attending the previous day’s parade among a predicted crowd of 1 million people.

There are many other Day of the Dead attractions in Mexico City, including monumental ofrendas (altars or offerings) set up in public squares such as the Plaza de Santo Domingo and the Plaza de la Constitución, commonly known as el zócalo.

Mexico News Daily