An estimated 200,000 Italian tourists will arrive in the country next year thanks to the new Aeroméxico flights between Rome and Mexico City, Mexican ambassador to Italy Carlos García de Alba told reporters at a Tuesday press conference.

The Mexican airline has operated a daily flight between the two cities since June. The route was formerly operated by defunct Italian carrier Alitalia, which collapsed in 2021.

“The new flights between Rome and Mexico City are overcrowded and are registering a higher volume of passengers than those from European capitals such as London or Paris,” García de Alba said.  

He also said that 2024 will see a “strong transversal program,” involving 18 activities to commemorate the 150-year anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and Mexico, which began on Dec. 15, 1874.

García de Alba said that Italy is the sixth largest per capita consumer of tequila, owing to a 50% spike in consumption during 2022. The increase raised Italian imports to 2.7 million liters, surpassing Australia and Canada for the first time.

In May, Mexico’s Tourism Ministry awarded the Val’Quirico development in Tlaxcala — a tourist attraction that recreates an Italian medieval village — the newly created title of Kingdom of Mexico for promoting the Italian regions of Tuscany and Umbria, as well as Segovia in Spain.

Luigi de Chiara, the Italian ambassador to Mexico, highlighted that Val’Quirico promotes Italian lifestyle, culture, history and tourism, as it invites visitors to visit “the original places” in Italy.

Aside from tourism and Mexican imports, the Italian government has also supported Mexican authorities in repatriating stolen artifacts. Italy will also welcome the arrival of the Mexican navy ship Cuauhtémoc in Naples on July 29. 

With reports from López Doriga