Tourism in the northeastern border state of Tamaulipas has experienced significant growth in recent years, reaching record figures in 2024, according to Mexico’s Tourism Ministry (Sectur).

Tamaulipas received over 14 million tourists and economic revenue of over 13 billion pesos (US $633 million) over the course of the year, the state tourism ministry reported.

Tamaulipas tourism minister, Benjamín Hernández Rodríguez, said that the current state government has allocated resources to enhance tourism infrastructure and boost surveillance efforts to ensure the safety of visitors.

Tourism growth in Tamaulipas

Official figures revealed that the most popular destination in the state was Ciudad Madero’s Miramar Beach, with over 3.1 million visitors generating over 2.1 billion pesos (US $102 million) in revenue. The figure represents an increase of 355% compared to 2023.

The city of Tampico ranked as the second-most-visited destination in Tamaulipas, with over 1.5 million visitors — a rise of 160% compared to 2023. Next was the Magical Town of Tula, with over 639,000 visitors — up 83% on the previous year — followed by Altamira with 346,000 visitors, which saw an 82% increase. Matamoros recorded 296,000 tourists throughout the year.

While no figures were released on the number of visitors, the ministry also reported that the border city of Nuevo Laredo recorded an increase of 61% compared to 2023.

Despite the increased number of tourists in Tamaulipas, the United States and Canada have warn visitors against unncessary travel in the state.

The U.S. has included Tamaulipas in its Do Not Travel list, because of high levels of crime and kidnapping in the state. Canada recommends avoiding non-essential travel to the state, except for the southern city of Tampico.

With reports from El Economista