The domestic tourism market in Mexico saw essentially flat-line growth in 2025 after a decline in 2024, according to data published by the Tourism Ministry (Sectur).
Experts say this trend could be explained by a weakening economy and loss of household purchasing power, inflation in tourism goods and services (hotels, transportation, food) and security problems in some destinations and on some roads.
In an advisory released Monday, Sectur disputed an article published Sunday in the newspaper El Universal that claimed hotels received 100,000 fewer Mexican tourists between January and October 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
However, Sectur’s own data confirms El Universal’s reporting. According to the ministry’s official DataTur report for October 2025, there were 52.7 million domestic hotel stays between January and October 2025 — 100,000 fewer than the 52.8 million registered during the same period in 2024. This contradicts the agency’s advisory, which claimed 63.09 million domestic tourists for January-October 2025 compared to 62.64 million in 2024.
The discrepancy raises questions about how Sectur is calculating domestic tourism figures. The ministry’s preliminary calculations for January-November also appear inflated, citing 69.58 million in 2025 versus 69.17 million in 2024, figures that don’t align with the trend shown in the official monthly reports (find them here).
Looking at the full year 2024, DataTur recorded 62.9 million domestic hotel stays, down from 65.2 million in 2023 — a decline of 3.5% or 2.3 million fewer domestic tourists. If the January-October 2025 trend holds, with 52.7 million domestic hotel stays versus 52.8 million in the same period of 2024, the full year 2025 would show essentially flat performance at best, representing a modest stabilization after 2024’s decline but remaining well below 2023 levels.
Sectur emphasized in its advisory that traditional hotel occupancy rates don’t constitute the only indicator of tourism activity. The ministry noted that the rise and consolidation of digital accommodation platforms has transformed the sector’s dynamics, capturing a significant market share that must be considered for a comprehensive analysis of tourism activity in the country.
In terms of destinations, Cancún, Mexico City and Puerto Vallarta led in reservation numbers, solidifying their positions as anchor destinations for leisure and urban tourism. Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mérida followed thanks to an offering that attracted business tourism, events and weekend getaways, broadening their appeal to a wider range of travelers.
Meanwhile, the United States remained the main driver of international tourism for Mexicans, with cities like Las Vegas, New York and Orlando topping the list of preferences.
Across the pond, Madrid came in as the most visited European destination for Mexican travelers, while the Caribbean and South America gained significant ground.
Within this trend, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, and Cartagena de Indias and Bogotá, in Colombia, stood out for their growth in reservations during 2025.
With reports from El Universal, Tribuna de México and El Porvenir
