In the first quarter of 2024, international arrivals by air to Mexico increased by 19.9% compared to the same pre-pandemic period of 2019, according to a statement from Tourism Minister Miguel Torruco Marqués. Compared to 2023, international air arrivals are up 8.6%.

The passenger traffic on domestic flights also increased by 16.8%.

Torruco also highlighted that between January and April 2024, the Mexican airlines with the most international passenger traffic were Aeroméxico and Volaris, which together recorded 4.31 million travelers. This figure represents 14.3% more than that recorded during the same period of 2023, and 36% more than in Q1 2019. 

Meanwhile, American Airlines and United Airlines recorded the highest passenger flow to Mexico among U.S. airlines in the first quarter of 2024. Together, they transported 4.8 million passengers, up 7% compared to the same period of 2023 and 50% compared to Q1 2019.

The majority of international passengers traveling to Mexico are from North America, accounting for 87% of the total passenger traffic. In Q1 2024, over 10 million passengers traveled to Mexico from the United States, marking an 8.4% increase from the same period of 2023.

Mexican airlines transported 5.3 million international passengers, up 14.7% compared to the first quarter of 2023; Canadian airlines carried 2.3 million passengers, a 12.9% increase from the same period last year.  

Meanwhile, 1.2 million passengers traveled to Mexico from Europe; 1.3 million from Central and South America and 98,992 passengers from Asia.

Based on the results of the International Traveler Survey published by the national statistics agency INEGI, Torruco said that Q1 saw a total of 14.7 million international tourists enter the country. These tourists spent US $11.6 billion in Mexico, up 7.7% compared to the same period of 2023. This figure also exceeds foreign exchange data for the same period in 2019 by 39.4%, which saw an expenditure of US $8.3 billion.

The average expenditure of international tourists arriving by air during January-April 2024 was US $1,238.1, an increase of 2.4% compared to 2023, and up 17.9% compared to 2019. 

Last month, the INEGI reported that 7.5 million visitors entered the country in March, boosted by spring break tourism. This represented a 10.8% improvement over the same month in 2023. 

Some of Mexico’s most-visited destinations include Cancún, Tulum and Playa del Carmen in the Riviera Maya, and Mexico City, home to Mexico’s busiest airport. 

Mexico News Daily