Mexican Tourism, Air Traffic Increase in July 2022

This year, Mexican airlines reported their best July in four years. While July and June always bring an increase in passengers due to the holiday season, this year’s figures were 33 percent higher than in July 2019, for a total of 6.8 million transported passengers.

Mexico's Volaris, Viva Aerobus and Aeroméxico reported a combined four-year high in passenger traffic and their best month of 2022. The airlines surpassed their July 2021 figures by about 20 percent primarily due to aggregate solid tourism demand combined with the drop in global COVID-19 infections. Individually, Volaris recorded 2.8 million passengers, Aeromexico 2.1 million and Viva Aerobus 1.9 million. The results for 2022’s summer season had remained volatile given the high inflation and the price increase in airline tickets caused by the rising costs of jet fuel. Volaris, for example, reported that its fuel costs had increased by 80 percent in comparison to July 2021.

Unlike previous years, airlines are seeing a return to tourism from the middle class, which had put travel on hold for three years. “The middle class is traveling again and spending money they did not spend in 2020 and 2021 because they did not travel,” said Enrique Güijosa, Chief Financial Officer, The Port of Liverpool, during a conference. 

September’s long weekend, which takes place on Sep.16-18, might provide more information on whether middle-class groups maintain this newfound interest in travel. During those days, the Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) forecasts MX$29.63 billion (US$1.4 billion) in total touristic revenues. Hotel occupancy is expected to reach 51.6 percent nationwide, which is only 2.1 percentage points less than during the same long weekend in 2019 when 53.7 percent of overall occupancy was recorded. "According to estimates, the percentage of occupancy to be reached in 12 selected centers will be: Acapulco, 73.1 percent; Mexico City, 72.2 percent; Puebla, 70.4 percent; Cancun, 69.8 percent; Queretaro, 66.5 percent; Puerto Vallarta, 64.8 percent; Los Cabos, 62. 4 percent; Aguascalientes, 62.1 percent; San Miguel de Allende, 59.3 percent; Villahermosa, 51.2 percent; San Cristobal de las Casas, 42.9 percent; and Tuxtla Gutierrez, 42.7 percent. These destinations together represent 42.5 percent of the total number of rooms in the centers monitored in the DataTur system,” the ministry explained. 

Both inbound and outbound tourism registered positive numbers that support the regional tourism GDP growth of 48.2 percent. Global passenger traffic also increased by 180.5 percent through May compared to last year, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).