Mexico Shrugs Off Canada Alert, Notes 11% Tourism Growth

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum downplayed the impact of Canada’s new travel advisory, saying tourist arrivals continue to rise despite Ottawa’s call for “a high degree of caution” when visiting several Mexican states. “Tourists keep coming. Canadian tourists increased 11% this year,” she said during her Nov. 18 morning press conference.

The Canadian government, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, issued the advisory citing “high levels of criminal activity and the risk of kidnapping.” The notice, following Carney’s September visit to Mexico, highlights risk areas including Chiapas, Chihuahua, Colima, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacan, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas, with exceptions for certain coastal zones accessible only by air.

Sheinbaum said she instructed the Foreign Ministry and the Tourism Ministry to contact the Canadian Embassy in Mexico to request clarification. She argued that such advisories “do not have much effect because US, Canadian and European tourists continue to arrive in the southeast and across the country.”

Tourism officials presented updated data during the briefing. From January to September 2025, air travel between Mexico and Canada rose nearly 18%, reaching about 666,000 passengers, according to El Financiero. The Toronto–Cancun route became the busiest international flight into Mexico, surpassing Dallas–Cancun, Mexico City–Los Angeles and Mexico City–Madrid.

Canada’s advisory warns travelers about confrontations between criminal groups that “may occur without warning,” potentially placing visitors in crossfire situations. It also cites theft risks on public transportation in Mexico City.

Despite the notice, Sheinbaum said Mexico expects foreign arrivals to keep growing. “Mexico is beautiful,” she said, adding that her administration will maintain communication with Canadian authorities while monitoring any effect on regional tourism flows.

International tourism to Mexico grew steadily in the first nine months of 2025, driven by visitors from China, the United States, Argentina and Italy, according to Tourism Secretary Josefina Rodríguez Zamora. Arrivals increased 14% from January to September, while tourism revenue rose 6.2% to more than MX$25 billion. Although September was the year’s weakest month, Rodríguez said she expects a strong rebound in December with the start of the high season, noting that “Mexico is in demand and these indicators show the positive trend in the country’s tourism sector.”