Mexico Leads North America in Tourism Ahead of 2026 World Cup

World Travel & Tourism Council CEO and President, Gloria Guevara, said Mexico recorded a 7.4% increase in international overnight visitors in 2025 compared with 2019 levels, positioning the country as the leading tourism market in North America. Based on council data, tourism flows to the United States and Canada declined 14.1% and 10.4%, respectively, during the same period.

“Mexico is lifting the region. We are better than in 2019 (pre-pandemic), which speaks to the work being done here. While a decrease in travel to the US, which previously connected Mexico on long-haul flights, could have affected us, this was not observed. Work has been done alongside the private sector, for example, to achieve that growth,” Guevara said.

Guevara said investor interest in Mexico’s tourism sector remains strong, citing a study by Financial Times indicating that Mexico ranks among the five countries receiving the most tourism investment globally. 

She said that she met with Tourism Minister, Josefina Rodríguez, to discuss projects led by international executives involving ports, hotels and rail infrastructure. “There are two or three CEOs with relevant projects that I know about. It is just a matter of implementation and follow-up. They know Mexico is a major tourism power. Some of those business leaders already have investments here,” she said.

Guevara highlighted several factors supporting tourism growth despite global uncertainty, including diversification of source markets, empowerment of Indigenous communities through community tourism initiatives, migration facilitation measures, and the promotion of cultural tourism linked to the Mexican Caribbean and the Mayan World. 

The council expects 2026 to be another positive year for Mexico’s tourism industry, supported by the FIFA World Cup, which will be monitored closely by the organization as a driver of visitor arrivals and investment across tourism-related sectors, including transport, hospitality and infrastructure.

World Cup 2026 Drives Mexico Tourism Strategy

Mexico is preparing for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will be hosted across Mexico, the United States and Canada, with Mexico City set to host the inaugural match and other key games. The event is expected to draw approximately 5.5 million international visitors, presenting opportunities for tourism, local business development, and employment.

Partnerships between public and private stakeholders, including Aeroméxico and the Mexico City Tourism Promotion Trust, are expanding air connectivity, marketing, and infrastructure to attract international visitors.

Domestic travel has also grown, with 70% of Airbnb bookings made by Mexican residents, generating over MX$22 billion (US$379.844 million) in economic activity in 2024 and supporting more than 46,000 people in local sectors. Airbnb, as FIFA’s official accommodation platform, expects to create over 20,000 jobs and contribute US$560 million to the economy, while nearly half a million nights are projected to be booked, with repeat visitation potentially adding another US$240 million over five years.