Tourism holds considerable significance as a pivotal industry within Mexico's economic landscape. Beginning in the 1960s, it has been vigorously endorsed by the Mexican government, often heralded as "an industry without smokestacks," signifying its non-polluting and economically beneficial nature.Robert V. Kemper, "Tourism" in Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Culture, vol. 3, p. 250. New York: Oxford University Press 2001.

Mexico has consistently ranked among the world's most frequented nations, as documented by the World Tourism Organization. Second only to the United States in the Americas, Mexico's status as a premier tourist destination is underscored by its standing as the sixth-most visited country globally for tourism activities, as of 2017. The country boasts a noteworthy array of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, encompassing ancient ruins, colonial cities, and natural reserves, alongside a plethora of modern public and private architectural marvels.

Mexico has attracted foreign visitors beginning in the early nineteenth century,Kemper, "Tourism" p. 250. with its cultural festivals, colonial cities, nature reserves and beach resorts. Mexico's allure to tourists is largely attributed to its temperate climate and distinctive cultural amalgamation, blending European and Mesoamerican influences. The nation experiences peak tourism seasons typically during December and the mid-summer months. Additionally, brief spikes in visitor numbers occur in the weeks preceding Easter and spring break, notably drawing college students from the United States to popular beach resort locales.

Visitors to Mexico originates primarily from the United States and Canada. Additionally, Mexico attracts visitors from various Latin American countries, with a smaller contingent coming from Europe and Asia. pp. 5

History of tourism

19th century Tourism in Mexico burgeoned subsequent to the establishment of the Mexican republic. Noteworthy figures such as Alexander von Humboldt, Frannie Calderón de la Barca, John Lloyd Stephens, and Edward B. Tylor significantly contributed to the burgeoning interest in Mexico as a tourist destination through their writings and explorations. Alexander von Humboldt, a renowned naturalist and explorer, penned detailed accounts of his travels throughout Mexico during the early 19th century. His comprehensive observations on Mexico's geography, flora, and fauna captured the imagination of many prospective travelers, thus fostering an initial interest in the region.Kemper, "Tourism", p. 250.

Tourists from the United States began arriving in Mexico in numbers starting in the 1880s, following the construction of direct railway lines in Mexico to the U.S. border. General Porfirio Díaz became president of Mexico by coup in 1876, the beginning of a long period of peace in Mexico following decades of civil war. With the inauguration of direct Pullman service from the U.S. to Mexico in 1884, tourists no longer endured difficult and dangerous travel. The Mexican Central Railway actively promoted tourism in the United States, hiring a professional photographer, William Henry Jackson, to visually record the route and a professional writer, James W. Steel, to write promotional copy. Guides for English-speaking tourists were also published, most notably Terry's Guide to Mexico, which went through several editions at the beginning of the twentieth century. Mexico appealed to American tourists seeking an "exotic" holiday. It was promoted in 1890 as the "Egypt of the New World."Jason Ruiz, Americans in the Treasure House: Travel to Porfirian Mexico and the Cultural Politics of Empire. Austin: University of Texas Press 2014, pp. 6-10. With the 1910 centennial of Mexican independence, the government undertook an excavation and reconstruction of the Pyramid of the Sun at the huge archeological site of Teotihuacan, near Mexico City. A railway line was constructed from the capital to the site, bringing scholars from the 1910 meeting of the International Congress of Americanists. In addition, the National Museum of Anthropology was refurbished in advance of the celebrations, in anticipation of tourists. Mexico was a beneficiary of the increasing tourism of Europeans and Americans to distant lands. In Mexico, many tourists brought home real or fake relics, and often left graffiti.Christina Bueno, The Pursuit of Ruins: Archeology, History, and the Making of Modern Mexico. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press 2016, pp. 35-36,188-89. 205-6

20th and 21st centuries

The Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) interrupted tourism in Mexico, but by the 1930s, the Mexican government began promoting tourism again with posters of light-skinned young women and lush gardens.Ruiz, Americans in the Treasure House p. 222. In the 1920s and 30s, there was an "enormous vogue of things Mexico" in the United States, resulting in cultural exchanges, temporary and permanent art exhibitions, and patronage of Mexican artists, such as muralists Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco.Delpar, Helen. The Enormous Vogue of Things Mexican: Cultural Relations between the United States and Mexico, 1920-1935. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press 1992. Starting with the administration of Plutarco Elías Calles (1924–28), the Mexican government became involved in promoting tourism in Mexico, eventually becoming a cabinet position, the Ministry of Tourism in 1975.

In 1929, Mexican president Emilio Portes Gil officially announced the country's entry into the tourism industry. Over the next few years, the industry stayed small because of the ongoing Great Depression, so the government focused its attention on research and was ready after World War II to welcome tourists who could no longer visit Europe instead.

During the Jazz Age and the era of Prohibition of alcohol in the U.S., border towns in Mexico, particularly Tijuana became destinations for vice tourism. The song "South of the Border (down Mexico way)" song by Frank Sinatra helped promote the region. It was known for casino gambling, glitzy floor shows, horse- and dog-racing, and other hedonistic pursuits. Chicago gangster Al Capone frequented the Agua Caliente resort, as did big names from Hollywood. "Mafia chic and Hollywood star power fueled the Tijuana mystique and imbued it with ersatz glamour." When Lázaro Cárdenas became president of Mexico, 1934–40, he cracked down on casino gambling in northern Mexico, since it was a source of money and power for Cárdenas's political rivals, former presidents Plutarco Elías Calles and Abelardo L. Rodríguez.Shantz, Eric M. "behind the Noir Border: Tourism, the Vice Racket, and Power Relations in Baja California's Border Zone, 1938-65" in Holiday in Mexico: Critical Reflections on Tourism and Tourist Encounters, Berger, Dina and Andrew Grant Wood, ed. Durham: Duke University Press 2010, pp. 131-32

When Cárdenas was governor of his home state of Michoacan (1928–32) and later, when he was president of Mexico (1934–40) and beyond, he promoted tourism to Michoacan and particularly to the historic town of Pátzcuaro. He commissioned murals to show the importance of the region's history to the history of Mexico, promoted indigenous performance in music and dance, and actively had Michoacan advertised as a tourist destination.Jolly, Jennifer, Creating Pátzcuaro, Creating Mexico: Art, Tourism, and Nation Building Under Lázaro Cárdenas. Austin: University of Texas Press 2018.

The Mexican government developed beach resorts in the 1940s and 1950s in Acapulco, under president Miguel Alemán, who in his post-presidency became Commissioner of Tourism. Other beach resorts on the Pacific coast were also developed, including Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and on the Baja California peninsula at Cabo San Lucas. Later on the Yucatan Peninsular the government promoted the development of Cancún.Andrew Sackett, "Fun in Acapulco? The Politics of Development on the Mexican Riviera," in Holiday in Mexico pp. 161-182.M. Bianet Castellanos, "Cancún and the Campo: Indigenous Migration and Tourism Development in the Yucatán Peninsula," in Holiday in Mexico, pp. 241-264. The importance of tourism in Mexico has seen its head having a cabinet-level position. Attracting tourists from the developed world spurred the construction of upscale hotels, particularly by U.S. hotel chains.Kemper "Tourism" p. 250. San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato developed as an artists' colony. Unlike beach resorts developed by the Mexican government, San Miguel was promoted to tourists by locals.Pinley Covert, Lisa "Colonial Outpost to Artists' Mecca: Conflict and Collaboration in the Development of San Miguel de Allende's Tourist Industry," in Holiday in Mexico, pp. 183-220.

Starting in the late twentieth century, Mexico has been alert to international venues to both protect tourist destinations such as archeological sites, colonial cities, and natural wonders listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. With the inauguration of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage program, Mexico has certified the cultural importance of Days of the Dead (2003), Mexican cuisine (2010), mariachi music (2011), and charrería (2016), among others. Private philanthropy has played an important role in the preservation and restoration of a number of Mexican sites, most prominently by entrepreneur Carlos Slim, whose Foundation for the Historic Center of the City of Mexico (Fundación del Centro Histórico de la Ciudad de México) has made a significant difference in the historic core of the capital, including security concerns.

Violence and political turmoil in Mexico has been a problem which affects travel and tourism. The years of the Porfirio Díaz regime (1876-1911) saw a decrease in violence and the rise of tourism. The Mexican Revolution 1910-20 was a major civil war, but following that the Mexican government achieved a level internal security that saw the rise of tourism and cultural exchanges in the 1920s and 1930s. In recent years, with the drug war in Mexico, U.S. State Department travel advisories have alerted tourists to the dangers of certain areas of the country.Ruiz, Americans in the Treasure House, p. 223U.S. State Department travel warnings, accessed 9 December 2016

Statistics

The primary nations from which tourists embark on journeys to Mexico, manifesting a notable proportion of air arrivals, include the United States, Canada, and various European countries. Rank Country 2016 20171 9,417,601 10,340,4632 1,781,469 1,985,0843 833,901 860,8214 545,055 563,0995 439,689 485,3716 405,959 474,2487 361,498 377,3498 307,439 376,5209 255,940 277,35210 182,042 212,613Total 35,189,529 39,890,442 +Yearly tourist arrivals in millions

Local effects

Economic effects The Mexican government has often had a hand in the development of the country's tourist sector. One reason for this was, and still is, tourism's potential to improve the economy, as tourists spend money on accommodations, recreation, food and souvenirs. In the 1920s, the government organized studies of the economy and tourism competitors, collaborated with private companies, and created a national tourism agency in order to capitalize on the economic potential of tourists, especially those from the United States. The tourism industry in 2018 was about 8.7% of Mexico’s GDP and brought the country 215.5 billion Mexican pesos (or 10.8 billion U.S. dollars) in export earnings. More recently, according to national statistics, by 2023 the tourism GDP reached 2,582,001 million Mexican pesos, which represented about 8.6% of the country's total GDP. That year, tourism activities supported around 2.8 million formal jobs, which is equivalent to 7.2% of all salaried employment in the country. In 2018, it also provided jobs for over 2.3 million people, which is 6% of the total employment in the nation.