Tianguis Turístico is an annual tourism trade fair predominantly held in Mexico Established in 1975 and organized by Mexico’s Secretariat of Tourism (SECTUR), the event is supported by both government and public resources.
The event was held exclusively in Acapulco from its founding until 2011. In 2012, Tianguis Turístico adopted an itinerant host‑city format that used destinations throughout Mexico but still maintained Acapulco as a recurring venue. The audience generally includes tourism officials, tour operators, travel agencies, airlines, hospitality companies, and media representatives.
History The event was first held in Acapulco in 1975 under the name Acapulco International Hotel and Travel Agency Fair (IHATA) and subsequently operated as the Acapulco Tourism Market. From its inception until 2011, the event was held annually in Acapulco with subsequent years adopting an itinerant host-city format.
In the early 2000s, Tianguis Turístico began systematically tracking participation indicators. Evaluations of the event were conducted by the Center for Competitiveness Studies (El Centro de Estudios de la Competitividad, CEC) starting in 2001 during the tenure of Executive Director Eduardo Chaillo (1998–2004). These reviews examined the effectiveness of Tianguis Turístico as a tourism promotion platform and aligned performance indicators with the National Tourism Program 2001–2006.
In 2011, Secretary of Tourism Gloria Guevara announced that the event would adopt an itinerant host‑city model, allowing different destinations within Mexico to host the trade show starting in 2012. SECTUR stated the change was intended to distribute the promotional and economic benefits of the event across multiple regions of the country.
In 2015, the Secretariat of Tourism announced that Acapulco would continue to host the event periodically within the rotating model and suggested this change would support Acapulco's tourism economy.
In 2020, the Tianguis Turístico Digital was held as a virtual marketplace in response to global travel restrictions during the COVID‑19 pandemic.
In 2025, Tianguis Turístico expanded to a bi‑national format for the first time, under Secretary of Tourism Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, incorporating venues in Baja California, Mexico and San Diego, California in the United States.
Organization The Tianguis Turístico is organized by the Secretariat of Tourism (Spanish: Secretaría de Turismo, SECTUR). From 1999–2018 it was led by the Mexico Tourism Board (Consejo de Promoción Turística de México - CPTM). Participants include representatives from Mexico’s tourism sector such as tourism service providers, state and municipal tourism agencies, tour operators, travel agencies, airlines, hospitality companies, and international media.
Reception Since the total number of participating countries starting being tracked in 2013, the resulting number of participating countries has varied over the years with no clearly visible trend by year or location. The highest recorded participation was the 2023 edition in Mexico City, which drew representatives from 90 countries followed by the 2017 edition in Acapulco with 88 participating countries. The lowest recorded total countries attending was in 2020 with 31 countries and this was also the only year where the event was held as a virtual marketplace in response to travel restrictions during the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Data provided by SECTUR suggests growth since adopting an itinerant host‑city model in 2012 when using the total number of business meetings and overall attendance as a performance indicator.
SECTUR's materials describe Tianguis Turistico as a contributing factor in the growth of Mexico's tourism sector. However, independent evaluations do not isolate a direct causal link between the event and Mexico's total tourism revenue. Academic and institutional reviews often discuss the event as one element within a broader government-led tourism strategy that encompasses events, infrastructure investments, and promotional resources targeting sustainable tourism development.
Tianguis Turistico Host Cities For the first 36 years, Tianguis Turistico was hosted in Acapulco, Mexico. When the model became itinerant, the host cities changed to various locations in Mexico, returning to Acapulco almost every other year. In 2025, the 50th anniversary event was hosted bi-nationally.
Year Edition # Host City Location # Countries Ref1975-2011I–36 Acapulco Acapulco International Center — —201237 Puerto Vallarta International Convention Center — —201338 Puebla Puebla Exhibition & Convention Center 42 201439 Cancún Lakám Center 60 2015 40 Acapulco Imperial World Expo 65 201641 Guadalajara Expo Guadalajara 75 201742 Acapulco Imperial World Expo 88 201843 Mazatlán Mazatlán International Convention Center 64 201944 Acapulco Imperial World Expo 45 2020 — Tianguis Turístico Digital Virtual 31 2021 45 Mérida Yucatán Siglo XXI 45 202246 Acapulco Imperial World Expo 65 202347 Mexico City Citibanamex Center 90 202448 Acapulco Imperial World Expo 43 202549 Rosarito / San Diego Baja California Center (Mexico) / Liberty Station (USA) 44 202650 Acapulco Imperial World Expo 45 202751 Puebla Puebla Exhibition & Convention Center TBD References
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