Mexico Records Historic International Visitor Numbers in January 2026
Share your love
-Editorial
Mexico saw record numbers of international visitors and tourists in January 2026, signaling strong growth in the country’s tourism sector, officials said. President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo reported that 8.84 million international visitors arrived in Mexico last month, a 10% increase over January 2025. International tourists accounted for 4.29 million, up 8.6% from the previous year.
Speaking at her morning press briefing, known as “Las mañaneras del pueblo,” Sheinbaum said, “Mexico plays an important role internationally, not only diplomatically but also culturally. This year will be very strong in every sense, particularly in tourism.” She added that the country’s growing popularity worldwide reflects a broad interest in Mexico as a cultural and travel destination.
Tourism Secretary Josefina Rodríguez Zamora said visitor spending reached a record $3.477 billion, an increase of 3.9% over last year. Cruise arrivals grew 10.6% to 1.28 million passengers, generating $111.7 million, while domestic flight passengers rose 2.2% to 5.18 million and international flight passengers increased 2.5% to 5.8 million.
Cultural and heritage sites also recorded significant attendance. Museums welcomed more than 1.17 million visitors, archaeological sites nearly 976,000, and the Tren Maya carried over 13,000 foreign passengers. Airports nationwide handled 16.6 million passengers in January, a 2.3% rise from 2025. Domestic tourism also grew 6%, with 8.7 million national visitors staying in hotels.
Looking ahead, Mexico will host the fourth World Sports Tourism Congress from Sept. 7–9. It will be the first edition of the event held outside Europe, with participants from 166 countries and 500 affiliated organizations. The Tianguis Turístico in Acapulco is scheduled for April 27–30 and will, for the first time, include community tourism activities. The event will feature all 32 Mexican states, 729 buyers from 17 countries, and Colombia as the invited country.
These figures reflect ongoing efforts to strengthen Mexico’s tourism infrastructure and promote cultural, recreational, and heritage destinations nationwide.
