The World Tourism Organization announced the new position our country occupies in terms of tourists.
“Mexico fell from sixth to seventh place in the ranking of countries with more international tourists, and there is the possibility of descending to ninth place“, said Tourism Secretary Miguel Torruco Marques.
He noted that the World Tourism Organization (WTO) confirmed that our country was displaced by Turkey, after this nation recorded double-digit growth – 10% or more – in attracting international tourists during 2018. By participating in the State Consultation Forum to learn about Quintana Roo’s proposals to the National Development Plan, the official acknowledged that Mexico could be displaced by Germany and the United Kingdom, countries whose figures are under review.
“Mexico is in sixth place, with 41.7 million tourists, but since tourism increased in Turkey, a country that has recovered, it will be reported that now Mexico is in seventh place … It is still pending that Germany and England are evaluated,” said Torruco Marqués.
RISKS FOR TOURISM IN MEXICO
The National Tourism Business Council (CNET) warned that the international tourism market in Mexico faces significant risks, whose impact could lead the sector to growth rates four times lower in the coming years.
This would imply that the development of Mexico’s tourism industry would fall from 10.6% per year -recorded between 2012 and 2017- to levels of 2.1% in the coming years, while the rest of the countries would reach levels of 5%; and this, said CNET, would be the result of two factors: the elimination of investments in tourism promotion, announced by the government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and the loss of human capital that will bring the disappearance of the Tourism Promotion Council of Mexico.
“In the short term, tourism flows could collapse as they did after 2009, combining the upsurge in insecurity, the influenza epidemic and the effects of the Great Recession of 2009. In fact, international tourism has already begun to slow down: tourist arrivals from the United States, which had been growing at rates of more than 10% in recent years, will only grow 1.3% this year,” said CNET, through an analysis given to Publimetro Newspaper.
OTHER DIFFICULTIES FOR TOURISM
National Tourism Business Council indicated that other signs that anticipate difficult times for attracting international tourists in Mexico are:
- Greater competition, with tax subsidies, as in the Dominican Republic.
- The probability of a slowdown or recession in the United States.
- Economic problems associated with Brexit in the United Kingdom, a country that represents the third market for Mexico.
- The crisis in Argentina, which is the country’s fourth market and macroeconomic weakness in Brazil, which is the sixth.
- Difficulties for airlines due to labor and fuel cost problems and tight margins.
- Rising interest rates when many companies are leveraged.
- An incipient tariff war that could bankrupt small and medium-size companies.
“If promotion spending is suspended in this context, the probability of a stagnation or contraction scenario will increase considerably,” warned CNET.
IMPORTANCE OF TOURISM FOR MEXICO.
According to official figures, tourism:
- Contributes between 8% and 9% of GDP.
- Generates 3.7 million jobs.
- Contributes 21 billion US dollars to the balance of payments.
- Is the first activity in youth employment: 24%; and the second in women: 57%.
San Miguel Times
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