LONDON.- The tourism secretary of MexicoJosefina Rodríguez Zamora, in the position for just over a month, highlighted in London the importance for the Soccer World Cup 2026which your country will organize together with the United States and Canada.
“The World Cup is very important. We are already working with the FIFA in tourism issues. Give visibility to the states that, despite not being World Cup venues, have the focus and that allows visitors (to the event) to spread from north to south,” the secretary, who is attending the fair in London, told AFP. tourism World Travel Market.
The Latin American country will have three host cities in this sporting event, which will be held from June 11 to July 19, 2026: Mexico City, where the opening match of the tournament will be played, Guadalajara and Monterrey.
With almost half a million visitors in 2023, the United Kingdom is the fourth tourism market in Mexico, behind the United States, Canada and Colombia, and the tourism minister is attending this fair, one of the most important in the world, on her first official trip. in the sector, after being appointed to the new government of Claudia Sheinbaum.
Mexico City, Cancún, Puerto Vallarta and Mérida are the four main destinations for British tourists in the Aztec country.
“The London fair allows us to present products such as the Mayan train, which are new, which allow this community tourism and for tour operators to have new experiences, which greatly enriches the offer in Mexico,” said Rodríguez Zamora.
Sixth most visited country
According to the World Tourism Organization, Mexico is the sixth most visited country in the world, with some 42.2 million travelers, and this activity contributes 8.5% to GDP.
“The great challenge in this six-year term is to work to raise that position,” said the tourism secretary, who at 35 years old is the youngest member of her country’s government.
According to figures from Sectur, the Mexican tourism ministry, in the first eight months of the year the arrival of 29 million international tourists was recorded, with an increase of 5.5% compared to 2023.
“We are looking for more actions for the markets we already have, to have greater consolidation in them and look for emerging markets, with new policies such as sports tourism,” he added.
The tourism secretary held various business meetings at the fair, which is held in London between Tuesday and Thursday, to promote her country.
“Tourism in Mexico is in very good health because we are in a great moment of market diversification,” he explained.
“In Mexico, the quality of its people stands out, the history we have. In every magical town, in every corner, there is something to know, there is something to experience, there is something to try,” he concluded.
