Mexico City, Mexico — Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism has met with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner to work on strengthening tourism between the destinations.
The Secretary of Tourism of the Government of Mexico, Miguel Torruco Marqués, held a meeting with the mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner, in which they agreed on joint actions that will strengthen tourism between both destinations.
During the meeting, Torruco Marqués highlighted the importance of the bilateral relationship between the two destinations as they are the largest source markets for each other.
He specified that by 2023, 20,300 flights and 2.8 million seats are scheduled from Houston to Mexico. They also discussed areas of opportunity to promote segments such as health and wellness tourism, among others.
The head of the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur) highlighted the importance of the bilateral relationship between our country and the United States, in terms of tourism, as they are the largest source markets for each other, so this sector plays a key role in both economies.
He indicated that, in 2022, the arrival of tourists residing in the United States to Mexico exceeded 13 million, this is 24% more than the year before the pandemic.
Torruco Marqués stressed that tourism cannot exist without connectivity. In this vein, 136,000 regular flights from the United States to Mexico are scheduled for this year, with an offer of 22.3 million seats.
He pointed out that, in the case of Houston, last year there were 20,100 flights to Mexico in which 2 million passengers were transported. By 2023, the scheduled flights from Houston to Mexico are 20,300 flights and 2.8 million seats.
He specified that the American traveler likes the sun and the beach, but also urban and cultural experiences. He added that the five most visited destinations by Americans from Houston in 2022 were Cancun, Mexico City, Monterrey, Los Cabos and Guadalajara.
The Secretary of Tourism informed the Houston delegation that 2022 was a historic year for the tourism sector in Mexico, registering a record in foreign exchange earnings from international visitors, as well as the arrival of 38.3 million international visitors, 20% more than the previous year.
“The relationship between Houston and Mexico is better than ever, so let’s continue working together to promote tourism by generating income, jobs and investment, but above all, I invite you to continue coming and exploring our country,” said Torruco Marqués during the meeting.
Houston’s Mayor Sylvester Turner thanked the Secretary of Tourism for his reception and his interest in strengthening the relationship between both destinations to increase the number of travelers and trigger investments, since tourism is a sector of mutual interest.
He agreed that Houston is the main point of entry for Mexicans to the United States by air, so it is also a market that is of great interest to them.
He also highlighted the large community of Mexicans living in Houston, as well as the relevance of continuing to strengthen the relationship, and agreed on the importance of promoting air connectivity.
Michael Heckman, president and CEO of Houston First Corporation, affirmed that the number of Mexicans traveling to Houston has increased by 41%, year after year, which is why it is essential to continue motivating tourists jointly between the two destinations.
Through a productive dialogue, the members of the Houston delegation and directors of different areas of Sectur stressed that the health and wellness tourism segment represents a great area of opportunity for those who travel between both destinations, in addition to the fact that our country has Internationally certified services to offer and prescribe different treatments.
Turner invited Secretary Torruco to attend the Houston Travel Fest as guest of honor and speaker, an event that will promote Mexico’s tourism offerings to the large consumer market of this U.S. city.
The event will open on September 29, and its purpose is to increase the number of travelers between Houston and more than 20 destinations in Mexico, which have direct flights from the two main airports in the city, with nearly 100 daily flights operated by five airlines
