MEXICO CITY — Mexico tourism is expected to get a major boost now that the destination has announced one million new seats on international direct flights this year.
According to the Mexico Tourism Board, airlines around the world are adding new routes, additional flights on existing routes and upgrading aircraft models with larger capacities in order to meet travel demand to Mexico. As of January 2017, airline partners have announced the addition of over 1,000,000 new seats scheduled this year on international direct flights to Mexico from more than 20 countries.
“This expansion includes service to Mexico from many new international cities to multiple Mexico destinations, which is part of our strategy of international market diversification. We are delighted to see our airline industry partners continue to recognize this momentum and further expand their connectivity,” said Lourdes Berho, CEO of the Mexico Tourism Board.
Since 2013, Mexico’s international tourism has grown at an annual average of 10%, double the global industry average. This performance, which includes growing from 24 million international tourists in 2013 to an anticipated 35 million in 2016, has catapulted Mexico from the 15th to the 9th most visited country in the world, according to the UNWTO.
As of January 2017, new lift includes:
- Air Canada Route: Vancouver to Cancun
- Air Transat: Vancouver to Los Cabos
- Sunwing Airlines: Winnipeg to Mazatlan
- Aeromexico: Seoul Incheon to Mexico City; Amsterdam to Mexico City; Vancouver to Mexico City; Detroit to Monterrey; Detroit to Mexico City; Austin to Mexico City; and Calgary to Mexico City
- Alitalia: Rome to Mexico City
- All Nippon Airways (ANA): Tokyo Narita to Mexico City
- American Airlines: Los Angeles to Puerto Vallarta; Los Angeles to Cancun; Dallas to Merida; and Miami to Merida
- Condor & Neckermann: Warsaw to Cancun
- Delta Airlines: Los Angeles to Los Cabos
- Edelweiss Air: Zurich to Cancun
- Finnair: Helsinki to Puerto Vallarta
- Interjet: Chicago to Mexico City; Las Vegas to Mexico City; Los Angeles to Guadalajara; Los Angeles to Cancun; Los Angeles to Mexico City; and Dallas to Mexico City
- Southwest Airlines: Los Angeles to Puerto Vallarta; Los Angeles to Los Cabos, Los Angeles to Cancun; Oakland to Puerto Vallarta; and Oakland to Los Cabos
- TUI Poland: Warsaw to Cancun
- United Airlines: Chicago to Mexico City
- Virgin America: Los Angeles to Los Cabos; Los Angeles to Cancun; and Los Angeles to Puerto Vallarta
- Viva Colombia: Medellin to Cancun
- Volaris: New York JFK to Mexico City; Houston to Mexico City; Miami to Mexico City; Phoenix to Culiacan; Seattle to Guadalajara; Los Angeles to Durango; San Francisco to Mexico City; Miami to Guadalajara; Milwaukee to Guadalajara; Austin to Guadalajara; and Denver to Monterrey
In addition to new routes, more than 25 existing routes have confirmed additional frequency of flights or upgraded aircraft. Air France, for example, recently launched service to Mexico City and Cancun from Paris on its flagship A380, making it the first airline in the world to fly this aircraft to Mexico.
