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Tourism healthy after Wilma
Despite Hurricane Wilma's lingering effect on room supply in the Mexican
Caribbean in early 2006, Mexico closed the year with historically high
international tourism revenues, indicating a full recovery of the
industry.
According to statistics recently released by Mexico's Tourism
Secretariat (Sectur), Mexico received 21.35 million international
visitors in 2006, a 2.6 % dip in comparison with 2005, due in part to
reduced room availability in the Mexican Caribbean stemming from damages
sustained by several hotels during Hurricane Wilma. Despite this, from
April to December 2006, international tourism arrivals for 2006 were
above figures posted the year before in all but two months.
Thanks to more aggressive marketing to the affluent traveller in
particular, revenue generated by these tourists reached a record high of
US$12.18 billion, 3.2 % higher than 2005's revenue of US$11.80 billion.
In 2004, Mexico' s international tourism revenues had totaled US$10.84
billion.
International visitors (excluding border tourists) to Mexico were
reported to have spent an average of US$710.30 per person per visit in
2006, representing a 4.7 % increase from 2005's US$678.40 average spend.
Historically high international tourism revenues helped enable the
tourism industry's trade balance to post an impressive US$4.07 billion
surplus in 2006.
Cruise ship passenger arrivals in 2006 posted strong numbers as well,
with 6.52 million cruise passengers disembarking in Mexican ports, down
only 2.8 % from 2005 despite damage sustained from Hurricane Wilma to
such leading cruise ports as Cozumel.
These passengers spent 458.3 million dollars in Mexico, compared with
452.6 million the previous year.
Some 1.95 million people were employed in the tourism sector by the end
of 2006, a significant increase from the 1.83 million people employed by
the end of 2005.
"The figures posted in 2006 demonstrate that within a year of a
devastating hurricane, Mexico' s tourism industry was already back to
normal," said Mexico Tourism Secretary Rodolfo Elizondo. "This attests
to a level of government commitment and degree of coordination with
private sector partners rarely seen in areas elsewhere in the world
affected by similar tragedies. We expect 2007 to be yet another
successful year for our tourism industry, with increased growth across
all segments, particularly among upscale travellers," he added.