International tourist spending grows 8% in August despite a dip in arrivals

International tourist arrivals in Mexico declined year over year in August for the first time in almost a year, according to official data, even as total expenditure by international tourists increased by over 8%.

The national statistics agency INEGI reported Wednesday that 3.76 million international tourists came to Mexico in August, a decline of 0.5% compared to the same month of 2025.

International tourists are classified as foreign residents who spend at least one night in Mexico during their visit to the country.

In August, 1.39 million of the 3.76 million international tourists flew into the country, a decline of 6.5% compared to a year earlier. International tourist arrivals by air declined during every month between February and August.

The remainder of the international tourists in August entered Mexico by land, with most of that cohort staying within the northern or southern border region. INEGI’s data shows that two-thirds (67.1%) of the tourists who came to Mexico in August and traveled beyond the border regions are residents of the United States.

The year-over-year decline in international tourist arrivals in August was the first annual decrease since September 2025.

Humberto Molina, an expert in tourism economics at the consultancy firm Grupo Empresarial Estrategia, attributed the decline to a range of factors, including the presence of sargassum on Mexican beaches, insecurity and a lack of tourism promotion.

International tourist expenditure increased 8.1% in August 

While in Mexico in August, international tourists collectively spent US $2.16 billion, an increase of 8.1% compared to the same month of 2025.

Each international tourist spent $573.30 on average, up 8.6% from August 2025.

Individual expenditure by international tourists who flew into Mexico was more than double that amount at $1,269.60, an increase of 15.2% compared to August 2025.

International tourists who flew into Mexico collectively spent $1.77 billion while in the country, a figure that accounts for 82% of total international tourism expenditure.

Despite decline in international tourists, international traveler numbers reached a record high in August 

While international tourist numbers declined 0.5% year over year in August, international traveler numbers increased 1.3% to reach 7.98 million, the highest figure on record for the month of August.

INEGI’s international travelers category includes international tourists and international day-trippers (excursionistas internacionales). The latter enter Mexico by land or sea but don’t stay the night. International day-trippers include cruise ship passengers and people who spend a few hours in Mexico after entering the country via border crossings with the United States, Guatemala and Belize.

Just over 4.2 million international day-trippers came to Mexico in August, an increase of 3% compared to the same month of last year. Around 81% of the international day trippers (3.43 million) entered Mexico by land, while 785,558 came into the country by sea. Sea arrivals increased by 12.3% compared to August 2025, while land arrivals rose 1.1%.

Total spending by international travelers in Mexico in August was $2.4 billion, a 7% increase compared to a year earlier. International tourists spent 90% of that amount, while international day-trippers contributed the other 10%.

While expenditure rose in dollar terms, it declined 5.51% annually in real peso terms, according to Banco Base analysts, who took inflation and the USD:MXN exchange rate into account. The USD:MXN exchange rate was 17 at the end of August compared to 18.66 a year earlier.

More than 32 million international tourists came to Mexico between January and August 

INEGI data shows that 32.68 million international tourists came to Mexico in the first eight months of 2026, a year-over-year increase of 3.9%.

International traveler numbers rose 6.3% annually in the same period to reach 67.69 million.

In a statement, Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez said that data from the first eight months of the year indicates that “Mexico could end 2026 with a record in international tourist arrivals.”

“Mexico is in vogue and we’re continuing to work so that more people visit us, get to know our cultural and natural wealth and contribute to the well-being of communities,” she said.

Total expenditure by international travelers in Mexico was $24.15 billion between January and August, an increase of 0.9% compared to the same period of last year.

Mexico is one of the world’s 10 most visited countries, ranking sixth or seventh in recent years. One of the goals of the federal government’s Plan Mexico economic initiative is to make Mexico one of the world’s top five tourism destinations by 2030.

With reports from El Economista, La Jornada and Reporte Indigo