International Visitors Surge to Mexico During US Trump Slump

Image: Mexico's national flag. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/javarman)
Image: Mexico's national flag. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/javarman)
Lacey Pfalz
by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 10:05 AM ET, Fri May 9, 2025

Mexico experienced a 3.5 percent increase in international air travelers during the first quarter of the year, welcoming over 6.1 million international visitors to the country. 

According to Mexico News Daily, air arrivals from the United States increased 5.1 percent, noting that the majority of visitors were from the United States. 

However, Canadian arrivals, reported at 1.2 million, increased 13 percent from the same time last year. 

The increase can be at least partially attributed to the Canadian freeze on American goods and destinations following Trump’s unprovoked trade war and his repeated comments about making the sovereign nation the 51st state of the United States. 

International visitation to the U.S. in March alone dipped 14 percent, with Canadian visitation dropping 26 percent in overnight land trips and 14 percent by air arrivals. The drop is largely attributed to the Trump slump in tourism, due to Trump's trade war, his comments about making Canada the 51st state and his increasingly challenging customs process, which has led many international visitors to be detained by ICE. 

Argentinians were the third highest international source market for Mexico last quarter, with the country noting a 32.5 percent increase from last year, although the numbers of visitors from Argentina were only roughly 114,000, dramatically lower than the other two source markets. 

Mexico’s Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez noted the importance of North American tourism and that it’s crucial that Mexico “broadens, maintains and strengthens” ties with its North American neighbors. 

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Lacey Pfalz

Lacey Pfalz

Senior Editor, News & Features

Lacey Pfalz is Associate Editor at TravelPulse. She's a passionate advocate of responsible travel and believes the best travel experiences happen outside of a planned itinerary. Lacey currently lives in rural Wisconsin. She can be reached at [email protected].

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