Mexico: most popular countries of origin among foreign air travelers 2020

The United States is the most popular country of origin among international air passengers arriving or passing through Mexican airports. In 2020, air travelers flying from the United States to the Latin American country amounted to around 5.3 million. Canada was the second country of origin for international tourists arriving by air in Mexico, with roughly 950 thousand. Connection flights through these two North American countries are common en route to Mexico. Therefore, these figures include visitors from all around the world and not only U.S. or Canadian residents.

Traveling to Mexico from the United States

Air passenger arrivals from the United States were significantly lower than the number of U.S. citizens visiting Mexico in 2019. This fact suggests that, for the most part, U.S. travelers arrive in Mexican territory using other modes of transport. In the years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of cruise vessels calling at Mexico increased steadily, many of which sail from U.S. ports across the Gulf of Mexico. And with a continental border that spans over three thousand kilometers, the United States also accounts for the largest number of incoming visitors arriving by land to Mexico.

Mexico: an attractive destination for U.S. medical patients

Driven by continually rising out-of-pocket payments in the most expensive health care system worldwide, an increasing number of U.S. residents are seeking routine, critical, and special medical treatments in other countries, with Mexico being one of the most sought-after destinations. Due to their geographic proximity and the significant disparity between the two nations’ currencies, medical services in Mexico are comparably cheaper for patients who live in the United States.