Mexico welcomed about three million foreign visitors to its three 2026 FIFA World Cup host cities during the recent event, according to the first official assessment of its impact on the local tourism industry.
Foreign tourists accounted for about 40% of the 7.5 million total trips to Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey between June 8 and July 12, with the rest made up of domestic travellers, Mexico’s tourism ministry said earlier this week.
The overall figures compare with pre-World Cup forecasts for about 5.5 million tourists, and provide an early indication of the tournament’s economic impact, which officials initially forecast at more than US$3.4bil (RM13.89bil).
Last year, the government’s estimates factored in what it saw as millions of additional tourists beyond what would otherwise be expected, but since then it often couched the term as a “total estimate”.
The government’s current estimate for tourism spending during the event reached around 40 billion pesos (RM8.58bil), according to data.
While total arrivals during the tournament surpassed the government’s estimate, the majority of travellers made day trips rather than overnight stays. Those who stay at least one night contribute far more to average tourist spending.
About three million tourists spent at least one night in hotels or short-term rentals in the three cities, while another 4.5 million visited the cities but didn’t stay overnight, according to the ministry.
Vital to the economy
Fuelled by its world-famous beaches and popular cultural sites, Mexico’s tourism industry makes up the biggest component of its gross domestic product, contributing around 9% of overall economic activity.
Mexico hosted 13 of the World Cup’s 104 matches between June 11 and July 5, including the round-of-16 clash in which England eliminated its national team. This year’s tournament converted Mexico into a three-time host or co-host, after previously staging the 1970 and 1986 editions.
In one trouble spot, Mexican airport operators saw declines in the number of passengers during the World Cup, compared to arrivals last year.
Still, average hotel occupancy rates reached 65% across the three host cities, an increase of about 12% from the same period in 2025. Hotels recorded occupancy rates of between 85% and 95% on match days, while average room rates rose nearly 52%, according to official data.
In an interview, Tourism Minister Josefina Rodríguez said the government expects the World Cup to encourage additional leisure and business travel to Mexico in the coming months, due to international exposure generated by the event. She cited plans to work with state authorities and businesses to build on marketing efforts and encourage travellers to explore destinations beyond Mexico’s three largest cities.
“We need to build on these results with a promotional campaign that draws on the real momentum generated by the World Cup,” Rodríguez said. “You don’t have to create images, Mexico already has them in real time.”
The country offered up plenty of feel-good storylines during the World Cup, from overnight sensation Merlin the duck to the thousands of fans hurling one another into the air at raucous victory celebrations.
Before the tournament kicked off, doubts grew over the country’s ability to host games in peace due to cartel-related violence or whether fans would be ex- cited about their team due to past poor performances. But once the event got underway, parties erupted across the country to celebrate every win.
The pet duck-turned-unofficial-mascot became an improbable celebrity as his appearances spread across social media and television, eventually earning him a trip to visit President Claudia Sheinbaum, where he and his family were featured prominently during a morning press conference.
Rodriguez highlighted the viral images of the over 1.5 million elated fans who gathered around the capital’s Angel of Independence monument after the local squad’s last win - and the ritual they developed after every victory.
Chants of “iquiere volar!” or “this person wants to fly!” erupted before hoisting eager volunteers into the air, high above the crowd. The scenes became instantly recognisable, producing some of the tournament’s defining moments.
The ministry expects a minimum 5% increase in the number of visitors to the country in the upcoming months.
“There’s no better promotion than what happened at the World Cup,” Rodriguez said. “Foreigners were amazed.” – Bloomberg
