MEXICO CITY, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Mexico expects to welcome about 10 million additional tourists during the month-long 2026 FIFA World Cup, which opened Thursday, Tourism Secretary Josefina Rodriguez Zamora said.
Rodriguez said about 3 million of the additional visitors are expected to travel to the country's three host cities -- Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.
Mexico received more than 9 million visitors in April alone, reinforcing expectations of a significant increase in tourist arrivals during the World Cup, Rodriguez said, adding that World Cup visitors spend, on average, 48 percent more than regular tourists.
In Mexico City, about 400,000 people attended World Cup-related events, including 300,000 at FIFA Fan Fest venues and related festivals, Rodriguez said.
At a daily news conference at the National Palace in Mexico City on Friday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum highlighted the festive atmosphere surrounding the tournament's opening, both inside and outside the stadium.
"It was a celebration of Mexico," she said.
Mexico, which is co-hosting this year's World Cup with the United States and Canada, has become the first country to host the tournament three times, following the editions held in 1970 and 1986.
