Statistics about Baja Tourism and Economy

• The tour & travel industry has the potential to become the most important source of foreign

exchange for Mexico

• Tourism is an activity which involves all levels of government

• Sectur (Secretary of Tourism) declares that tourism is the key to Mexico’s economic

development

• Tourism has also been understood as the source for generation of wealth among all

socioeconomic groups

• The significance of tourism to Mexico can be understood as a win/win situation: it’s a

lucrative investment for developers and a source of sustainability for the Mexican

government and its population

• Tourism earning have doubled from 1990 to the present, and it is the 3rd largest source of

foreign exchange earnings

• According to statistics recently released by Mexico’s Tourism Secretariat (Sectur), Mexico’s

tourism industry attracted more than US$2.29 billion in new investments last year,

representing a 38.5 percent increase over the previous year’s figures23

• The Caribbean state of Quintana Roo attracted the amount of US$427.6 million24

• The third most important economic activity in Mexico after oil and remittances, tourism

represented approximately 8.0 percent of the nation’s GDP last year and is expected to

increase to 8.2 percent in 200525

• According to Mexico’s Central Bank, the tourism industry’s trade balance posted a US$3

billion surplus in 2004, and this surplus is expected to increase to US$4 billion in 200526

• Mexico shows a growing GDP, and a higher lever of foreign direct investment than any

other Latin country27

• Tourism in Mexico is a large industry, the third in importance28

• The most notable tourist draws are the ancient Meso-American ruins, and popular beach

resorts29

• The coastal climate and unique culture – a fusion of the European (particularly Spanish)

and the Meso-American – also make Mexico attractive30

• Over the last 6 years (2001 – May 2006) the amount of 11,500 millions of dollars have been

invested31

• We expect to end 2006 with more than 12,000 millions of dollars invested32