The figures that 4T wants you to see (and those you don’t)
Claudia Sheinbaum came out today with the numbers in her hand. In La Mañanera, the president exhibited what she calls an indisputable success: international tourism in Mexico is on a roll.
According to their data, between January 2025 and January 2026, international visitors increased by 10%. Tourists—those who spend at least one night—grew by 8.6%.
“Even with propaganda against Mexico, look how tourism in the country has increased,” said Sheinbaum, throwing a barb at his critics without naming them.
Here is the detail that his official speech softens. She herself clarifies the statistical trick:
“The difference between ‘visitors’ and ‘tourists’ is that tourists stay for a day. There are a lot of cruise ships that come, arrive, go down for a day and then leave. So that’s what counts as a ‘visitor’, not necessarily a ‘tourist’.”
Translation: an important part of the celebrated 10% are cruise passengers who set foot on land for a few hours and whose spending is limited. The hard figure—that of those who actually leave money in hotels and restaurants—is 8.6%.
The missing context
Sheinbaum linked growth to air connectivity and promised “special protective actions” with the 2026 World Cup in mind. What he did not say is how these figures compare to pre-pandemic levels, or what percentage of GDP this “economic spill” he mentions really represents.
Celebrating growth is easy. The uncomfortable question—the one that every government avoids—is: growth from where? And for whose benefit? Tourism can be a mirage of prosperity if it only fills the pockets of a few.
Meanwhile, she continues to sell the idea of a “fashionable Mexico.” The numbers are your best public argument. For now.
