• TOLL: The coronavirus shock will deal a devastating blow to Mexico’s tourism industry, with experts estimating its annual impact to be much larger than the 15.2% decline that the sector experienced in 2009 when the sector experienced the Great Recession, the H1N1 pandemic, and rising violence within the country.
• APRIL: Given travel restrictions and social distancing measures put in place to fight the coronavirus outbreak, losses for the month of April could amount to 12.3% of Mexico’s annual tourism income, according to CICOTUR, the tourism research center at Anáhuac University in Mexico City.
• IMPACT: “The scenarios change along with the situation. As the population abides by the rules (by governments not to travel), the impact becomes more serious”, said Francisco Madrid, head of CICOTUR, who described the impact of the current crisis on the industry as ‘brutal’.
• NUMBERS: Mexico is the seventh most visited country in the world, and the tourism industry represents more than 8.5% of Mexico’s GDP, according to OECD data. During the past weeks, the tourism sector has been requesting the Mexican government for a relief plan to no avail.
