The second wave of COVID-19 arrived in Mexico, precisely, during the first quarter of the year, causing a new confinement in much of the national territory. This was reflected in the low dynamism of the sector. It should be remembered that the healthy distance measures that were established in 2020 began in April, that is, from the second quarter of the year.
In this sense, the sharp drop in tourist activity, recorded by the Inegi during the January-March period of this year, has to do with the fact that in the first quarter of 2020 there were open activities, while the second major confinement of the pandemic arrived just in the first of 2021.
This would also explain the strong contraction in Inland Tourism Consumption, especially in the component of Receptive Tourist Consumption, which experienced a 51.8% drop compared to the same quarter of 2020. This indicator shows us what was the consumption of tourists who came to Mexico from abroad.
On the other hand, within the Quarterly Indicator of Tourism Gross Domestic Product, the item of Tourist Goods fell 4.1% and that of Services fell 0.5% compared to the previous quarter. While, in their annual comparison, these components had falls of 24.9% and 22.8%, respectively.
It is expected that in the second quarter of 2021, the figures for Mexican tourism will have a considerable improvement. This is suggested, for example, by the last figure of the Inegi International Traveler Surveys , where an increase of 99.53% was registered in the number of international visitors that entered the country during June, in its annual comparison.