MEXICO: Mexico Ahead Of Turkey As Popular Tourist Destination In The World

Mexico has surpassed Turkey as the eighth most popular tourist destination in the world, according to a report of the UNWTO.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) added that Mexico welcomed 35 million visitors last year, with a nine percent increase in foreign tourists arriving in the country. Due to political unrest and security concerns, Turkey welcomed 28.3 million visitors last year.

Mexico had dropped in the UNWTO rankings to 15th in 2013 but has since climbed back to ninth due to improved security and a steadily recovering tourism industry in certain regions. The country finished eighth for last year, with only 600,000 fewer visitors than the seventh-place United Kingdom.

Tourism revenue was also up in Mexico, climbing to $19.6 billion.

Dominican Republic’s tourism sector posted income of more than US$13.0 billion in the last two years, making it the Caribbean country’s main economic pillar, said official sources quoted by Spanish press agency EFE.

Tourism minister Francisco Javier García said the sector’s foreign exchange earnings skyrocketed 135% in the last seven years, from US$2.9 billion in 2000 to US$6.7 billion last year.

During the closing ceremony it was announced that the 2018 edition will be held in Cayo Santa María, Villa Clara, in the center of the country, a paradise of sun and beach, which is why that modality will be the fair’s protagonist. Meanwhile, the country guest of honor will be the United Kingdom.

Italy is a hot luxury destination to book for a family vacation, according to Virtuoso’s new 2017 Luxe Report.

While Millennials have been holding court as the leading force in the travel industry, Virtuoso says “Gen Z” is the new buzzword in tourism.

Consisting of young people born late in the 1990s to 2010s, this generation holds considerable sway over their families’ travel decisions, according to 88 percent of Virtuoso advisors polled.

By 2020, this generation will account for 40 percent of all consumers with disposable income to travel.