Holiday Cheer: Mexican Tourists Revive U.S. Travel Amid Declining International Numbers

BY ANGELA KOCHERGA and ALFREDO CORCHADO
Puente News Collaborative

Editor’s note: This story was co-published with Puente News Collaborative in partnership with KTEP News. Puente News Collaborative is a bilingual nonprofit newsroom, convener and funder dedicated to high-quality, fact-based news and information from the U.S.-Mexico border.

CIUDAD JUAREZ - The number of international tourists traveling to the United States has declined, with one exception, Mexico.

After a dip at the beginning of the year, visitors from Mexico are back, and their numbers are growing. In fact, those tourists are a bright spot this holiday season when many plan trips to visit relatives, enjoy entertainment and amusement parks and, of course, Christmas shopping in malls from San Diego, Tucson, San Antonio, or El Paso, across from Ciudad Juarez.

The increase in Mexican travelers comes despite new visa restrictions, more scrutiny and higher fees imposed by the Trump administration; plus videos on social media platforms showing ICE or Border Patrol agents tackling and arresting people, the majority of them, Latinos, in an effort to carry out Trump’s mass deportation promise.

Through August, about 3 million visitors arrived by air from Mexico. That’s up slightly over the same period last year, according to data from the National Travel and Tourism Office. The number of people driving through land ports of entry grew by 13 percent this year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“The president, the government, can do or say whatever they want, and it's all for show,” said Raymond Robertson, a professor of economics and government and Director of the Mosbacher Institute for trade, economics and public policy at Texas A&M. “But the real love between the two countries, especially with Texas and Mexico and other U.S.-Mexico border cities, is very strong and it's very real.”

Historically, neighboring Canada and Mexico have been the top countries for international visitors. This year, travel from Canada plummeted in part because of tariffs and President Trump repeatedly saying he wants to make Canada the 51st state which many Canadians say is insulting.

The decline in international tourism is expected to cost the U.S. $5.7 billion compared to the previous year, according to the U.S. Travel Association.

However, travel from Mexico, for now, remains strong. Citing statistics from a 2023 Department of Commerce study, Robertson said 22 percent of foreign travelers are Mexicans, the largest group overall. On average Mexicans spent about $1,500 per trip.
Mexico, with an estimated 133 population, is the top U.S. trading partner. More than $800 billion flow in two-way trade, figures that underscore the deep economic and cultural connection between both countries.

“No matter the national or state politics, Mexicans still feel welcomed by the people that they engage with personally because they know, based on history that somehow politics is always going to be ugly,” added Robertson, author of the upcoming book, “Not Just Neighbors: The Remarkable Economic Relationship in North America.”

Businessman Raul Vargas, 65, agrees. For more than four decades, Vargas, owner of a tour company, has been driving his 52-seat bus from Monterrey to North Texas for Dallas Cowboys home games. In the spring he takes busloads of fans to Houston to see Astros baseball games.

“When visiting family is involved, or seeing a game, particularly the Cowboys, or Astros, we will come. Traditions are hard to break,” he said. “Good shopping deals also help.”

Here in Ciudad Juarez, people arriving at the U.S. Consulate are hopeful their application for a tourist visa will be approved. On a recent morning the area near the massive building was bustling with activity. There are hotels and restaurants, and agencies helping people prepare their applications. The U.S. consulate in this Mexican border city has the largest visa operation in the world issuing everything from work permits to family and tourist visas.

“I want to visit my sister in Indiana,” said Carolina. She, like most people outside the consulate, only wanted to be identified by their first names because of concern that speaking to a reporter might affect approval of their visa.

Several applicants said they want a visa to go shopping just across the border in Texas, or New Mexico. One young woman was renewing her visa so she could participate in a marathon at Disney World in Florida in January.

Mexico is not on the U.S. travel ban list, but the visa application process has become harder and more expensive since Trump took office. Even those renewing a visitor visa are now required to show up for an in-person interview. Last October, the cost also rose from $185 to $435 because of a new visa integrity fee.

Moreover, there's a price hike for the required entry form tracking arrivals from $6 to $30. Finally, federal authorities are checking applicants’ social media feeds to see if they are critical of Trump administration policies.

“People are being double and triple inspected upon entry,” said Tony Payan, Director of the Center for the U.S. and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute.

Payan added that the higher cost and new restrictions on everything from student to skilled worker visas can be a deterrent for some who want to come to the U.S. legally.

“I think the basic message is that you’re not welcome in the United States, even tourists who often come and spend money in the country are not welcome,” Payan said.

Yet, at least along the border states, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California, the reliance on visitors from Mexico remains a potent source of income. Malls in these cities value and pamper their shoppers from south of the border.

“These consumers are very important to us,” said Gina Slechta, Director of marketing for Horizon Group Properties. The company operates shopping centers across the country. Two of their busiest outlets are located on the border cities of Laredo-Nuevo Laredo and El Paso-Ciudad Juarez.

Slechta estimates up to 65% of customers at the Outlet Shoppes at El Paso on weekends are from Mexico. These days, the mall is decked out and full of holiday cheer. People carry large shopping bags and children pose for selfies with a bilingual Santa. A snow machine creates a winter wonderland in the desert southwest at sunset.

“It is not unusual for us to see people come into the shopping center from Mexico with many family members and friends,” she said. “When it comes to making Christmas special for their children …they do not sacrifice.”