TOURISM POLICY REVIEW OF MEXICO.

178 Pages·2017·3.226 MB·English

by  OECD

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OECD Studies on Tourism
Tourism Policy Review
of Mexico
This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The
opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official
views of OECD member countries.
This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of or
sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries
and to the name of any territory, city or area.
Please cite this publication as:
OECD (2017), Tourism Policy Review of Mexico, OECD Studies on Tourism, OECD Publishing, Paris.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264266575-en
ISBN 978-92-64-26656-8 (print)
ISBN 978-92-64-26657-5 (PDF)
Series: OECD Studies on Tourism
ISSN 2223-9790 (print)
ISSN 2223-9804 (online)
Photo credits: Cover © vectomart/Shutterstock.com
Corrigenda to OECD publications may be found on line at: www.oecd.org/about/publishing/corrigenda.htm.
© OECD 2017
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(CFC) at [email protected].
3
PREFACE –

Preface
Tourism plays a crucial role for Mexico's economy, and has performed strongly in
recent years. Tourism accounts directly for 8.5% of GDP and generates higher than
average value for the economy. It also provides employment for millions of Mexicans.
While official data indicate that the sector directly supports 2.3 million jobs (5.8%), the
real figure is significantly higher when informal jobs are taken into account. Growth in
tourism has surpassed growth in many other advanced and emerging tourism economies
in recent years, and has contributed to a healthy travel balance, helping to compensate for
weaker oil revenues.
However, tourism's potential to promote inclusive and sustainable growth, as well as
local and regional development in Mexico, remains largely unrealised and the sector is
faced with many competitiveness and sustainability issues. Key policy challenges include
the need to adapt the model of tourism development to make it more inclusive; strengthen
the governance of tourism; increase support to small and micro businesses; and connect
new markets and destinations.
In this context, the OECD Tourism Policy Review of Mexico recommends that Mexico:
strengthen the governance of tourism by promoting a more strategic and integrated
approach to tourism policy; boost air connectivity from high potential source markets to
support market diversification, and develop a more integrated transport system to move
visitors around the country; adapt the model of tourism development to respond to market
trends and better spread the benefits of tourism by promoting inclusive tourism growth,
product diversification and destination development; and target financing to innovative
tourism projects offering the strongest potential, including to small and micro enterprises.
Through this review, the Mexican authorities have engaged in a proactive and welcome
effort to develop and further strengthen the contribution of tourism to the Mexican economy
and society. The review prepared by the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Local
Development and Tourism as part of the Tourism Committee’s Programme of Work, is the
result of a rich and co-operative policy dialogue with the Mexican authorities. It is our hope
that it will provide inspiration to policy makers in other countries facing similar challenges,
and help advance the policy debate on sustainable and inclusive tourism development in
OECD member and partner countries.

Angel Gurría
Secretary-General of the OECD

TOURISM POLICY REVIEW OF MEXICO © OECD 2017

5
FOREWORD –

Foreword
This publication presents the OECD country review of tourism issues and policies in
Mexico. It forms part of the programme of work of the OECD Tourism Committee and
has been prepared by the Secretariat of the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs,
Local Development and Tourism. The report is part of a series of reviews on tourism
issues and policies undertaken by the OECD in countries that express an interest in co-
operating on an external assessment of their policy challenges. Tourism policy reviews
aim to: enhance tourism performance, competitiveness and innovation; increase
knowledge about tourism policy design and evaluation; diffuse evidence-based lessons
and good practices; and strengthen policy coherence and linkages. The present review has
been prepared at the request of the Government of Mexico.
This review provides an assessment of tourism-related policies, programmes and
plans to support a competitive and sustainable tourism development in Mexico. The
structure, profile and performance of tourism are examined, along with the policy making
environment and governance arrangements for tourism. This report also includes chapters
of special relevance to Mexico: transport connectivity; inclusive tourism growth and
infrastructure development; and investment and SME financing. The OECD Tourism
Committee peer-reviewed and approved the report at its meeting on 6 October 2016.
The review has been possible thanks to the support and co-operation of the Mexican
authorities, including the numerous officials, experts and representatives from Federal
and state government and the private sector who provided valuable written and oral
inputs, and in other ways participated in the review process. The OECD is particularly
grateful to Minister Enrique de la Madrid Cordero, Under Secretary María Teresa Solís
Tejo, Javier Guillermo Molina and officials at the Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR), and
Ambassador Dionisio Pérez-Jácome Friscione and Aldo Aldama from the Permanent
Delegation of Mexico to the OECD, and officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(SRE), for their continuous support throughout the review process.
Jane Stacey co-ordinated the review and led the drafting of the report, under the
direction of Alain Dupeyras, Head of the OECD Tourism Unit. Drafting contributions were
provided by Alain Lumbroso, International Transport Forum (Chapter 3) and external
experts Aidan Pender (Chapter 4) and Virginia Robano (Chapter 5). Peter Haxton
participated in the mission and provided feedback on early drafts. Laetitia Reille managed
the statistical component. María Castaño provided research and logistical assistance.
Julie Pilato provided administrative support and prepared the manuscript for publication.

TOURISM POLICY REVIEW OF MEXICO © OECD 2017
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– FOREWORD

The review has also benefitted from contributions, feedback and guidance from the
peer-review countries, represented by: Veronica Kunze, Ministry of Economy,
Development and Tourism, Chile; Sérgio Guerreiro, Turismo de Portugal; and Isabel Hill,
US Department of Commerce. The representatives of Portugal and the United States
participated in the review mission.

Lamia Kamal-Chaoui
Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Local Development and Tourism

TOURISM POLICY REVIEW OF MEXICO © OECD 2017
7
TABLE OF CONTENTS –

Table of Contents
Executive summary ................................................................................................................................ 13
Assessment and recommendations ........................................................................................................ 17
Chapter 1 Profile and performance of tourism in Mexico .................................................................. 31
Tourism in the economy ....................................................................................................................... 32
Tourism profile and performance.......................................................................................................... 38
Strengthening the tourism statistics and intelligence structure ............................................................. 46
References ............................................................................................................................................. 48
Annex Statistical tables ......................................................................................................................... 49
Chapter 2 Towards an integrated approach to tourism policy in Mexico ........................................ 57
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 58
Strategic vision, policy framework and implementation of tourism policy .......................................... 58
Institutional arrangements and governance ........................................................................................... 68
References ............................................................................................................................................. 79
Chapter 3 Connecting tourists with destinations in Mexico ............................................................... 81
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 82
Aligning transport and tourism policies ................................................................................................ 82
Promoting an intermodal, user friendly transport system for tourism .................................................. 84
Air transport connectivity ..................................................................................................................... 87
Sea transport connectivity ..................................................................................................................... 96
Ground transport connectivity .............................................................................................................. 99
Visitor arrivals experience .................................................................................................................. 109
References ........................................................................................................................................... 112
Chapter 4 Inclusive tourism development in Mexico ........................................................................ 115
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 116
Aligning policies to support more inclusive tourism development ..................................................... 116
Trends impacting tourism growth and development ........................................................................... 118
Destination and product development ................................................................................................. 121
Developing a new industrial policy for tourism .................................................................................. 131
References ........................................................................................................................................... 144
Chapter 5 Financing tourism development in Mexico ...................................................................... 145
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 146
Aligning investment, SME financing and tourism policy ................................................................... 146
Mobilising investment to support infrastructure for tourism development ......................................... 150
Supporting access to financing for tourism SMEs .............................................................................. 162
References ........................................................................................................................................... 172

TOURISM POLICY REVIEW OF MEXICO © OECD 2017
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– TABLE OF CONTENTS

Tables
Table A.1. Direct contribution of tourism to the Mexican economy, 2005-14 ......................................... 50
Table A.2. Travel-related exports, 2005-15 ............................................................................................... 51
Table A.3. Tourism contribution to balance of payments, 2005-15 .......................................................... 51
Table A.4. Internal tourism consumption by type of tourism and product, 2014 ...................................... 52
Table A.5. Number of people1 employed in tourism, 2005-15 .................................................................. 53
Table A.6. Number of paid jobs in tourism, 2005-14 ................................................................................ 53
Table A.7. Inbound visitor arrivals, 2005-15 ............................................................................................ 54
Table A.8. Contribution of international visitors to foreign currency earnings, 2005-15 ......................... 54
Table A.9. Source markets based on air arrivals by country residence, 2012-15 ...................................... 55
Table A.10. Exchange rates, 2005-15 ........................................................................................................ 56
Table A.11. Number of domestic tourist arrivals and nights in hotels, 2005-14 ....................................... 56
Table A.12. Number of international tourist arrivals and nights in hotels, 2005-14 ................................. 56
Table 2.1. Tourism public expenditure at federal1 level, 2016 .................................................................. 77
Table 3.1. Direct scheduled flight frequency from top source markets to Mexico’s main airports .......... 90
Table 3.2. Weekly flight capacity from Mexico City with Aeroméxico, 2013 ......................................... 91
Table 3.3: Status of air services agreement negotiations ........................................................................... 93
Table 3.4. Cruise passenger traffic in Mexico’s main cruise ports, 2000-15 ............................................ 96
Table 4.1. Mexico’s top 10 destinations by market1, 2014 ...................................................................... 122
Table 4.2: Regional supply of tourism services, 2014 ............................................................................. 124
Table 4.3. Hotel capacity and occupancy in main destinations, 2005, 2014-15 ...................................... 125
Table 5.1. FONATUR historical investment in integrated planned development, 1974-2015 ............... 153
Table 5.2. Alternative external financing techniques for SMEs and entrepreneurs ................................ 166

Figures
Figure 1.1. Direct contribution of tourism to the Mexican economy, 2014 .............................................. 33
Figure 1.2. GDP contribution of tourism relative to other sectors, 2005-14 ............................................. 34
Figure 1.3. Travel-related exports, 2005-15 .............................................................................................. 34
Figure 1.4. Tourism contribution to balance of payments, 2005-15 .......................................................... 35
Figure 1.5. Internal tourism consumption by type of tourism and product, 2014 ..................................... 36
Figure 1.6. Number of paid jobs in tourism, 2005-14 ............................................................................... 37
Figure 1.7. Number of people1 employed in tourism, 2006-15 ................................................................. 38
Figure 1.8. Inbound arrivals to Mexico, 2005-15 ...................................................................................... 39
Figure 1.9. Visitor and tourist arrivals and spending, 2005-15 ................................................................. 41
Figure 1.10. Main source markets to Mexico, based on non-border visitor arrivals, 2005-2014 .............. 42
Figure 1.11. Domestic and international arrivals in hotels by region, 2014 .............................................. 44
Figure 1.12. Domestic and international nights in hotels by region, 2014 ................................................ 45
Figure 2.1. Organisational structure of Mexico’s Federal Ministry of Tourism1 ...................................... 69
Figure 2.2. Structure of the Federal Tourism Cabinet and its working groups ......................................... 75
Figure 2.3. Federal expenditure for tourism sector development, 2007-16 ............................................... 78
Figure 3.1. Air passenger arrivals, 1990-2015 .......................................................................................... 88
Figure 3.2. International air passenger arrivals by major airport, 2015 ..................................................... 89
Figure 3.3. Domestic and international air passenger arrivals to Cancún and Mexico City, 1990-2015 .. 89
Figure 3.4. Cruise passengers and ship calls, Mexico and selected ports, 1985-2015 .............................. 97
Figure 3.5. Passengers per ship call, 1985-2015 ....................................................................................... 98
Figure 3.6. Mass transit infrastructure in selected Latin American countries, 2011 ............................... 104
Figure 3.7. Public and active transport share in selected Latin American cities, 2007 ........................... 105
Figure 5.1. Development bank financing, 1995-2014 ............................................................................. 149
TOURISM POLICY REVIEW OF MEXICO © OECD 2017