Mexico Becomes Popular Vacation Destination for International Conventions

Mexico Becomes Popular Vacation Destination for International Conventions

Mexico's convention industry climbed five spots over the past year in the International Congress and Convention Association's rankings for 2010. With a 31 percent increase in meetings, the latest ranking lists Mexico as the world's 22nd most popular vacation destination country for international conventions, up from 27th in 2009.

In fact, Mexico's tourism industry as a whole is on the rise. In 2010, Mexico captured the most popular vacation destination spot for U.S. tourists, with a stunning 14.7 percent of U.S. overseas tourists traveling to Mexico--the largest number of U.S. travelers since 2005.

"Destinations and entities continue to invest in infrastructure, equipment and services… But Mexico has much more to offer," Gloria Guevara Manzo, Mexico's Secretary of Tourism, said. "In order to continue our competitiveness, we will also promote less well-known destinations that can be of interest for international conventions."

Last year, Mexico hosted 140 international conventions, the majority in Mexico City, which ranked 15th on the international list of top host convention cities and 5th in the Americas. Mexico’s growth is a clear sign that the country's investment in tourism projects is paying off.