US Market Slump Dampens 2026 World Cup Impact on Mexican Tourism

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The 2026 World Cup gave Mexican tourism only a modest boost in June, and it was not enough to offset a steep decline in visitors from the United States, Mexico’s largest source of international travelers.

According to an analysis by the Center for Advanced Research in Sustainable Tourism (STARC) at Anáhuac Cancún University, based on data from the federal Migration Policy Unit, 1,602,621 tourists arrived in Mexico from World Cup-participating countries in June. That represents a 3.7% contraction compared with 1,663,325 in June 2025 — a net loss of 60,704 visitors.

Visitors from the United States fell by 109,857 in June alone. Over the first six months of 2026, the decline from the U.S. market now exceeds half a million travelers.

Mexico hosted matches involving 24 national teams during the group stage and knockout rounds, but only 14 of those countries recorded real increases in visitor numbers.

Colombia led the growth with 30,925 additional visitors compared with June 2025, followed by Japan (+6,077) and Spain (+3,074). South Korea, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Sweden, Morocco and South Africa posted gains of between 2,587 and 1,145 visitors, while the Netherlands, Uzbekistan, Tunisia, Uruguay and the Democratic Republic of the Congo added 71 to 688 each.

Cancún International Airport operated as a strategic hub thanks to its air connections with World Cup host cities in Mexico, the United States and Canada. Still, authorities have not released an official figure for how many fans entered through that terminal during the tournament.

STARC said the indicators provide a precise measure of the impact of mega sporting events on tourism flows and will help shape Mexico’s future international promotion strategies.