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Tourism
Mexico offers a wide variety of tourist attractions. The heritage of pre-Hispanic civilizations, the incomparable beauty of its beaches, the encounter of the vestiges of age-old cultures with big cities and extensive natural areas make it a world-class tourist destination.
At world level, Mexico occupies the 8th place in attraction of international tourists and the 10th in attraction of foreign exchange. Mexico is the geographical link between the center and the north of America, which has a bearing on its variety of natural settings, including deserts, jungles, valleys, mountainous areas, tropical coasts, in short, almost all of the planet’s landscapes.
Due to its varied geographical settings, Mexico has areas of reproduction of the continent’s most important wildlife species. Because of its climate and vegetation the country is also a sanctuary for multiple migratory species such as the marine turtle, the gray whale, the monarch butterfly, the pink flamingo, the goose and the gray crane, among others.
This land of contrasts is home to 10 percent of the world’s flora and 2,896 species of vertebrates (520 mammals, 1,424 birds, 685 reptiles and 267 amphibians). Mexico also displays an important variety of birds (1,424 species of the 9,000 on the planet).
In November each year, the country is the scenario for one of nature’s most beautiful spectacles. Millions of monarch butterflies arrive at the El Rosario reserve in the state of Michoacán after an extremely long journey from Canada and the United States, to lay their eggs in the oyamel fir forests.
The Mexican territory’s abundant flora and fauna is safeguarded by the National System of Natural Areas. The protected zones are categorized as Biosphere Reserves, National Parks (50), Marine Parks and Natural Monuments.
Surrounded by four seas, Mexico has beautiful beach destinations such as Acapulco, Guerrero and Cancún, Quintana Roo (gateway to the Mayan world), as well as the Los Cabos tourist corridor in Baja California and Huatulco, in Oaxaca, where diving enthusiasts can admire splendid coral banks.
It should be underscored that the ancient capital of the Mayan culture, Chichén Itzá, located in the state of Yucatán, was nominated for the 7 New Wonders of the World together with the Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, the Coliseum in Rome, the Taj Mahal in India, the Great Wall of China, Petra in Jordan and Machu Picchu in Peru. According to the state tourist authorities, Chichén Itzá has shown a 75 percent increase in its number of visitors since then.
The importance of tourism for the Mexican economy is beyond doubt, it is an industry that generates jobs and sparks regional development. Therefore, tourism promotion plays an important role in maintaining and consolidating Mexico as a world power by creating greater demand for the country’s destinations and attractions.
Furthermore, Mexico offers a world-class tourist infrastructure and combines history and culture with the excitement of open-air adventure, the magic of colonial cities, the harmony of national parks, the colorful atmosphere of festivals, the pleasure of crafts, the mystery of archeological sites and endless attractions to please all kinds of travelers.