Hospitality in Mexico Current Behavior Changes Analysis¶
Ongoing Behavior Changes¶
Analysis of the provided reports on the Mexican hospitality industry reveals several ongoing behavior changes among both Business-to-Consumer (B2C) and Business-to-Business (B2B) final customers during 2024 and projected into 2025. These shifts are influencing how customers interact with the value chain and consequently impacting relationships and demand.
For the B2C segment, a significant behavior change is the continued and increasing propensity for international travel to Mexico. International tourist arrivals reached a robust 45 million in 2024, representing a substantial increase. [17, 6, 9] This strong volume is expected to continue growing in 2025, as evidenced by the 8.5% increase in international arrivals in January 2025 compared to the previous year and a 3.5% rise in air arrivals from key markets like the U.S. and Canada in the first quarter of 2025. [8, 18] This indicates a sustained high demand for leisure travel experiences in Mexico. Another notable change within B2C is the increasing popularity of cruise travel, with a 2.2% rise in cruise passengers in early 2024. [10] Furthermore, while overall domestic tourism remained significant in 2024, there was a moderate decrease of 1.2% in domestic tourist arrivals in hotel rooms by the end of April 2024 compared to 2023, suggesting potential shifts in domestic travel patterns or accommodation preferences during that period. [12] The growth of alternative lodging options like vacation rentals (e.g., via Airbnb) also points to a B2C behavior change towards seeking diverse accommodation types beyond traditional hotels. [15] Customers are also increasingly using Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) to book their accommodation and travel, a behavior highlighted as a significant factor in the industry's dynamics.
In the B2B segment, a key behavior change is the strong and growing demand for business travel. Corporations continue to be essential customers for urban accommodations and services. [11, 1] More significantly, the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) sector is experiencing considerable growth, with a projected CAGR of 6.2% in Mexico's MICE tourism market. [14] This indicates a clear behavior change among businesses towards organizing and participating in more events, conferences, and corporate gatherings in Mexico. This drives demand for group accommodations, venues, and associated services.
Across both segments, there is an observed behavior of leveraging digital platforms for accessing services. This is evident in the continued reliance on OTAs for booking accommodation and the growing use of food delivery platforms for ordering meals, reflecting a preference for convenience and digital interaction in accessing hospitality services. [15] Finally, investment trends, particularly a 50% increase in luxury hotel investments in 2024, suggest a continued or growing customer behavior of seeking and being willing to pay for luxury and high-end experiences. [16]
Impact of Behavior Changes on the Value Chain¶
The identified behavior changes have a direct impact on relationships and demand across the different steps of the Mexican hospitality value chain:
| Value Chain Step | Impact on Relationships | Impact on Demand |
|---|---|---|
| Tourism Promotion & Intermediation | Increased dependence on OTAs alters promotional strategies and cost structures for service providers. [15] Relationships with specific source markets (US, Canada) strengthen due to growth. [8] | High and growing demand for international travel necessitates robust promotional efforts. [6, 9] Shift to online booking impacts the channels through which demand is captured. [15] |
| Transportation | Stronger relationships between airlines/cruise lines and intermediaries (OTAs, tour operators). [2, 15] Increased use of ride-sharing impacts relationships with traditional taxi/car rental providers. [2] | Increased demand for international air and cruise transport due to rising arrivals. [8, 10] Growing business travel and MICE events increase demand for related ground and air transport. [14, 11] |
| Accommodation | Increased dependence on OTAs impacts hotel-OTA relationships and profitability due to commissions. [15] Competition from alternative lodging providers (e.g., Airbnb) influences market dynamics. [15] Strengthening B2B relationships for corporate and MICE bookings. [11, 14] Relationships with investors (Fibras) are driven by new supply demand. [5] | High and growing demand from international tourists drives occupancy, especially in leisure destinations. [7, 6] Mixed trends in domestic hotel demand in certain periods. Growing demand for luxury and alternative lodging options. [16, 15] Strong B2B demand for urban and MICE-related accommodation. [11, 14] |
| Food and Beverage Services | Growing reliance on food delivery platforms alters relationships between restaurants and these platforms (commission structures). [15] Strengthening B2B relationships for catering services driven by MICE growth. [14, 1] | Increased demand for food delivery services. [15] Sustained demand from tourists and locals for dine-in and quick-service options. Increased demand for catering services linked to MICE events. [14, 1] |
| Activities and Recreation | Tour operators and attractions continue relationships with intermediaries and hotels for customer access. [2, 3] MICE growth strengthens relationships between organizers, venues, and specialized activity providers. [14, 1] | Increased international tourist arrivals boost demand for tours and attractions. [6, 9] Growth in cruise passengers increases demand for shore excursions. [10] MICE growth directly increases demand for event-related activities and entertainment. [14] |
| Support Services | Increased demand for technology solutions (online booking, delivery platforms) influences relationships with tech providers. [15] Supply chain relationships are impacted by the volume and specific needs of growing segments (e.g., luxury). [15] Demand for HR and training services increases with industry expansion. [15] Construction and real estate relationships are strong due to new hotel development. [16, 5] | Increased demand for digital infrastructure and software. [15] Higher volume demand for food, beverages, and operating supplies. [15] Increased demand for skilled labor and training programs. [15] Strong demand for construction and development services for new hospitality projects. [16, 5] |
References¶
CBRE Marketview Hotelería 1S 2024 | CBRE Mexico Creció 13.2% el número de turistas internacionales en México - ContraRéplica - Noticias El turismo internacional en México crece un 8,5 % en enero - SWI swissinfo.ch El turismo mexicano rebasa expectativas con el ingreso de más de 32 mmdd en divisas por visitantes internacionales en 2024 7.4% más que 2023 - Gobierno de México FibraHotel announces its financial results corresponding to the second quarter of 2024. Más de 40 millones de turistas visitaron México en 2024 - atiempo noticias Reporte de hotelería y turismo 1S2023 | CBRE Mexico México inicia 2025 con alza turística pese a baja en gasto promedio - ContraRéplica Tourism Ministry reports a bump in foreign visitors - Mexico News Daily Mexico Tourism Statistics | How many tourists visit? (2025) - Road Genius Mexico's Hotel Industry in 2024: A Vibrant Year of Growth and Opportunityand What's Ahead for 2025 Domestic spending buoyed strong growth in the tourism sector this summer - Mexico News Daily Mexico Business Travel Market Size & Outlook, 2024-2030 Mice Market Size & Share Analysis - Industry Research Report - Growth Trends Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions Market Size 2034 Mexico's Luxury Hotel Sector Investments Grew 50% in 2024. El turismo mexicano rebasa expectativas con el ingreso de más de 32 mmdd en divisas por visitantes internacionales en 2024 7.4% más que 2023 - Gobierno de México Llegan a México más de 2 millones de turistas internacionales vía aérea según su nacionalidad en enero de 2024 | Secretaría de Turismo | Gobierno La industria restaurantera en México para 2024 con Canirac - ABASTUR hub La industria restaurantera crecerá 6% en 2025: Canirac - El Economista Restaurantes mexicanos Tamaño del mercado, participación y crecimiento hasta 2033 Mercado de Servicios de Alimentos de México ANÁLISIS DE TAMAÑO Y PARTICIPACIÓN TENDENCIAS DE CRECIMIENTO Y PRONÓSTICAS HASTA 2029 - Mordor Intelligence Mercado de restaurantes de servicio rápido de América Latina y el Caribe IHG's midscale portfolio propels growth in the Americas - HOTELSMag.com HOTEL registra un crecimiento de 26% en la UAFIDA del 1T25 - Grupo BMV Grupo Posadas - Wikipedia Grupo Posadas SAB de CV Company Profile - Overview - GlobalData Grupo Posadas SAB de CV, POSADASA:MEX profile - FT.com - Markets data Grupo Hotelero Santa Fe, S.A.B. de C.V.: Shareholders Board Members Managers and Company Profile | MX01HO090008 | MarketScreener Grupo Hotelero Santa Fe (BMV:HOTEL) Stock Price & Overview Fibra Inn Announces Fourth Quarter 2023 Results. FibraHotel 2025 Company Profile: Stock Performance & Earnings - PitchBook. Grupo Vidanta - Wikipedia Grupo Presidente - Email Address & Phone Number - Lusha AMResorts Bets on Mexico for Achieving Goals by 2020 - Travel Professional NEWS®. AMResorts Continues to Grow All-inclusive - CoStar. AMResorts: Revenue, Competitors, Alternatives - Growjo. Apple Leisure Group - SEC.gov. IHG Adds Iberostar Brand in Licensing Deal That Expands Its Beach Presence - Skift. Accorhotels - Wikipedia (Source not used) La cadena de valor del destino como herramienta innovadora para el análisis de la sostenibilidad de las políticas turísticas. El caso de España - SciELO Colombia LA INDUSTRIA DE LA HOSPITALIDAD EN MÉXICO Y EL DIAMANTE DE PORTER. (Ensayo) - Dialnet Las principales compañías de hospitalidad en Global 2025. Papel de la agencia de viajes y del operador turístico | 2025 - Cesuma. ¿Cuál es el rol del operador turístico? | 2025 - Cesuma. ¿Quiénes mueven el mercado gastronómico? La industria crece 4.5% en 2024 mirando a un 2025 más optimista - El Economista.