The visa restrictions imposed by Canada on Mexican travelers are hindering the country’s full potential as a tourist destination, according to a Mexican tour operator. The Canadian government views Mexico as a growing tourism market, anticipating a 40% increase in visits over the next four years, with nearly half a million visitors expected by 2030, spending around $1 billion annually.
Although the number of Mexican visitors to Canada is rising, the reimplementation of visa requirements in late 2024 had an immediate impact on the statistics, noted Jesus Martinez, the general manager of Dream Destinations Mexico. Martinez expressed a desire to see the visa requirement lifted but remains realistic about the situation, stating that the decision does not lie with them.
Initially, the Canadian government, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, lifted the visa requirement for Mexicans in 2016 but later reinstated it under pressure from the United States. Mexicans can still enter Canada by air under an Electronic Travel Authorization if they possess a valid non-immigrant U.S. visa or have held a Canadian visa within the past decade.
At a recent networking event organized by Destination Canada for Canadian and Mexican tour operators in Mexico City, Martinez engaged in discussions with Tobias Barth, co-owner of Whitehorse’s Northern Lights Resort and Spa, highlighting the potential for Mexican tourists at the resort.
Darlene Fedoroshyn, the executive director of international marketing at Travel Alberta, underscored Mexico’s untapped potential as a source of one million visitors annually for the province. Fedoroshyn emphasized the need to simplify the visa process to facilitate travel for Mexicans wishing to visit Canada.
Canadian federal Tourism Minister Rechie Valdez, who participated in the Destination Canada event, mentioned that Canada is witnessing a return to pre-pandemic levels of Mexican tourists, with numbers on the rise. Valdez refrained from commenting on whether Canada would reconsider the visa requirement for Mexican visitors but stressed the importance of promoting the growth and resilience of the tourism sector. She pledged to relay feedback from her Mexico visit to her cabinet colleagues upon her return to Ottawa.
