The number of international travelers to Mexico declined 7.3 percent in August on a year-on-year rate, although foreign currency income increased in the same month, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) said on Wednesday.

During August, Mexico received 7,157,990 visitors which represents a decline of 13.1 percent compared to July, according to the Survey of International Travelers which is being published for the first time by Inegi.

Travelers poured 1.852 billion U.S. dollars into the economy in August, an increase of 16.3 percent compared to the same month of the previous year. But this was still 4.8 percent less than what was recorded in July, according to Inegi.

Mexico could see a record breaking 41 million foreign visitors in 2018, according to a forecast from tourism minister Enrique de la Madrid.

In 2017, Mexico was the sixth most visited country in the world with 39.3 million foreign tourists, surpassing Germany, the United Kingdom and Turkey, according to the United Nation's World Tourism Organization.

Foreign currency income into Mexico through tourism could grow 7 percent this year, from the 21.3 billion U.S dollars it received in 2017, according to official forecasts.