Mexico's tourism sector accounted for 8.7 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017, supported mainly by lodging services, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) said Thursday.

Lodging represented 28.3 percent of the total value of the tourism GDP, said the Inegi.

This was followed by transportation services with 19.3 percent of the total, while restaurants, bars and nightclubs came in with 15.3 percent, according to the report.

The GDP for the tourism sector registered an annual growth of 2.9 percent in 2017, which outraced the whole national GDP growth of 2.1 percent.

In 2017, Mexico became the sixth most visited country in the world, with 39.3 million visitors, moving up from the 15th spot in 2012, according to data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Mexico's Tourism Minister Miguel Torruco on Monday estimated that Mexico could receive a record 44.8 million tourists in 2019.