International tourism arrivals in Mexico plummeted 66.6 percent in July compared to the same month last year due to a drop in air traffic, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) said on Thursday.

 

Just over 1.39 million foreign visitors traveled to Mexico in July, compared to over 4.16 million in 2019, according to the Inegi Survey of International Travelers.

 

The number of air passengers fell 81.4 percent in July year-on-year, while cross-border tourism fell 56.3 percent in the same period, according to the agency.

 

Mexico began to gradually relax pandemic lockdown measures on June 1 that were in place since the end of March to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).