Religious tourism in Mexico has been booming in recent years, with revenues of 20 billion pesos ($1 billion) in 2021.
Slightly more than half of that amount, 10.2 billion pesos, was accumulated during Lent, according to the Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR).
This statistic put Mexico in the top ten countries with the largest number of people interested in religious tourism.
In this dynamic, Taxco, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, Oaxaca and San Miguel de Allende stand out as the most preferred religious destinations for visitors.
According to experts, religious tourism has also become a driving force for accommodation, catering and travel agencies.
According to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization, religious travel moves 330 million tourists every year, and their economic impact is 20% of world tourism.
In Mexico, the tourism sector as a whole accounts for 8.4% of the gross domestic product (GDP).
While religious tourism has also been hit by the pandemic, last November the Mexican Association of Travel Agents (AMAV in Spanish) and Fematur estimated that with the reopening of sites such as the Basilica of Guadeloupe and other related events, the sector would achieve a recovery of more than by 70% compared to 2020.