Meagan Drillinger
When the 2025 edition of Tianguis Turistico set up shop in Baja California last week, it wasn't just another edition of Mexico's annual tourism trade event. It was a repositioning of Mexico in the global landscape.
For the first time, the event spanned both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, with programming in Tijuana, Playas de Rosarito, Ensenada, Mexico, and in San Diego. It was a symbolic and logistical feat, underscoring Mexico's ongoing commitment to cross-border cooperation, cultural exchange and economic integration through tourism.
"This is a unique Tianguis. It's a Tianguis for everyone," Josefina Rodriguez Zamora, Mexico's new secretary of tourism told Travel Weekly. "We get almost 1 million American tourists a month. It's important that we make them aware not only of the sun and beach segment, but also of things like the Mayan Train and our new airport infrastructure. This is the starting point for all future international fairs."
The spirit of openness was echoed in the data. Mexico welcomed an estimated 12.1 million international tourists during the first trimester of 2025, an 8.1% increase from the same period last year. And with 1,542 buyers from 43 countries, plus representatives from 46 countries and all 32 Mexican states, this year's Tianguis proved that global interest in Mexico is accelerating.
The mood at the event was overwhelmingly optimistic, even as political tensions linger in the background. With the Trump administration's stance on immigration making headlines, some travelers and advisors have expressed concern about how Americans are received south of the border.
Rodriguez Zamora addressed this directly: "Without a doubt, Mexico has its arms open to welcome and invite [Americans] to continue coming. Today, they find a peaceful Mexico, a Mexico rich in its culture."
The event officially kicked off with the Window to Mexico festival at Liberty Station in San Diego -- a symbolic gesture that set the tone for the first truly binational Tianguis. The inaugural celebration, attended by Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Avila Olmeda and Rodriguez Zamora, celebrated the cultural and economic ties between Baja California and California. It brought gastronomy, music and crafts to downtown San Diego to highlight what visitors can find just a stone's throw away across the border.
Andres Martinez, director of the Quintana Roo Tourism Promotion Council, offered a practical perspective: "For us, we have been here before. What happens with Americans -- I don't think in matters of vacations politics should be involved. Last time, we got a slow summer but a really good winter. People realized it's just politics. This is something we can manage."
Indeed, Mexico's tourism industry is no stranger to adaptation. This year's Tianguis Turistico showed a modern Mexico that is embracing community-based tourism, expanding its global tourism network and doubling down on inclusion, sustainability and local economic development.