Meeting tourism in Jalisco grows at double-digit rates

During the holiday season, Jalisco recorded an economic impact of close to US$222 million, representing a 5.3% increase over the same period in 2024, with the arrival of 1.58 million visitors, according to the state's Ministry of Tourism.

Guadalajara welcomed more than 622,000 visitors, up 3%, generating US$701 mllion, putting Jalisco on a solid footing for 2026, with a diversified offering and growing national and international visibility.

One of the main drivers of this dynamism is the meetings industry, which, according to projections by the Guadalajara Visitors and Conventions Bureau (OVC), will close 2025 with 15% growth, reaching US$1.7 million in revenue, according to its director Gustavo Staufert.

This is reinforced by an increase in tourism infrastructure: “In the Guadalajara metropolitan area, US$1.1 billion will be invested in 3,500 more rooms over the next six years.”

In 2026, Jalisco will be one of the venues for the FIFA World Cup, and will become the continental host for the sector by hosting the first edition of ITB Americas, an event that has been signed for five consecutive years and is estimated to generate US$13.3 million in revenue.

In 2024, the meetings industry in Jalisco generated US$1.4 billion, 1.5% of the state's GDP, he said.

By 2025, this figure is estimated to reach US$1.5 billion for meetings tourism in Guadalajara, with 55,000 meetings taking place in the metropolitan area, out of a total of 65,000 held throughout the state.

Events and meetings account for 30% of tourism revenue in Guadalajara and 15% statewide.