Mexico earned $7.02 billion from visits by foreign tourists in the January-May period, up 16.7 percent from the same period in 2013, the Tourism Secretariat said.
Mexico welcomed 11.7 million foreign tourists in the January-May period, a figure that was up 19.2 percent from the same period in 2013, the secretariat said, citing central bank figures.
The number of tourists arriving in Mexico by air rose from 5.4 million in the January-May 2013 period to 6 million during the first five months of this year, an increase of 11 percent.
Average spending by tourists arriving by air was $939 during the January-May period, up 8.5 percent from the $865 in average spending registered during the first five months of 2013, the secretariat said.
Mexico welcomed 23.7 million foreign tourists in 2013, generating revenues of $13.81 billion, government figures show.
Mexico plans to invest 180 billion pesos ($13.8 billion) over the next five years in tourism infrastructure to turn the country into a global power in the industry.
Tourism accounts for about 9 percent of Mexico's gross domestic product (GDP) and ranks as the No. 3 source of foreign exchange, trailing only the oil industry and remittances.
The Mexican tourism industry directly employs about 2.5 million people. 

EFE