Islamic Tourism in Mexico

Although Mexico has experienced what can be considered to be tourism over many years, indeed centuries, its openness as a country really started at the end of the 19th century and developed from the early 20th century to the early 21st century. Mexico has clear reasons for tourist appeal and is one of the most visited countries in the world. Islamic tourism, or halal tourism, is relatively new to the setting and takes the form of both the travel to Mexico of Muslims from outside the country (international tourism) and the tourism of Muslims already resident in Mexico (intranational tourism), the latter often taking place for religious purposes. These manifestations of tourism in Mexico can be contextualized within the global transformations occurring around them. There are varying degrees to which Mexico meets the needs of the Muslim tourist. Religious conversion has contributed to a rise in the number of Muslims present in Mexico, and travel within Mexico is related to the exploration of their developing beliefs and also occurs as a locus for the assertion of their newly formed religious identity.