A boost to Mexico's thriving tourism industry could be coming from an unlikely source.
According to newspaper El Financiero, the destination's tourist train systems are catching on with travelers as operators look to show off unique locales and experiences visitors might otherwise miss.
Passenger numbers on Mexico's four tourist train routes have doubled within the past five years, with 76,000 people climbing aboard in 2016. Tourist traffic reached 47,000 over the first half of 2017 according to data from the General Directorate of Rail and Multimodal Transport of the SCT.
The upward trend is promising and has officials eyeing additional routes.
"These railways are consolidating and have the potential to be tourist gems," Excel Tours President Agustin Gonzalez told El Financiero.
The managing director of Ferromex-a company operating two of Mexico's tourist trains-Alberto Vergara echoed those sentiments.
"The railway, as well as tourism, is a pillar of national economic development. The combination of both in tourist trains is a successful formula that sets off economic growth and positions a region as a must-see place," said Vergara via the newspaper.
travelers to Mexico can already traverse the beloved Copper Canyon by train and ride the Tequila Express en route to sampling the popular adult beverage.
Mexico's Tourism Secretary Enrique de la Madrid Cordero told El Financiero that a tourist train between San Luis Potosi and Real de Catorce could be developed, as well as trains in Hidalgo and the Yucatan Peninsula. The latter would connect Merida to Cancun.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Mexico Will Keep Its Tourism Momentum Going Strong[/READMORE]
Earlier this summer, Mexico's Secretariat of Tourism (Sectur) opened up a public discussion aimed at developing an effective tourism policy targeting 2040. The country's tourist train industry figures to play a key role.
Mexico hosted a record 35 million international visitors last year and became the eighth-most visited destination in the world, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
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