Baja California’s Secretary of Tourism Miguel Ángel Badiola announced that state officials will travel to Canada in approximately one month to finalize the agreement that will make a flight route connecting Tijuana and Vancouver official.
According to Badiola, the initiative has been in development since early this year, built upon strong demand from Canadian tourists and coordinated efforts by the tourism team.
“We have a strong influx of Canadian tourism, and this project is the result of work that began around December or January, kicking off at a tourism fair in Spain,” Badiola stated. “This is exceptional news for Tijuana.”
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While citing Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s remark that “Mexico is trendy” and noting an overall rise in international tourism, Badiola acknowledged a slight local decrease in Baja California’s flight arrivals.
He attributed the dip primarily to sudden flight cancellations when airlines fail to meet minimum passenger thresholds, alongside fluctuating jet fuel prices and global safety-related aircraft engine shortages.
“We have observed a minor decline in flights overall because airlines typically cancel routes if occupancy falls below 60%. However, this is driven by deeper factors: the price of jet fuel on one hand, and massive global safety issues affecting aircraft engines on the other,” he explained.
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The secretary also emphasized that tourism in Baja California remains strong, driven by exponential growth in land-based visitors, which is why the state has partnered with the National Migration Institute (INM) and local business leaders to streamline border crossings.
“Particularly on weekends, we are seeing significant numbers of Asian tourists and European pedestrian visitors. We have implemented targeted operations aligned with U.S. holidays specifically designed to expedite pedestrian processing,” Badiola stated.
