Middle Eastern airline Emirates announced plans to launch a new service between Dubai to Mexico City with a stopover in Barcelona, Spain, starting this fall.

According to eleconomista.com, Mexican Secretary of Tourism Enrique de la Madrid hopes the new route will open the door for more investments in his country and an increase in the number of tourists arriving from the Middle East and India.

Both Mexico and the United Arab Emirates have approved the route, but the airline is currently in negotiations to obtain a spot at Mexico City International Airport.

The new flight service is part of a commitment between the countries to expand their commercial relationship from cargo to passenger flights and help boost the tourism industries in each nation. Officials believe the new route will help bring travelers from UAE and India to Mexico, infusing more money into local economies.

Tourists from the Middle East and India will have the chance to enjoy destination weddings in Cancun, as well as the many other unique offerings in Mexico. On the other hand, the high purchasing power of the tourists arriving will help boost investments into hotels, resorts, tours, airports and more.

While officials from Mexico’s flag carrier airline Aeromexico have complained about the new route creating unfair competition, the government is looking to bring higher-spending tourists to the country. If Aeromexico wants to remain profitable, officials said the airline should expand routes or frequency to another market.

De la Madrid wants to diversify the visitors coming to Mexico and stop relying so heavily on tourists from the United States. With the Dubai airport offering connections from more than 240 cities in the world, Mexico would become more accessible to travelers from around the world.

In 2017, Mexico hosted 64,921 tourists from India and 75 percent landed at airports in Mexico City and Cancun.

———

(TravelPulse is a leading travel authority on the web, providing consumer travel news and insider tips and advice for an ever-changing travel world. Read more stories at travelpulse.com