More tourists travel to Mexico, despite hurricanes

MEXICO CITY — Nearly 22 million foreign tourists visited Mexico last year, 6.5 percent more than in 2004, according to Tourism Department data.

The visitors spent a total of $11.8 billion in Mexico, the department said in a news release Saturday.

The rise in tourists came despite three ferocious hurricanes that hit last year.

Hurricanes Emily, Stan and Wilma struck the country between July and October, killing 75 people and causing $2.15 billion worth of damage.

Wilma smashed directly into Cancun, the nation's glitzy Caribbean resort, on Oct. 22, damaging hotels and clearing sand from some beaches.

Nearly 40 percent of the country's tourism income comes the Caribbean coast, according to Tourism Department estimates.