Routes that taste like the future. Guadalajara, San Antonio & Tijuana, the culinary corridor that can rewrite binational tourism

The integration of local gastronomy into binational tourism circuits is not a fad; it is a regional development policy with measurable returns. Mexico closed 2024 among the six most visited destinations in the world with 45 million international tourists, and 2025 has maintained upward momentum: in June, 8 million visitors arrived, 11.5% more than a year earlier. In 2024, the average occupancy rate across 70 tourist centers was 60.2% (January–July), the number of international tourists increased 5.3%, and foreign exchange income from visitors grew 7%. This demand base allows for the launch of “gastronomic circuits” that link mirror cities on both sides of the border and scale local revenue with technology and governance.

Guadalajara provides cultural and logistical density. The metropolis surpassed 16 million tourists in 2024, with an annual hotel occupancy of 63% and stable rates, consolidating a balance between weekend stays (49%) and weekday stays (51%). This flow can be structured into a “Flavor Passport” connecting markets, tapatío kitchens, birria restaurants, tequila distilleries, and creative hubs, with interoperable QR codes for reservations, product traceability, and real-time metrics for public planning.

San Antonio is the Texan anchor of the corridor. A UNESCO City of Gastronomy, its hospitality sector reached a record economic impact of $21.5 billion in 2023, with 35.6 million visitors and 147,000 jobs; restaurants account for nearly half of that effect (≈$11 billion). Academia plays a role: UTSA launched its Hospitality & Events Management program in 2024 to align talent with demand in the culinary and events chain. Integrating these capacities into a trinodal circuit (SA–GDL–TIJ) would allow co-certification of suppliers, shared sanitary standards, and harmonized consumption data.

Tijuana is the laboratory of culinary fusion and daily border crossings. The birthplace of the Caesar salad and “Baja Med” cuisine combines gastro-parks with haute cuisine and captures both day-trippers and air travelers: in 2023, its airport received nearly 13.2 million passengers (many via CBX), with hotel occupancy at 61.5% and an average daily spend of $180; 95% of foreign visitors come from the U.S., mostly from California. To scale up, TIJ can offer binational “weekender” packages combining cane, sea, and valley (Tijuana–Rosarito–Valle de Guadalupe), with coordinated express lanes and culinary–cultural packages.

What the 2024 data tells us about the circuits’ potential. 

• First, there is a base of volume and purchasing power: 25.8 million international tourists to Mexico in January–July 2024 (+5.3% year-on-year) and $20.3 billion in foreign exchange (+7%).

• Second, anchor destinations show resilience: Guadalajara with 63% occupancy; San Antonio with restaurants accounting for ~50% of sectoral impact; Tijuana regaining momentum with a mix of day and overnight visitors.

• Third, the behavior of gastronomic travelers is increasingly digital: a study by El Colef analyzed 11,786 reviews of 201 restaurants along the Tijuana–Rosarito–Ensenada corridor, showing how online opinions shape culinary image and demand.

At the trend level, the World Food Travel Association highlighted AI adoption and sustainability in 2024 as central to “food tourism,” relevant for designing smart routes and measuring impact.

How to operationalize the circuits in 2025.

Policy: create binational working groups (municipalities–states–counties) to harmonize event permits, extended hours, and temporary use of public spaces; San Antonio offers the UNESCO 2022–2025 platform with “food trails” instruments that could be adapted to the corridor. Economy: mixed seed funds for culinary SMEs that adopt shared standards (food safety, traceability, women-owned suppliers) and multinodal packages with dynamic pricing. Technology: interoperable payment gateways, frictionless wallets, and review analytics for live curation of routes; here, El Colef’s evidence justifies ethical review mining. Academia: cross-border student mobility and internships between UTSA–UdeG–CETyS to professionalize guides, sommeliers, and event managers.

Risks and priorities. 2025 will require addressing three dilemmas:

1. 1Perception of security and border crossing times: Tijuana is already testing express passes for certain visitors; institutionalizing cultural lanes on weekends and coordinating information campaigns would reduce friction;

2. Touristification and prices: circuits must include rent and local employment metrics to ensure benefits don’t displace residents;

3. Data and trust: AI recommending restaurants must be auditable (not overshadow traditional kitchens) and handle reviews with privacy safeguards.

With governance, useful technology, and a shared narrative, the SA–GDL–TIJ routes can turn culinary heritage into a development policy with measurable impact on employment, tax revenue, and territorial reputation.

Escrito por: Editorial

#TurismoGastronómico #Guadalajara #SanAntonio #Tijuana #EconomíaBinacional