Tourism Montreal and the Mexico Tourism Board have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at boosting visits to both cities and improving relations between two great world cities.

The memo was signed while several representatives from Montréal's business sector were on a trade mission to Mexico City.

In 2017, the number of tourists coming to Montréal from Mexico increased by 50 per cent over 2016, reaching 82,000 in all. Tourisme Montréal expects a 15 per cent gain in 2018, for a total of 95,000 Mexican tourists coming to the city.

Under this agreement, the two tourism bureaus have agreed to collaborate on initiatives to increase tourism in both cities while promoting dialogue between their respective tourism industries. The organizations will also share information—such as performance indicators, statistics, tourist welcome strategies and technology solutions—to improve their respective work methods.

Canadians know the beaches and coastal resorts of Mexico, but not as many are familiar with the tremendous cultural offerings and tremendous food they can find in greater Mexico City, which has more than 20 million residents.

Joint tourism promotion deals are a growing trend among cities. Toronto has signed similar deals with New York City, while New York has reached deals with Cape Town, London and Madrid.