Acapulco--Mexico's
Tourism Tianguis 2007, the country's largest tourism trade fair, continued
yesterday in Acapulco, Mexico with news of expanding the countries
represented and of developments throughout Mexico. During an international
press briefing, Rodolfo Elizondo, Mexico's secretary of tourism, and Francisco
Lopez Mena, CEO of the Mexico Tourism Board, noted that this year Tianguis
welcomed participation from Belize
and Guatemala.
Next year there are plans to open the invitation to other Central American
countries so they can link their offerings to Mexico's tourism products. This
predicted expansion of Tianguis has opened discussions to consider moving the
event to a city other than Acapulco, most likely
Mexico City,
since the capital is the transportation hub for international flights. In a
separate press conference, Miguel Gomez Mont,
director general of FONATUR, outlined fresh objectives for encouraging
development. Look for major developments in Nayarit in two phases, with Litibu
receiving a FONATUR investment of $71.5 million and the second phase, El
Capomo, receiving an investment of $59 million. Of interest is FONATUR's
commitment to revive the beach destination of Huatulco. Mont noted that Huatulco could combine
Ritz-Carlton type properties on one side of its bay, while establishing
all-inclusive and three- and four-star properties on the other side. Given the
attention luxury developments have been receiving throughout the world, it was
interesting to hear Mont
remark that FONATUR will devote some of its energies to projects for lower
spending families, rather than just elite tourism. "These low income sites
can be even more profitable than elite developments," said Mont. When asked if any
developers had been scared off by last year's civil unrest in Oaxaca,
Mont replied, "Only one investor pulled
out of Huatulco because of Oaxaca.
This investor has since returned with an interest in reestablishing his
investment."