Minister of Tourism Highlights Mexico City’s Lures

 

Mexico City’s Palacio de Bellas Artes
Mexico City's Palacio de Bellas Artes is a UNESCO Artistic Heritage Site.

 

Mexico City is giving the United States plenty to talk about. Travel Agent recently attended a breakfast hosted by Mexico City’s Ministry of Tourism, as it wrapped up a five-city summer roadshow tour.

The roadshow was designed to showcase the tourism offerings from the capital. “The United States and Canada are two top markets for Mexico City so it is important for us to bring the destination to these cities, keep it top of mind and highlight our wide range of attractions that appeal to a variety of niche markets,” says Minister of Tourism Miguel Torruco. “We are currently packaging these unique offerings into 10 attractive programs that include shopping, medical tourism, culinary routes, adventure circuits and more, so visitors can have comprehensive experiences of this world-class metropolis while enjoying their specific interests.”

For example, gastronomy has been a growing tourism niche in Mexico for the last few years, which has resulted in the opening of dozens of restaurants across the city. In fact, Mexican cuisine was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

With respect to entertainment, Mexico City has made considerable effort to restore public spaces that promote recreational and outdoor activities in places like Coyoacan, San Angel and the Centro Historico. Palacio de Bellas Artes was declared an Artistic Heritage Site by UNESCO and has more than 1,500 seats in its theater. It is home to the National Symphony Orchestra, the National Theatre Company, the National Opera Company and the National Dance Company. History buffs looking for Aztec culture can visit five pre-Hispanic temples right in the heart of the city.

Over 12 million domestic and international travelers visit Mexico City each year. At the moment there are approximately 50,000 hotel rooms available and attractions that include four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 175 museums, more than 100 art galleries, 1,500 restaurants and more. In fact, Forbes named Mexico City the fourth best city for gastronomy behind Paris, Rome and Tokyo.

Most recently, Mexico City launched its “Live it to Believe it” campaign throughout the U.S., with the goal to reveal the city’s leisure side.