Page 15 - virna2017april-june
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diversity is one of its richest, untapped resources for tourist growth.
“The challenge is to diversify what Mexico offers,” says Dr.
Francisco Madrid Flores, dean of tourism and gastronomy at
Anáhuac University in Mexico City. In addition to offering a full cur-
riculum of degree programs in tourism and hospitality management,
the university maintains close ties with Mexico’s tourism industry
and conducts its own research on emerging trends such as cultural
tourism.
“Fifteen years ago, only 3 percent of the people who visited
Mexico said that their visit was because of the culture,” Madrid says.
“In 2015, this proportion has increased to more than 10 percent. It’s
a very important movement.”
Magical Towns
In 2014, SECTUR breathed new life into its
Pueblos Mágicos
(Magical Towns) program, originally launched in 2001. The idea is
to funnel federal, state, and municipal resources to revitalize towns
and villages around the country that offer visitors encounters with
authentic Mexico: cobblestone streets, colonial churches, handicraft
markets, seasonal festivals, and local tastes such as saffron tamales
and nopal tortillas. Today, there are 111 Magical Towns, selected for
their natural beauty, cultural riches, or historical relevance.
While the university’s research reveals that 90 percent of international
tourists seek out at least one cultural experience—including sampling
local food—only a handful of Magical Towns have the infrastructure to
meet global standards. Most—like the majestic Mayan ruins of Tulum
on the Riviera Maya, or sleepy Todos Santos about an hour north
of Los Cabos, where The Eagles found inspiration for their hit “Hotel
California”—are close to world-class tourist destinations.
“We have a good opportunity there,” Madrid notes. “We
understand we have a rich natural and cultural heritage, but we
haven’t had the capacity to transform this role into tourist prod-
ucts. We don’t have the right offer in the market. We have to show
the uniqueness of these towns through storytelling about what is
magical.”
In 2015, SECTUR allocated US$33.7 million to incentivize Magical
Towns to set long-term goals with regard to international tourism, and
the organization is planning specific campaigns and strategies to
promote diversified destinations and experiences.
Shoring Up the Foundation
With the number of air arrivals increasing every year, adding airlift and
improving insufficient or fraying airport infrastructure have taken high
priority in Mexico’s tourism plan.
According to Madrid, 90 percent of international tourists coming
into Mexico arrive at only five airports: in Cancún, Guadalajara, Los
Cabos, Mexico City, and Puerto Vallarta. Two out of three of these
visitors arrive in Cancún and Los Cabos. The government earmarked
US$242.3 million in funds for airport infrastructure improvements
between 2014 and 2018. Cancún International Airport, the
second-busiest in the country, will undergo a US$67.3 million
expansion, which launched with the addition of a fourth terminal,
begun in 2015. The first phase of the new US$11.4 billion interna-
tional airport in Mexico City, a hub for flights to destinations within
the country, will bring annual capacity to 50 million passengers by
2020, and ultimately to 120 million.
Connectivity and industry partnerships have been expanded so
that new, direct routes to Mexico were launched in late 2016 and
will continue through 2017. Los Cabos has added nonstop flights
from U.S. cities including Baltimore, Houston, New York, Seattle, and
Washington, D.C.
The Future
“We have charted a new strategic vision for Mexico that includes
closer collaboration between the industry, private sector, [and] stra-
tegic partners, and one that will allow us to deliver both tourism
product and experience innovations, as well as a modern and per-
sonalized approach to our marketing and promotional campaigns,”
Lourdes Berho, CEO of SECTUR, explained in a press release after
the pivotal summit.
The next chapter in this successful story should be well-worth
the wait.
Joyce Hadley Copeland, based in Tucson, Arizona, contributes regularly to travel
and hospitality publications and websites.
26
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