Puebla is betting on its gastronomy and heritage to attract more international visitors

What are Puebla's goals and expectations for performing in Colombia?

We are very pleased to be here because we want to reposition Puebla as one of the best tourist destinations in Mexico. We have extensive tourism infrastructure and a great advantage in terms of connectivity.

We are located just two hours from Mexico City International Airport, the largest in the country, with frequent departures that make reaching the state easy. Furthermore, Puebla has its own international airport, which will add new routes starting in June: nine domestic and three international, with connections to cities such as Los Angeles, Houston, and New Jersey.

How would you describe the current state of tourism in Puebla?

Puebla offers virtually every type of tourist experience. It is renowned for its gastronomy; in fact, it can be considered one of Mexico's culinary epicenters. Iconic dishes like chile en nogada and mole poblano originated here.

We also have a huge variety of regional specialties, such as mole de caderas, cemitas, molotes and a wide tradition of typical sweets, in addition to drinks such as mezcal and pulque.

In addition to this, there is a wealth of cultural and heritage assets. The historic center of the city of Puebla is protected by UNESCO, and we have a significant hotel infrastructure, with more than 30,000 rooms throughout the state and more than 13,000 in the metropolitan area.

What other tourism products stand out within the state?

We offer romance tourism, with haciendas and ideal spaces for weddings and celebrations, as well as ecotourism and adventure tourism options.

Among the most outstanding attractions is the Alfonso Serrano Large Millimeter Telescope, located on the top of one of our mountains, as well as natural parks and protected areas.

We also have the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve, considered the largest cactus forest reserve in the world, with more than 490,000 hectares.

What is the average length of stay they are looking for for visitors?

Puebla is a destination that invites you to stay at least two or three nights, because there are so many activities to do.

For example, the municipality of Chignahuapan is known as a major producer of Christmas ornaments. There, you can visit glass workshops and even try making your own ornament. Additionally, during the Day of the Dead celebrations, the Festival of Light and Life takes place, a spectacular show on the lake featuring video mapping and fireworks.

Another very interesting destination is Atlixco, known as "the city of eternal spring," with a pleasant climate year-round. There, events such as the Catrinas Festival take place, where monumental figures over eight meters tall are displayed.

Mexico will host the 2026 World Cup. How are they preparing for that event?

We are very excited. Football is a great passion in Mexico and we know it will be a huge opportunity for tourism.

From Puebla, we are creating different tourist routes for visitors arriving in the country during the FIFA World Cup 2026. Among them, the route to the archaeological zone of Cantona stands out, considered one of the largest in the country.

This site was the site of the ancient Mesoamerican ball game, and we are organizing experiences so that visitors can learn about and experience this tradition.

We are also developing routes to destinations such as Cholula, Atlixco and Chignahuapan, in addition to experiences in the biosphere and other regions of the state.

What other promotional activities do you have planned for this year?

We will continue to participate in major international trade fairs. After this event, we will travel to Berlin for the tourism fair, and we are also considering participating in fairs in China, London, and Paris.

Our governor is strongly committed to tourism, with significant investments in infrastructure and road improvements to facilitate travel between municipalities. Therefore, we believe this will be a very important year for tourism growth in Puebla.