Sustainable tourism favors competitive development of Mexico's destinations

The Ministry of Tourism (Sectur) of the Government of the Republic gave entrepreneurs and service providers of the sector the Distinctive "S"; A recognition of their commitment and responsibility to implement good practices of sustainable tourism, as well as care for the environment and the preservation of the tourist environment.

In the framework of the "Tianguis Turístico Mazatlan 2018", and with the representation of the Secretary of Tourism, Enrique de la Madrid Cordero, the Undersecretary of Quality and Regulation of the SECTUR, Salvador Sánchez Estrada, said: "what we want for the sector are service providers more efficient and more aware of their responsibility as promoters of the quality image of Mexico ".

Accompanied by the owner of Semarnat, Rafael Pacchiano Alamán, Undersecretary Sánchez Estrada said that standardization in the provision of tourism services favors the competitive development of destinations, strengthens the economic chains related to the sector, and seeks that the experience of the tourist has the elements of certainty, security and quality.

The Sectur official said that in order to deliver the awards, jointly with the Mexican Accreditation Entity (EMA), the good practices of sustainable tourism implemented by service providers that fully complied with the legal and regulatory framework to which they are subject, which include the Official Mexican Standards (NOM), and which promote the quality and professionalization of the services they provide, increasing the competitiveness of the destinations.

In this way, 188 tourism awards were awarded, two Quality and Professionalization Awards, as well as a Recognition of the Gastronomic Tourism Route of the Mixteca Oaxaqueña.

In his message, Sánchez Estrada mentioned that these awards take into account the participation of service providers in the national tourism movement "Viajemos por México"; the National Gastronomy Promotion Policy, and the Tourism Sustainability Policy, in which the Government of the Republic has worked in an integral manner for the benefit of all Mexicans.

For this second delivery of recognitions, 754 tourism service providers were registered, demonstrating the commitment of the entrepreneurs and the participants of the gastronomic sector to the federal government's policy of making tourism a sustainable activity and of protecting the environment.

In this framework, the Distinctive "S" was delivered to 63 entrepreneurs who are part of the Sustainable Tourism Program, which seeks that companies and tourist destinations implement best practices and guarantee a high level experience for visitors.

Also, for their effort and commitment to these public policies, recognition was given to all the winners, who additionally received the "Made in Mexico" brand.

Sánchez Estrada stressed that entrepreneurs who require it will be provided with a free technology platform for business management, from which they can use applications to enhance the marketing of their services, improve their productivity, competitiveness and profitability.

It is worth remembering that the Distinctive "S" was created with the objective of promoting sustainability in the tourism projects that are developed in our country and aligning the global criteria of sustainable tourism.

The World Tourism Organization (WTO) mentions that sustainable tourism responds both to the needs of tourists and tourist destinations, thus forming a kind of mutual protection and improvement of future opportunities.

The award ceremony was also attended by: Martha Cecilia Robles, secretary of Sustainable Development and personal representative of the governor of Sinaloa, Quirino Ordaz Coppel; Omar Fayad Meneses, governor of the state of Hidalgo, who received three tourist awards for his entity.

Also present were: José Manuel López Campos, President of the Council of National Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism (CONCANACO SERVYTUR); deputy Gretel Culin Jaime, president of the Tourism Committee of the Chamber of Deputies; Rafael García González, president of the Hotel and Motel Association, and María Isabel López Martínez, executive director of the Mexican Entity