Sectur and Miami find areas of opportunity to boost tourism

The Secretary of Tourism of the Government of Mexico, Miguel Torruco Marqués, and the Consul General of Mexico in the city of Miami, Jonathan Chait Auerbach, held a meeting in which they agreed on joint collaboration actions to promote tourism between both destinations.

Before leaders of Florida's chambers of commerce and tourism, the head of the Secretary of Tourism (Sectur) highlighted the importance of this visit given the close relationship that exists between Mexico and the United States in different sectors, including tourism.

During the meeting, which was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), through Alfonso Zegbe Camarena, executive director of Strategy and Public Diplomacy, Torruco Marqués pointed out the importance of American tourism in our country.

He reported that in 2021, 10 million 240 thousand tourists arrived in our country by air from the United States, of which one million 138 thousand passengers traveled from Florida.

He added that in 2021, 714 thousand 606 passengers from Miami arrived in our country, the main destinations being Mexico City with 46.4% of the total, Cancun with 40.8% and Cozumel with 4.7%.

He pointed out that from January to April of this year, 441 thousand 645 passengers have arrived from Florida, of which 263 thousand 218 came from Miami.

Torruco Marqués highlighted the success of the tourism policy implemented by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, of not closing the borders, applying biosanitary protocols and the National Vaccination Strategy, which allowed Mexico to have a drop of only 46% in tourism, when the great powers did so up to 84%.

In addition, he highlighted the boost to connectivity thanks to the opening of the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), the construction of airports such as Tulum, Quintana Roo and Creel, Chihuahua, as well as the remodeling of other airports such as Chetumal, Quintana. Roo and Tepic, Nayarit.

The head of Sectur indicated that work is being done on the diversification of tourism with new products, such as the Mayan Train, which will promote the regionalization of tourism in the southeast of the country, as well as the Integral Project of the Marías Islands; that from being a prison island, it will now be a tourist attraction.

For his part, the consul general of Mexico in Miami, Jonathan Chait Auerbach, highlighted the accompaniment of the representatives of the commercial chambers of Florida and the tourism authorities, and thanked the opportunity offered by the Government of Mexico, through the Sectur and SRE, to reach agreements that translate into benefits for both destinations.

He acknowledged that during the meeting there was an open dialogue to generate opportunities, highlighting the extensive air and port connectivity with Mexico, which have great growth potential.

The head of Sectur listened to the proposals and questions of each of the attendees, who contribute to the construction of collaborative ties to promote the arrival of tourists to various destinations in Mexico, from the main connection destinations in Florida, such as Miami. .

The representatives of the delegation agreed on the great area of ​​opportunity represented by the new tourism products that are being developed, such as the Mayan Train, the Zaragoza Canal in Chetumal and the potential that the Isthmus region will have.

Entrepreneurs have found the possibility of expanding air routes to more destinations in the country, increasing the arrival of cruise ships, in addition, they learned about other tourist products that are of interest to today's tourists, such as gastronomic routes, rural tourism, among others.

In this sense, the consul for Commercial, Economic Affairs and Promotion of the Consulate General of Mexico in Miami, Alexia Núñez, said that Florida is a strategic market for promoting tourism segments such as LGBT, health and wellness, to mention a few. .

Also present at the meeting were the Undersecretary of Tourism, Humberto Hernández Haddad; the Director of Strategy of the SRE, Daniel Alcaraz Ceballos; the president of the World Travel Expo Miami, Javier Palencia; the president of M&M International Consultants, Manuel Mencia; the Port Everglades Business Development Manager, Robert Barceló; the executive director of the Inter-American Chapter of the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Estela Cachoua; among other representatives of the private initiative of Miami and Florida.