The Secretary of Tourism of the Government of Mexico, Miguel Torruco Marqués, highlighted that Mexico is a highly competitive country for Meeting Tourism, and also offers a series of incentives that position it as a destination with ample opportunities for the establishment of profitable and successful businesses. .
By participating in the XXVI Ibero-American Conference of Tourism Ministers and Entrepreneurs (CIMET), in Madrid, Spain, which was especially dedicated to Tourism for Meetings, Congresses, Events, Fairs and Incentive Travel (MICE), The head of the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur) exposed the multiple benefits that make Mexico a benchmark worldwide.
He indicated that Mexico has 54 venues throughout its territory, which offer suitable facilities to celebrate events from 100 to more than 20 thousand people, in addition to being equipped with the highest technology and having first-rate suppliers.
During the CIMET that takes place in the preamble to the International Tourism Fair (FITUR), Torruco Marqués highlighted that in terms of land connectivity, our country has 780,511 kilometers of road infrastructure, and an airport network of 78 airports, operating a thousand 503 origin-destination routes, of which 485 allow connectivity with 44 nations of the world.
“During the period of the current government, the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) was built in record time, which together with the international airports of Mexico City and Toluca, make up the Metropolitan Airport System, with a capacity to serve little more than 65 million passengers”, he commented.
Before the Ibero-American tourism ministers and businessmen, Torruco Marqués pointed out that the Chetumal Airport, in Quintana Roo, has also been expanded and remodeled; the Barrancas del Cobre airports in Creel, Chihuahua are being modernized; from Tepic, Nayarit; from Tamuin, San Luis Potosi; from Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca; and the Tulum air terminal is built in Quintana Roo; airports that will have a great impact on regional tourism.
He specified that in terms of railway infrastructure, and with the purpose of creating new products and tourist routes that extend the stay and increase the spending of tourists, one of the most emblematic projects of the current administration is being worked on: the Mayan Train.
“This great work, which has the largest investment in tourism in the last 60 years, will be an example of regional integration of the tourist product along its 1,525 kilometers of railway, with 20 stations, 14 bus stops and a potential of 190 tourist attractions. high impact," he said.
With the purpose of promoting the MICE segment, the Secretary of Tourism stressed that the agency under his charge works hand in hand with the Mexican Council of the Meetings Industry (COMIR), which brings together 16 professional associations in this segment, to update all published information related to convention centers and events that can be registered with the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).
"The Ministry of Tourism issues letters supporting the application of various tourist destinations in Mexico to attract international congresses, conventions, fairs and exhibitions," he said.
He affirmed that, on the other hand, the dialogue and intermediation with different councils and professional associations that seek to hold meetings in Mexico is maintained permanently; and we work with the Meetings and Events Institute to train and provide updated information to our country's consuls and ambassadors around the world, to promote and market Mexico as a destination for meetings.
He pointed out that the impact of Meeting and Business Tourism not only occurs in economic and short-term aspects, filling rooms and restaurants, but also helps to improve the quality of life of local communities in the long term, importing knowledge and detonating investments. "As President Andrés Manuel López Obrador instructed, let's make tourism a tool for social reconciliation. No more tourist paradises coexisting with hells of marginalization," he said.
The head of Sectur emphasized that in Mexico, the tourism industry is in clear recovery as indicated by the data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) that rank it as the second most visited country in the world after France, the ninth in terms of foreign exchange, and 29 in per capita spending.
By the end of 2022, an income of 27 thousand 429 million dollars is expected from international visitors, which will represent 11.6% more than in 2019; and Foreign Direct Investment in Tourism (FDI) towards Mexico amounted to 3,147 million dollars, from January to September 2022, exceeding the FDI registered in all of 2019, which was 1,95 million dollars.
He affirmed that these figures show that Mexico is a destination with multiple advantages for investment, which generates trust and legal certainty.
“Tourism activity requires public and private investment to strengthen it. The creation of infrastructure, products and services is a shared responsibility. Only in this way will we be able to face the challenges that the new times impose on us”, reiterated Torruco Marqués, and made a call to support and promote large investments, as well as small and medium-sized companies, which are the support of our economies and the livelihood of a lot of families.
At CIMET, the head of Sectur coincided with the general director of the Los Cabos Tourism Trust (FITURCA), Rodrigo Esponda, who presented to the ministers and leaders of Ibero-American tourism the benefits that the South Californian destination offers for the MICE segment, among others such as nature and adventure.
During this event, he also spoke with his counterparts from Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Puerto Rico and Uruguay.
With the Ministers of Tourism of the countries that make up, along with Mexico, the Mundo Maya Organization: El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, they talked, among other topics, about their upcoming attendance at the Tianguis Turístico México 2023, where they will participate as a region with multi-destination product.
Accompanied by the Mexican ambassador to Spain, Quirino Ordaz Coppel, the Secretary of Tourism held a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism of the Government of Spain, María Reyes Maroto with the purpose of strengthening cooperation ties that promote the flow of tourists between both sister nations.
Torruco Marqués also met with the president of the Association of Hotels and Motels of San Luis Potosí, Rafael Armendáriz Blázquez, with whom he promotes joint actions that detonate international tourism in the entity.
During the work tour, Torruco Marqués had a meeting with the Mexican Senate delegation that attends FITUR and with the Mexican ambassador to Spain, Quirino Ordaz Coppel; he also held a meeting with José de Jesús Rodríguez Cárdenas, president of CANACO Mexico City; Francisco Cervantes Díaz, president of the Business Coordinating Council (CCE) and businessmen from the tourism sector of our country.
Within the framework of the 43rd edition of FITUR 2023, the Secretary of Tourism is also accompanied by the Undersecretary of Tourism, Humberto Hernández Haddad; the general director of Promotion and International Affairs of Sectur, Emmanuel Rey; the person in charge of Economic Affairs and Tourism of the Embassy of Mexico in Spain, Óscar Pérez Barros; as well as state and municipal authorities and tourism businessmen that make up the Mexican entourage at this important tourism fair.