In this context, Travel2latam spoke with Aída Pérez , Operations Director of Fidetur Acapulco.
How is Acapulco today in terms of tourism?
Acapulco is ready, we are getting better every day. We are very happy to say that less than a year after the hurricane, which was a category five hurricane with a very large impact, we have 50% of the rooms in Acapulco again and every month the hotels report more openings.
We are at the IBTM event. What capabilities does Acapulco have for the MICE segment?
The main one, as it is the largest convention center in Acapulco, is Mundo Imperial, and thanks to the support of the three levels of government, industry, and private initiative, it was possible to hold the Tianguis Turístico this year in its home, which is Acapulco. We were ready for MexTenis, which was in February, and the Tianguis Turístico, which was in April. And it is very important to note that there are already several hotels that are not only opening or reopening, but are completely renovating.
Are hotels taking advantage of the situation?
Of course, people from Guerrero in general and from Acapulco are very resilient, so maybe we fall sometimes, but we get up and we see with flying colors that it has been a great opportunity to be able to renew ourselves. The hotels have changed category, they are opening new rooms, and we are ready to receive you.
What is the situation regarding air connectivity?
Since day one after the hurricane, we have been working to get Acapulco back on its feet. One of the most important parts is connectivity. We have already recovered several flights, the main one being Mexico City, because Mexico City is our main market in Acapulco, and it is also an international airport that connects any place in the world. We also have the direct flight from Guadalajara, and we have recovered the one from Tijuana. In the summer we had the one from Monterrey and we are working to bring back more international flights. We have the flight from Houston and those from Canada, Montreal and Toronto are already coming.
When do you think air capacity will be at 100%?
As an Acapulco native, I can tell you that the day after the hurricane, when I left and saw everything that had happened, I thought that it was going to be very difficult for Acapulco to come back to a stop. I think it was the shock, it was impressive to see how the city was. However, with a lot of love and affection for Acapulco we have felt very supported and thanks to all that support, the recovery has been incredibly fast. I would never have imagined that months after the first year we would be where we are now. So I can't tell you that we will be 100% in a month, in two months or next year, but what I can tell you is that it will be achieved very quickly.
From a cultural point of view, what would you highlight about Acapulco?
The aftermath of the catastrophe has been an opportunity for the hotels, but also all of Acapulco is already in talks to renovate the entire cultural part; the Fort of San Diego, the Naval Museum and the Museum of Masks, and they have just opened a museum in the hotel, which was previously Calinda and is now called Amares. This has been upgraded and in the lobby area they have a museum of Acapulco, with very moving collections and pieces.
Gastronomy is also very important, we love to eat, especially in Guerrero. We use gastronomy as an excuse, so we have specific days to eat. Thursdays in Guerrero are for pozole, in fact, we just had the first institutional Guerrero Pozole Day, which will be celebrated from now on on the fourth Thursday of July. Sunday for Acapulcoans is for relleno con chilate, bolillo con relleno, which is also delicious. And specifically one of my favorite dishes from Acapulco is pescado a la talla. And this year we have the Festival del Pescado a la Talla, it is the eleventh year and it will be on October 25. It is like a statement to say that Acapulco is standing.
Why should you visit Acapulco?
It used to be said that you had to go and see Acapulco because it was the first tourist destination in Mexico. Now I think that it is also a great example of how a society can come together after a catastrophe and rebuild a destination. The best way to support us is to go and visit and see first-hand that Acapulco is indeed ready.