Mexico’s convention-leisure business thrives despite new passport rules
Mexico’s international tourism markets was up the first quarter, lowering fears that new passport requirements for travelers returning from that county to the US would hurt tourism south of the border.
The country’s international tourism revenues during January, February and March reached US$3.758 billion, a 14.6% increase compared with results posted for the same period in 2006, according to Mexico’s Tourism Secretariat (Sectur).
“These numbers demonstrate that requiring a passport has not deterred Americans from traveling to Mexico,” said Rodolfo Elizondo, Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism.
The Mexico Tourism Board, armed with a bigger budget and a new Washington office opening this summer, is promoting more meeting and business travel.
“While the DC office will tend to all product segments, its emphasis will be meetings and conventions, reflecting Mexico’s new found commitment to growing its meetings and business travel market share,” said Tourism Board CEO Francisco Lopez Mena.
Cancun had a record year for groups last year. One common selling theme is that 75% of the five-star hotels in Mexico are in Cancun.
The 3.6 million international tourism arrivals during the period represented an increase of 8.3% compared with first quarter 2006 results.
According to the latest statistics, the number of international visitors to Mexico via cruise ships increased 78,000 from first quarter 2006 to first quarter 2007, showing that the country has more than recovered from the damage suffered by Cozumel—Mexico’s and the Western Caribbean’s largest cruise port—by Hurricane Wilma in late 2005.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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