Mexico plans to invest 180 billion pesos ($13.8 billion USD) in tourism infrastructure, President Enrique Peña Nieto announced during the Tianguis Turístico Cancún 2014. This would be done through Nieto’s tenure until 2018 through the National Infrastructure Program.
“Mexico has everything necessary to become a tourism power at the global level,” the president told industry leaders gathered at the 39th Tourism Fair in the Caribbean resort city of Cancun. The plan is to use the money to improve infrastructure to boost the competitiveness of Mexico as an attractive tourist destination through upgrades to airports, roads, and cruise ship terminals (more info at: What to Expect in Mexico in 2014).
The government plans to follow a precise three-pronged strategy and extend it over 25+ major tourist destinations. Of the first objective is to add renovations to Mexico’s beach destinations, colonial towns, and extend the Pueblos Magicos (Magic Towns) program. Next, new offerings are to be developed at Meso-American heritage and archaeological sites as well areas of sustainability at some of Mexico’s most visited sites like Chichen Itza, Palenque, Calakmul, and Teotihuacan. Finally, the third element in the strategy is to modernize and refurbish several of Mexico’s ports and airports including Mexico City, Cancun, Guadalajara, Los Cabos, Monterrey, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan.
Tourism is recognized as a crucial economic activity and engine for development in Mexico; it is one of the nation’s biggest source of revenue and directly employs some 2.5 million people. Javier Guillermo Molina, Chief of International Affairs and Cooperation of the Mexican Ministry of Tourism quoted, “Because of the importance of the sector, the President recently announced the National Tourism Policy, recognizing tourism as one of the economic activities with the greatest potential for growth and the capacity to generate employment and foster development”
This year, Mexico has welcomed 3.7 million foreign tourists in the first quarter, a figure that is up 10.1 percent from the same period in 2013, the Tourism Secretariat said.
Sources:
Mexico plans to invest nearly $14 bn in tourism industry, president says / EME
Mexico welcomes 3.7 mn foreign visitors in 1st qtr. / EME
UNWTO calls for increased support for tourism in the development agenda / UNWTO
Mexico wants to focus on tourism / Blouin News
