During his participation in the “How to consolidate a tourist destination?” XIV National Tourism Forum, the governor of Yucatan, Rolando Zapata Bello, talked about the strategies to increase the number of visitors to the state, along with the innovations implemented to diversify the tourism offer.
Accompanied by Minister of Tourism, Enrique de la Madrid Cordero; Mexico City mayor, Miguel Angel Mancera, and governors Roberto Borge Angulo, from Quintana Roo, and Rafael Moreno Valle, from Puebla, domestic tourism business opportunities were analyzed.
Zapata Bello explained that 7.6 out of 10 tourists that visit Yucatan’s capital, come from Mexico City, Guadalajara or Monterrey, thanks to the strong air connectivity between these cities and the international airport of Merida. He also said his administration is working to strengthen regional connectivity, to achieve that ‘more Mexicans visit Yucatan.”
In the roundtable moderated by Silvia Hernandez, Federal Ministry of Tourism between 1994 and 1997, the governor presented some of Yucatan’s highlights for domestic tourism, as is the new International Convention Centre that is currently under construction near the emblematic Paseo de Montejo, which responds to an increase of 25 percent in organizing such events.
Similarly, he said that weddings are a priority for the national and international tourism. As well as sporting and cultural “anchor” events, such as the Rock ‘n’ Roll Halfmarathon; the International Festival of Mayan Culture (Ficmaya), and finally, the new Palace of Music, which is under construction right in the heart of the historic center of Merida.
During this event that brings together key players in the public and private sectors, hoteliers, tour operators, service providers and media, Zapata Bello emphasized the intention of having a more stable number of visitors over the year, without relying only on the holiday period high season.
Meanwhile, Tourism Secretary Enrique De la Madrid Cordero agreed that the challenge for this sector in Mexico is to abate seasonality and help nationals traveling inside the country with affordable regional connections and accommodations.
In the same regard, he stressed the importance of this activity for the country, which equals about 10 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), and stated that tourism has the potential to generate more revenue, create more jobs and boost the economy.
Also, Silvia Hernández emphasized that Yucatán is an example that is breaking paradigms, offering cultural value for tourists throughout the country, focusing in the luxury market with an attractive offer all year round.
Finally, governor Rolando Zapata declared that last year, the state reached more than a million and a half visitors; that in the last three years the number of hotel rooms increased by 14 percent, and the availability of airline seats per week increased by more than 25 percent.
In order for this industry to have a higher impact in Yucatan, work must be done to successfully meet the challenges of the state in the national market. Expand the air and land connectivity, positioning the destination within the national context and promoting the “Mundo Maya” as part of the cultural tourism offer.
Source: http://sipse.com/milenio/
