Coordination between government and businessmen, key in the recovery of Mexican tourism

The Undersecretary of Tourism, Humberto Hernández Haddad, highlighted that the coordination and union shown between the government and private initiative has been essential for the recovery of tourism activity in Mexico, after the pause experienced by the Covid-19 pandemic.

When inaugurating the Cancún Travel Mart 2022, in Cancún, Quintana Roo, and accompanied by the state governor, Mara Lezama Espinosa, Hernández Haddad, on behalf of the Secretary of Tourism of the Government of Mexico, Miguel Torruco Marqués, specified that thanks to the work, effort and dedication, a path has been traced so that tourism does not stop its ascending path.

He pointed out that hoteliers, restaurateurs, tour operators, travel agencies, workers, among others, along with the policies implemented by the Government of Mexico of not closing borders, timely applying biosanitary protocols and not resorting to contracting external debt with which it was possible to carry out the vaccination strategy, they were fundamental for the reactivation.

Hernández Haddad stressed that governments of European Union countries resorted to fiscal and credit measures to face the crisis derived from the pandemic with billions of euros.

“Today the European world not only faces the uncertainty of the war between Ukraine and Russia, but also an inflation that grows with high interest rates that will make its recovery more difficult,” he commented.

He pointed out that during the pandemic, the world had a contraction of 73%, the great tourist powers fell up to 84%, but Mexico only fell 46%.

“There are testimonies from hotel businessmen who recognize and value the policies implemented by the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, which allowed them to better overcome what they experienced in 2020 and much of 2021,” Hernández Haddad said.

In that sense, he pointed out that the Cancun Travel Mart is an already well-established meeting, both nationally and internationally. “Having the participation of representatives of sister countries, entities of our country, all with a broad tourism vocation, shows the dimension that this event has for tourism in Mexico, today in clear recovery,” he added.

He stated that this is reaffirmed by the results obtained in the period January-August 2022, where income from international visitors was recorded for 18 thousand 698 million dollars, 58% more than in 2021 and 9% above 2019.

Likewise, in the first eight months of the year, 24 million 770 thousand tourists arrived in the country, 23% more than in 2021; Of these 14.2 million were tourists entering by air, 63.8% more than in 2021 and 4.4% above 2019; The average expenditure per capita of international tourists was 713.3 dollars, 29% higher than 2021 and 35.6% more than in 2019.

“This allows us to affirm that at the end of 2022, we will reach a share of Tourism GDP of 8.4%, just one percentage point less than that registered in 2019; an arrival of international tourists of 42 million 301 thousand international tourists, only 6% below 2019 and a foreign exchange income of 26 thousand 121 million dollars, exceeding by 6.3% what was registered in 2019, “said Hernández Haddad.

The Undersecretary of Tourism emphasized that the Cancun Travel Mart Mexico Summit 2022 comes at the best time because it reaffirms the confidence that tourism is recovering and advancing by innovating with new technologies and creating a new tourism offer within a framework of sustainable development.

“With this great event, we will witness that Quintana Roo and its beautiful destinations, the pride of Mexicans, will continue to be a focus of attraction for tourists and investors from all over the world,” he asserted.

He specified that as well as for the more than 235 places of tourist vocation, including the 132 Magical Towns whose fourth edition of the Tianguis concluded successfully just last Friday in the state of Oaxaca.

“The Cancun Travel Mart contributes to making tourism a sector that drives development, generates well-being and every day consolidates itself as a tool for social reconciliation,” concluded Hernández Haddad.

On her occasion, the governor of the state of Quintana Roo, Mara Lezama Espinosa, pointed out the importance of the benefits of tourism being reflected in the quality of life of the people of Quintana Roo, and turning it into an economic development tool that leads to close the gaps of marginalization and poverty.

He reiterated the importance of coordinated work between private initiative, civil society and the government to apply the principles of competitiveness, social responsibility and better shared well-being for all.

During the inauguration, Bernardo Cueto Riestra, Secretary of Tourism of Quintana Roo; Ana Patricia Peralta de la Peña, municipal president of Benito Juárez; Lili Campos Miranda, municipal president of Solidaridad; Blanca Merari Tziu Muñoz, municipal president of Puerto Morelos; Atenea Gómez Ricalde, municipal president of Isla Mujeres; Juan José Fernández Carrillo, president of the Mexican Association of Hotels; Gonzalo del Peón, Vice President of the National Association of Hotel Chains; Jesús Almaguer Salazar, president of the Cancun, Puerto Morelos and Isla Mujeres Hotel Association; among others.

Source: Sectur