Gypsy Jan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4275
Registered: 1-27-2004
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Mood: Depends on which way the wind is blowing
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Tourism Up, Mexico Aims for Non-U.S. Visitors
From the New York Times: http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/03/tourism-up-mex...
March 3, 2012, 10:00 am
Tourism Up, Mexico Aims for Non-U.S. Visitors
By KENAN CHRISTIANSEN
Cris Bouroncle/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
"Last year 22.67 million travelers visited Mexico, breaking the record set in 2008. The United States was the source of the largest number of
visitors, but the increase was also driven by travelers from other countries.
“In the past we were depending mainly, and only, on the U.S. That was about seven years ago,” said Mexico’s tourism secretary, Gloria Guevara. “Now,
we want to continue to build up tourism from the U.S. but also look toward bringing other nationalities in.”
Along with developing infrastructure and increasing flight routes to and within Mexico, the administration of President Felipe Calderón has enacted
measures to make Mexico more appealing to international tourists. One of them is helping travelers get there quickly. Getting a visa from Russia used
to take up to 45 days. Now it takes five minutes. Wait times for other countries have been shortened too.
Crime continues to be a concern for many visitors. But a State Department travel warning released on Feb. 8, before the robbery of 22 tourists on
their way to Puerto Vallarta on Feb. 23, said that many city and resort areas in Mexico are safe, with the exception of the border region. “This is a
rare and isolated incident,” Rodolfo Lopez-Negrete, chief operating officer of the Mexico Tourism Board, said. “In all of 2011, 22.7 million
international tourists visited Mexico, in addition to the many million who arrived by cruise line. The vast majority of these visitors enjoyed their
stay in Mexico without any incident.”
This is good news for the country, which is set to capitalize on global interest about the new Mayan calendar, with more than 600 events themed around
the unveiling on Dec. 21, 2012."
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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Udo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6346
Registered: 4-26-2008
Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
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Mood: TEQUILA!
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I would think that other non-US state departments would be even more critical of the violence in (Mexico).
But what do I know...I only travel to Baja.
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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Woooosh
Banned
Posts: 5240
Registered: 1-28-2007
Location: Rosarito Beach
Member Is Offline
Mood: Luminescent Waves at Rosarito Beach
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Gypsy Jan
From the New York Times: http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/03/tourism-up-mex...
March 3, 2012, 10:00 am
Tourism Up, Mexico Aims for Non-U.S. Visitors
By KENAN CHRISTIANSEN
Cris Bouroncle/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
"Last year 22.67 million travelers visited Mexico, breaking the record set in 2008. The United States was the source of the largest number of
visitors, but the increase was also driven by travelers from other countries.
“In the past we were depending mainly, and only, on the U.S. That was about seven years ago,” said Mexico’s tourism secretary, Gloria Guevara. “Now,
we want to continue to build up tourism from the U.S. but also look toward bringing other nationalities in.”
Along with developing infrastructure and increasing flight routes to and within Mexico, the administration of President Felipe Calderón has enacted
measures to make Mexico more appealing to international tourists. One of them is helping travelers get there quickly. Getting a visa from Russia used
to take up to 45 days. Now it takes five minutes. Wait times for other countries have been shortened too.
Crime continues to be a concern for many visitors. But a State Department travel warning released on Feb. 8, before the robbery of 22 tourists on
their way to Puerto Vallarta on Feb. 23, said that many city and resort areas in Mexico are safe, with the exception of the border region. “This is a
rare and isolated incident,” Rodolfo Lopez-Negrete, chief operating officer of the Mexico Tourism Board, said. “In all of 2011, 22.7 million
international tourists visited Mexico, in addition to the many million who arrived by cruise line. The vast majority of these visitors enjoyed their
stay in Mexico without any incident.”
This is good news for the country, which is set to capitalize on global interest about the new Mayan calendar, with more than 600 events themed around
the unveiling on Dec. 21, 2012." |
I think it is interesting to use the Dec. 21, 2012 Mayan projection of the "end of times" to promote tourism. Why not? Also smart to look outside
the USA for additional tourists. Not many people going to Africa for Safaris these days for example- so Mexico is a comparatively safe and economical
place for tourists.
Although I believe the Mayans were onto something, they may have been off by three months according to this article. Other articles are already
refuting this claim however.
http://rt.com/news/paint-asteroid-earth-nasa-767/
"Blast it or paint it: Asteroid to threaten Earth in 2013"
[Edited on 3-5-2012 by Woooosh]
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
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