Looking out on the bay from Playa La Ropa, Zihuatanejo

Looking out on the bay from Playa La Ropa. Photo by Page Cameron.

Travel to Mexico is up, despite government and media warnings.

According to the U.S Department of State, “Travel Warnings are issued to describe long-term, protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable.” Direct from their website, here are a few countries that top the list of most recent travel warning updates: Sudan, North Korea, Afghanistan, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.

Now let’s think about this… Any of these places sound like Mexico? The reality of the situation is that there are tens of thousands of foreigners vacationing and working in Mexico everyday without incident. And with more than one million foreigners living here you are bound to hear about a few foreign victims of crime in Mexico from time to time.

Here are a few statistics showing that more and more, people are ignoring the media hype and that tourism is actually on the rise:

According to statistics released by the Mexican Secretary of Tourism (SECTUR), the overall number of foreign visitors coming to Mexico in the first four months of 2010 increased 5.7 %, versus the same period a year ago. Tourists came in larger numbers from Australia (up 17.3%), Spain (up 16.4%), Canada (up 9.2%), and the United States (up 5.9%). An increase from Latin America was also noted.

According to the Mexican Embassy in Canada, already in the first half of 2010, there was an 18.2% growth in travel to the region compared to 2009 and 32% higher than 2008. Mexico predicts that the number of Canadian tourists will significantly increase throughout 2010.

Among the countries with the most tourists traveling to Mexico, Canada remains in second place with 1,222,739 visitors in 2009 – second only to the united States who sent 5,387, 287 visitors in 2009, according to the u.S. embassy. Why not join the ever growing number of people who come to Mexico for all its beauty, culture, history, and enjoy the slower pace for awhile.

 

The Mexico Tourism Board Joins Global Sustainable Tourism Council

The Mexico Tourism Board announced it has joined The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), an international partnership dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism practices around the world. Founded in partnership
by the World Tourism Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, UN Foundation, Rainforest Alliance, Sabre/ Travelocity and others, the GSTC is open to any member of the travel and tourism industries.

“The Mexico Tourism Board has joined the GSTC with a desire to create a common understanding of what sustainable tourism is so that travelers can break through the clutter and make informed decisions,” said. Alfonso Sumano, Regional Director for the Americas, Mexico Tourism Board. “With more than 18 million acres of ecological preserves and one of the most diverse natural offerings of any country on the planet, sustainable tourism has long been a priority for Mexico. As part of this global partnership, we’re increasing our dedication to helping make sure businesses thrive and travelers can continue to have special experiences, for generations to come.”

“We are pleased that Mexico Tourism Board is joining in our efforts. The tourism industry is growing and we have a responsibility to that growth is done in a responsible way,” said Erika Harms, Executive Director of the GSTC. “We look forward to working with the Mexico Tourism Board to help implement and explain sustainable tourism so that it becomes as ubiquitous as travel itself.”

All in all, very good news for tourism in Mexico.