The fact that Merida was chosen as the 2020 site for the national tourist fair is evidence that Yucatan is a priority for the federal government.
That’s the conclusion of a recent Travel Weekly article that points out the flurry of questions the follow the disbanding of international Mexico Tourism Board offices.
The tourism board’s budget, in fact, is being funneled to the Mayan Train project, which connects Yucatan’s many cities and sites.
Despite the elimination of the tourism board, the country’s Ministry of Tourism, Sectur, is forging ahead and planning the next Tianguis Turistico, Mexico’s largest tourism event.
The president of the Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism of Mexico, Jose Manuel Lopez Campos, stressed the importance of Merida serving as Tianguis host, since it will help spotlight sites to be seen along the rail route.
In addition to Merida, Yucatan is home to some of Mexico’s most impressive sites. While the state does not boast the international visitor numbers of its neighbor, Quintana Roo, it does acquire a lot of spillover and is blossoming in its own right, Travel Weekly writes.
Merida is the amalgamation of three major cultures: Mayan, Spanish and Lebanese. The combination of the three makes it one of the most unique places in Mexico. It is a colonial city, surrounded by Mayan ruins, fringed with beaches, and packed with unique architecture and culinary offerings.
“Top sites in the Yucatan include the pyramids at Chichen Itza, the Mayan archaeological city of Uxmal, the beaches of Progreso and Celestun — where visitors can enjoy powdery white beaches and flocks of brilliantly pink flamingos — the colonial history, architecture and food of Merida, the surrounding underground rivers that were holy sites for ancient Mayans, and Valladolid, which is another colonial city that was said to be the eastern capital of the Mayan empire,” Travel Weekly readers were told.
Federal authorities are seeking to leverage the supply-chain linkages between agriculture, food and tourism in the Yucatan. That will bolster tourism, combining ritual practices, age-old skills, culinary techniques, and ancestral community customs into developing and highlighting what the Yucatan has to offer.
The Tianguis Turistico draws thousands of suppliers, hoteliers, tour operators, travel advisors, government officials and media from all over the world. This year’s event, the 44th, will be held next month in Acapulco.
