To anyone who was wondering whether President Enrique Peña Nieto would be as staunch an advocate of Mexico's tourism industry as his predecessor had been didn't have to wait long for an answer. Presenting his national tourism policy in February, he said he intended to turn Mexico into a world-class destination, and his new Secretary of Tourism, Claudia Ruiz Massieu, said tourism will be the "engine to drive development for all Mexicans."
Though the presentation was laced through with government-speak and obviously aimed less at tourists than at economic policy-makers concerned with an industry that generates nearly 9 percent of Mexico's gross domestic product, tourists could already see some of the results by the time Mexico's annual Tianguis Turistico, Latin America's biggest tourism trade event, took place in March. Mexico Mix previously covered some of the announcements affecting visitors to some of the country's most popular destinations in March.
In some ways, Peña Nieto is simply furthering what the previous administration set in motion, including a focus on less visited destinations (basically, any destination that doesn't revolve around a beach). Ruiz Massieu said the plan is to highlight these repositories of culture, adventure, sustainable tourism and gastronomy with specific promotions rather than rely on one big umbrella for all of Mexico. Here are some of the changes coming to a few of these destinations.
Queretaro: High-speed rail link
Mexico's tourism ministry and the state of Queretaro have signed a cooperation agreement to develop a high-speed passenger train service between Mexico City and Queretaro, fulfilling one of Peña Nieto's campaign promises. Still at the technical and environmental study stage, the train will travel at 120 to 140 miles per hour, covering the 160 miles between the two cities in less than two hours. Mexico's old train network, which crisscrossed the country and was by far the cheapest way to travel, was shut down in the 1990s, leaving the country without passenger trains except for "El Chepe" in the Copper Canyon and the short-run Tequila Express in Jalisco state.
Queretaro is a handsome colonial city, surrounded by mountains, whose downtown is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the state is home to a burgeoning wine and cheese region that has been largely overlooked by foreign visitors.
Also under consideration are rail passenger rail service between the states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo on the Yucatan Peninsula and between Mexico City and Toluca. Urban rail projects in Monterrey, Guadalajara and Chalco (Mexico state) are also receiving government support.
Mahahual-Chetumal Bridge
The Caribbean coast south of Riviera Maya and the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, christened the Costa Maya by the cruise industry, has grown steadily in the past 10 years as the cruise terminal in Mahahual has become increasingly popular and is only expected to become more so in the future. Cruise passengers—and independent travelers who like the small, minimally developed town as it is—must make a long jog inland and then south to reach shopping and services in Chetumal, the state capital.
The state government is planning to build a 20-mile bridge across Chetumal Bay, 13½ miles of which would be over water, to link the two destinations. The benefit would be even greater to residents and travelers in tiny Xcalak, Mexico's southernmost Caribbean outpost about 45 minutes from Mahahual.
Veracruz: Adventure travel
The under-the-radar state of Veracruz on the southern Gulf of Mexico coast, endowed with mountains, jungle, a major bird migratory route, rivers and offshore coral reefs, is carving out an adventure tourism niche for itself. Little developed outside of its few cities, the state's abundance of open space has given rise to diving and snorkeling, dune-boarding, whitewater rafting, ocean and whitewater kayaking, mountain biking and climbing, horseback riding, rappelling and zip lines.