Mexico takes a pulse to the crisis

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/empresas/sectores/Mexico/echa/pulso/crisis/elpepueconeg/20110123elpnegemp_8/Tes

FEATURE: Companies & sectors Mexico takes a pulse to the crisis The tourism industry struggles to attract visitors from more diversified and profitable A. M. 23/01/2011
Mexico plays two oceans. Archaeology has, the Caribbean, a diet considered a World Heritage Site and a neighbor-USA, which is the world's largest consumer. But not enough. The tourism industry and the government have to work to diversify its revenue on several fronts: reducing dependence on U.S. market (70% of its visitors are from the U.S. and Canada), on the one hand, and secondly, promote lesser-known areas of the country, make it clear that the offer of this land is much more than the well-known Cancun.
Just passed the blow to business which saw the epimedium of influenza A in 2009 and the global economic crisis, industry employers try to regain the level of tariffs before the crisis, because the volume of visitors back to 2008 levels, but not the income they generate. At a breakfast symposium organized by the country, entrepreneurs discussed with Mexican Secretary of Tourism, Gloria Guevara Manzo, the advantages and the challenges ahead and addressed the debate of the country's security.
Simón Pedro Barceló, Barceló Hotels Group president, with 13 stores in the country, stressed the importance of the benefits versus the volume of visitors: "The number of visitors is not the proper indicator of success or failure of a tourist destination because they fill a hotel is very easy, how difficult is to charge for it, so you have to make an effort to improve the social returns and the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita generates, "said the executive.
Falling prices in the industry is a global concern in the industry. The latest report from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) revealed that while the global number of tourists has improved, the economic benefits generated in general has not regained pre-crisis levels. It is also something that shares Carmen Riu, Riu Hotels (string reach 18 hotels in the country this year), who noted at the roundtable that the reduction of prices-a joy for consumers, a problem for the employer- "is a problem that creeps from the flu."
Miguel Lopez Aguilar, Iberia's commercial director, warned that the pull of higher quality tourism is the engine of profitability for airlines, which they can sell more business-class fares, and therefore make more viable flight points Mexico.
Despite the challenges and the global crisis, executives agreed that 2011 will be presented better. Alfonso Rivero, Assistant to the President of Globalia, said that in Spain there is demand for Mexico at all levels "and advanced his" optimistic "about this year.
Sharing this optimism, Gabriel Escarrer, vice president and CEO of Sol Melia, was concerned about security: "The worst that could happen to us after the flu is to begin to talk about narco-terrorism. In the same vein, Fernando Conte, president of Orizonia and former president and Iberia said that "tourism is scary" and many stocks are affected by different psychosis.
Guevara admitted challenge, but stressed that the repetition rate, the tourists return, is 97%-to Emiliano Hernandez, Cathay Tours, "one of the highest returns of satisfaction" - and that tourists are not the target of violence that exists in some areas of the country. "It's a fight between groups. There are only 80 of the 2,500 municipalities in Mexico where this happens." The Secretary of Tourism asked for advice on communication effort must be made in addressing this issue.
The CEO of PRISA, group editor of El Pais, Juan Luis Cebrian, advised the maximum "transparency" in communicating the country's situation, not trying to downplay the violence and encourage the holding of events in areas where there is this perception of violence to combat that image. In the same vein, the director of El País, Javier Moreno, warned that changing perceptions about a country is a task that takes time, but stressed that transparency and credibility that this provides is the way to go.
Another task that Mexico has taken is to combine environmental sustainability with the promotion of tourism infrastructure. Tourism Secretary reiterated the commitment of his Government on this matter.
OHL president, Juan Miguel Villar Mir, said that respect for the environment and tourism development "are quite possible" and cited a resort developed by his group Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, built 500 meters from the sea, rather than the coastline. "Before working with engineers and architects on a site must be put to biologists, geologists and environmentalists and start building the conditions for the environment," said the businessman.
Within the strategy of diversification, Jordi Llorens, regional director of Viajes El Corte Ingles, encouraged the Government and businesses to encourage business travel, congresses and conventions, as a new source of income.
For his part, José Mínguez, muchoviaje.com general manager, recalled that the Internet and is the primary source of information on tourism "before, during and after the trip safely, so they stressed the need for Mexico to enhance its promotion through social networks. -