Tag Archives: mexico

Mexico projects 52 million tourists in 2012

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Mexico projects 52 million tourists in 2012

By Gay Nagle Myers
More than 52 million tourists will visit Mexico this year, forecasted the Mexican Ministry of Tourism.

Predictions followed a solid holiday season and strong winter occupancy thus far, particularly in the resort areas.

The number of air arrivals in December was was up 13% over December 2010.

A total of 1.07 million international travelers visited Mexico last month, with U.S. visitors up 10.6% over the same month a year ago.

Year-end figures for 2011 are not yet tallied.

“We envisage that 2012 will be a record-breaking year for Mexico in terms of tourism numbers,” said Rodolfo Lopez-Negrete, COO of the Mexico Tourism Board.

“The board will continue to market directly to non-traditional markets in Europe and Asia as well as the U.S. and Canada,” he said.

A key focus this year will be an awareness campaign targeting travel to the five states that comprise the ancient world of the Maya: Quintana Roo, Campeche, Tabasco, Chiapas and Yucatan.

Hurricane Jova bears down on Mexico’s Pacific coast

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Hurricane Jova bears down on Mexico’s Pacific coast

Oct 11, 2011 08:00AM GMT

A major hurricane is threatening resorts along Mexico’s Pacific coast, bringing winds of more than 130mph.

Hurricane Jova has strengthened to Category 3 and could reach Category 4 on Tuesday before hitting land, the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami warned.

The forecast track would carry its centre near the beach resort of Barra de Navidad, south of Puerto Vallarta.

The Mexican government declared a hurricane warning for a 100-mile stretch of coast from just south of Puerto Vallarta to a point south of Manzanillo, one of Mexico’s main cargo ports. A tropical storm warning is in effect further south, to the port of Lazaro Cardenas.

Authorities have closed the port of Manzanillo, the country’s second largest non-oil cargo port, to all navigation as a safety measure.

Hotels in the hurricane’s path are already taking precautions. Almost all the guests at the 199-room Grand Bay Hotel on Isla Navidad, just off the coast, are checking out.

The mountainous terrain inland usually weakens hurricanes like Jova fairly quickly once they hit land, but “maybe coastal flooding will be an issue”, said National Hurricane Centre forecaster Felix Garcia.

“The rainfall will be absolutely torrential,” he added.