Mexico starred at tourism fair

Monday, 10 March 2014

THE NEWS

Mexico’s time in the global tourism spotlight came to an end on Sunday with the closing of the International Tourism Fair (ITB) in Berlin.

Upon the closing of the event, organizers said that $9 billion worth of business deals were made at the fair, a record for the tourism promotion event.

The ITB’s success was largely a product of the large number of exhibitors. Some 10,000 tourism industry companies from 189 countries gave their proposals to more than 114,000 industry professionals and 60,000 members of the general public during the five-day event — a higher turnout than expected.

“The exhibitors and visitors at the ITB in Berlin this year take home with them the spirit of euphoria that was felt during these last five days,” said ITB Director Christian Göke, adding that this year’s fair was centered around issues such as sustainable growth and making reservations via wireless devices.

In recent years, German citizens have had more vacation money due to a stable job market, a rise in collective agreements to regulate salary levels and positive economic growth forecasts. This is one of the reasons that this year’s fair was so important for Mexico, which is trying to diversify its tourist market from its heavy independence on U.S. visitors.

U.S. tourists made up 55 percent of all international visitors to Mexico in 2012, a number which has been steadily rising in recent years. German tourists represented 1.6 percent, a number that Mexican officials and industry professionals are trying to increase.

Mexico’s Ambassador to Germany, Patricia Espinosa Castellanos, said that the fair was an overall success, adding that there is mutual interest from both countries to continue strengthening their relations.

She mentioned that President Enrique Peña Nieto has already held several meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and that there are conversations being held in preparation for Peña Nieto’s first official visit to Germany.