Mazatlan optimistic as it makes stateside push

By Gay Nagle Myers
Travel Weekly


A delegation of public- and private-sector representatives from the government of Sinaloa and the Mazatlan Hotel Association is touring the U.S. this week, with stops in several key cities to meet with major airlines and industry partners to discuss air access and marketing strategies.


In speaking with the delegation, one thing was very clear: Mazatlan is primed for a successful winter season and expects to end the year with a 12% overall visitor increase.


Carlos Berdegue, vice president of the Mazatlan Hotel Association and president and CEO of El Cid Resorts, said that U.S. visitors were up 3% year to date and Canadians up 4%.


“There’s been a big increase in the domestic market, our group and convention business is very strong thanks to our new convention center, our business travel is growing and we have several new events planned,” Berdegue said.


Although Mazatlan hit a rough spot in February 2011 when several cruise lines pulled out of the market, citing security concerns, two lines have returned for the upcoming cruise season.


“We are positioning Mazatlan to become one of the most important cruise ports on Mexico’s Pacific coast,” said Oralia Rice, secretary of tourism for Sinaloa.

Rice said that the cruise lines receive weekly updates from Mazatlan regarding security measures that are in place for tourists.

“No incidents have taken place, and we have invested $5 million in upgrading the tourist promenade from the port to the city center, making Mazatlan an even more attractive city for both cruise and land-based visitors,” she said.

In addition to a new gastronomic festival taking place in October and a cultural event early next year, Mazatlan’s first 18-hole golf course is under development, and a new boutique hotel recently opened in the historic city center, according to Ernesto Coppel, president of Pueblo Bonito Resorts.


The new Mazatlan-Durango highway, which will be officially opened by President Felipe Calderon later this year, will decrease drive time for visitors coming from Texas, a large market for Mazatlan.