Tianguis Turistico to Spotlight Acapulco

The annual Tianguis Turistico Mexico takes place this March 23-26. Mexico’s signature trade show comes back full circle to Acapulco, where the event first took place forty years ago. Both Tianguis and Acapulco have gone through some changes in the intervening years.

For Acapulco, the 40th anniversary hoopla offers the chance to buff up a reputation tarnished by drug-related violence.

Officials note that the latest U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory deems Acapulco’s tourist zones safe for travelers. They’re also hoping that improvements to infrastructure and connectivity will boost the city’s image internationally.

Some heavy hitters are participating in the effort to bring Acapulco back to its former glory.

No less than the world’s richest man, Mexican entrepreneur Carlos Slim, is heading the new Advisory Council for the Recovery of the Traditional Zone. That’s the neighborhood where the renowned La Quebrada cliff divers are located. Other landmarks there include the Hotel Flamingos and Hotel Boca Chica.

What’s more, the town’s main tourist zone has benefitted from $20 million in renovations. Highlights include a new tunnel connecting the Navy Base-Playa Icacos to the Diamond Zone.

Several of Acapulco’s beaches areas are being renovated, as is the area around the Port of Acapulco. And a new air terminal for flights from the U.S. and Canada is expected to receive one million passengers annually.

A revived, renewed and enhanced Acapulco makes a particularly fitting setting for this year’s Tianguis. The action-packed annual expo puts Mexico’s entire tourism industry on display. Hotels and hotel groups, ground operators, DMCs and local tourism boards vie for the attention of tour operators, wholesalers, agents and other buyers.  

This year, more than 25,000 one-on-one meetings are already on the books.

The event venue is impressive as well. Acapulco Diamante’s EXPO Mundo Imperial Compex features entertainment options, a convention center, spa and the new Mundo Imperial Hotel. The property opened in September 2014 with 400 suites; another 400 suites will open later in the year.

Topics in focus at this year’s Tianguis include culture, luxury, adventure, colonial towns, ecotourism and spas. But some participants tell Travel Agent that it’s more about on-the-spot inspiration.

Source: Travel Agent Central