Tourism Secretary closed First National Forum on Tourism and Mass Media

Today’s society is well informed and mass media play an increasingly higher role than ever before with a decisive contribution of their own to the understanding that news reporting is a national priority, said Mexican Tourism Secretary Leticia Navarro in the closing ceremony of the First National Forum on Tourism and Mass Media held on Isla Mujeres.

Speaking before journalists from radio, television, newspapers and magazines dealing with the leisure industry, Mrs. Navarro pointed out this window of information was no doubt an excellent opportunity for officials, lawmakers and entrepreneurs to exchange views, experiences, outcomes and perspectives with representatives of news outlets at the meeting. The forum –she said- served to exchange opinions and share standpoints.

Mrs. Navarro underscored that “the global society of the early 21st century is also the society of travel, tourism and meetings. Communication and tourism are the signs of our time. Tourism and mass media build bridges of knowledge and information.”

In her remarks, the Mexican high-ranking official indicated tourism has garnered outstanding relevance, not only as a means of entertainment and meetings, but also as a contributor to economic growth, larger businesses and sounder finances. Mrs. Navarro referred to tourism’s transfer from a private initiative to the public sector, a move that in her opinion has dug out the wealth and value of the latter. “I must say that in this effort, I’ve found great support in you, the journalists.”

Tourism –she added- stands for today’s premiere economic activity in Mexico given its ability to generate development, revenues, investments and jobs. Mrs. Navarro went on to say that when people talk about tourism investment, they usually think of foreign capital and that is wrong, since roughly 75 percent of the country’s tourist infrastructure is in the hands of local financiers.

In this respect, she highlighted the enormous interest shown by news organizations in Mexico’s technological breakthroughs and in the contribution made by the sector to the nation’s economic and social development, thus underlining the high level of professionalism the industry employees do their work with.

The forum –held at El Garrafon Ecological Park for four days- gathered over a hundred journalists from national news organizations and mass media in Quintana Roo who took courses on tourism and statistics, sustainable tourism, shared-time and all-inclusive modes, tourist flows, from travel agencies to the Internet, and tourism legislation.

In the same breath, 54 exhibitors –all linked to the tourist industry from both the private and public sectors- attended the meeting alongside tourism secretaries Antonio Enrique Savignac, Jesus Silva Herzog and Pedro Juaquin Coldwell.

These are the outcomes chalked up by Mexico’s tourist industry last year (2002):

a.. 8.4 percent of the nation’s GNP

b.. 1.7 million jobs

c.. 19.7 million tourists

d.. $8.6 billion worth of revenues

e.. 5.4 percent growth compared to 2001

f.. favorable tourist balance of $2.8 billion for Mexico

g.. 3.7 percent more than in 2001.

h.. 47.3 million local tourists stayed in hotels

i.. 1.3 percent more than the year before

j.. extraordinary growth in the flow of cruise passengers: 35 percent