The airport in Santa Lucia and Mayan train, Not attractive for tourism entrepreneurs

Members of the World Travel and Tourism Council are waiting to invest in Mexico, due to the uncertainty that exists in the country.

The airport ‘Felipe Ángeles’ in Santa Lucia and the Mayan Train are among the most important infrastructure projects for the current Mexican government, however, there is no interest in them from the members of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) to invest.

“The projects of Santa Lucia and the Mayan Train, according to the information I have, there is no interest. They are interested in investing in Mexico, but in other projects (tourism), not in those two, “said Gloria Guevara, president of the WTTC, in a conference call in the framework of the Forum of Leaders of North America 2019 in New York.

The WTTC is an international organization that brings together presidents and executive directors of leading travel and tourism companies around the world.

Guevara indicated that there are other projects in which there is interest to invest, of which more detail could be given in July.

The Mayan Train is an infrastructure project that promotes the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador to interconnect the main cities and tourist areas of the Yucatan Peninsula, to avoid the concentration of tourism at a single point.

Meanwhile, the Santa Lucia project, which would replace the New Mexico International Airport (NAIM) in Texcoco, was suspended by a federal judge at the beginning of June 2019.

Uncertainty in tourism investments

On the other hand, Guevara said that Mexico is still a relevant country for tourism, however, some members of the WTTC are waiting to invest, due to the uncertainty that exists in the country.

“In Mexico, some members of the WTTC have expressed that they will wait to understand a bit what is the priority that will be given to the sector. They are not all, some members are investing in certain tourist destinations, continue to build rooms or remodeling, as in the case of Quintana Roo, Los Cabos and other destinations, “he said.

Similarly, he noted that the disappearance of the Tourism Promotion Council of Mexico (CPTM) has generated concern.

“It is worrying that there is no promotion, but the impact is still not seen, because the trips are sold with time, especially international … There is concern about the elimination of the Promotion Council, but it is understood that a new strategy is being defined to compensate for that disappearance with an initiative together with the private sector and we are waiting for this model, “he added.

The CPTM, which was in charge of coordinating, designing and operating strategies in the sector for the country, was eliminated in the current administration, to allocate resources to projects such as the Mayan Train.

Regarding the tariffs with which the US president, Donald Trump, has threatened, Guevara indicated that they do not approve of such tariffs, since trade should not be used as a negotiation tool, it has to be through diplomacy.

Source: forbes

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