AMLO insistance on Saint Lucia airport discourages investment

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The world travel council notes that the new terminal puts the country at a competitive disadvantage; the cancellation of the NAIM delays the arrival of more foreign capital to the sector

The construction of the Santa Lucía International Airport (AISL) continues without convincing international organizations due to the low viability it has, which puts Mexico at a competitive disadvantage, in addition to discouraging tourism investment, said Gloria Guevara, director of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

In the framework of the IV AFFET 2019 Congress, Guevara said that although it is positive that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador seeks to eradicate corruption, it is necessary that the country has a world-class airport.

“There is a need for a world-class, large and good-sized airport. The airport experts with whom I have interacted, including the World Airport Association, do not believe that Saint Lucia is feasible, ”she said.

Gloria Guevara, director of the World Travel and Tourism Council. 

She mentioned that the negative impact is not going to be observed in the short term, but in the medium term, around five or seven years, since an air terminal with the characteristics of Saint Lucia, would put in “great competitive disadvantage”.

She said there are other destinations such as Singapore that have high-tech airports. “Why can’t we aspire to have an airport, even if it is similar to Singapore.”

BY CANCELLATION OF NAIM UNCERTAINTY PERSISTS. 

Guevara said that the cancellation of the New Mexico International Airport (NAIM) and the liquidation of the Tourism Promotion Council of Mexico (CPTM) still weigh on the attraction of tourism investments in the country.

In an interview, the director of the WTTC mentioned that, although some investments that were already contemplated were not canceled, they were delayed, so today there is still concern about whether the industry will be able to grow at the desired levels.

“There is a little concern, because if you want to grow in volume, how are we going to do it? There is a bit of concern about the airport issue, about the promotion issue, although progress is being made and it is important that we continue moving forward, ”She said.

She explained that so far the WTTC has met twice with Mexican authorities, specifically with the Governor of Yucatan, Mauricio Vila, and with authorities of the Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SCT).

“There is a pending tour (to determine the topic of investments). I had a couple of meetings with the governor of Yucatan, Mauricio Vila … there are several pending investments of hotels and cruises and some technology companies, ”he said.

TORRUCO WAS FITTED WITH DATA.

The head of the Ministry of Tourism, Miguel Torruco said that the fall in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the sector in the first quarter of 2019 of 0.8 percent, was due to the fact that Holy Week fell in the second quarter of the year and not in the first as in 2018. However, the Inegi did record this factor in its estimate.

According to the Inegi, tourism GDP fell 0.76 percent in the first quarter of 2019 against the same period of 2018. “Tourism GDP, among other factors, to Easter holidays,” he said.

Source: World Travel and Tourism Council, La Razon

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