Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Penultimate Tianguis?


Exhibitors have begun arriving in Acapulco to prepare for the annual Tianguis Turistico trade show. For the first time, the event will be held on a weekend. It is expected to be much more subdued than the shows of the past. Some question whether there even is any need for such an extravaganza. The first Tianguis (the word is an Aztec term for marketplace) was held in 1976 back when Acapulco was the only international resort destination in Mexico. Currently, Acapulco serves primarily the domestic market. Today, in an era of electronic communication, some argue that such trade shows are relics of the past. The administration seems certain to keep things as they are through next year, but by 2013 a new president and probably a new tourism minister will be in office and things could change.


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Jimm Budd

Reporting from Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

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