Cozumel sets port record

The number of cruise ships arriving at Cozumel — Mexico’s largest Caribbean island — increased 8 percent last year while the number of passengers carried by these ships was up by 20 percent. This compares favorably with the 37 percent overall decline in cruise ship traffic. The decline was registered along the Pacific coast, where criminal violence was blamed, although very rarely are cruise ship passengers victims. There is another factor: cruise ships calling at Cozumel visit several countries while those sailing along the Mexican Pacific usually stop only at Mexican ports after departing from Los Angeles, San Diego or La Paz.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Guanajuato to get its mummies back

The 36 mummies sent to tour the United States will be returning to Guanajuato, their adventure abroad a failure. Cadavers interred in Guanajuato crypts occasionally mummify. This was discovered some years ago when crypts were opened to provide space for fresh arrivals. Only when a crypt is purchased “in perpetuity” are remains left undisturbed. Guanajuato now has a mummy museum visited by some 800,000 people annually.  Seventy corpses are on display. In 2009, a promoter arranged for another 36 to be shipped to the United States and exhibited in various cities.  The mummies were shipped but the show, according to press reports, never went on. Lawsuits followed, the argument being over who would pay to have the cadavers returned. Now, reports indicate, a settlement has been reached.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Hotel Chains Expand

Hyatt, Radisson, Best Western and Apple’s AMResorts all plan to open new properties in the near future. In most cases, owners will be Mexican investors working under management or franchise agreements. Apple Leisure, now partners with AMResorts, is talking about $2 billion being invested in a Secrets in Puerto Vallarta and another on the Caribbean at Akumal plus, also on the Caribbean, a Dreams at Playa Mujeres. Radisson is talking about a property in Leon, one more in Mexico City and another for Cancun. Hyatt hopes to make La Paz, capital of Baja California Sur, a rival to Los Cabos with 151 rooms at the Costa Baja complex. And Best Western has signed up 11 new members for its franchise operation.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Follow the money

Mexico should be earning $20 billion from international tourism rather than just $12 billion says Pablo Azcárraga, CEO at Posadas de México (Fiesta Americana, etc.), the country’s largest hotel group. Azcárraga also serves as president of the Tourism Business Council. While many in the industry moan that Mexico no longer ranks among the world’s 10 most visited countries, Azcárraga argues that focusing on the bottom line is more important. Recently, Tourism Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu confessed that International Tourism Organization figures show Mexico is slipping. This, she hinted, was the fault of a poor job done by the previous administration. While not ready to ignore how beaches are Mexico’s main attraction, Massieu hopes also to emphasize its picturesque cities and towns, outstanding meeting facilities, gastronomy, ecological attractions and more. Azcárraga has no objection to that as long as it brings on the big spenders.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Volaris 7 years old

“We began with just two airplanes flying between Toluca and Tijuana,” recalled Enrique Beltranena, general director of Volaris. “Today we have a fleet of 43 jets linking 4o cities in Mexico and the United States. Last year we carried 27.8 million passengers. This gave us a 22 percent share of the market.” The low-fare airline will continue to grow, he added, and plans to launch new routes and frequencies. Details are pending.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Teachers block Acapulco highway

Holy Week vacationers bound for an Acapulco holiday found themselves stranded as striking teachers blockaded the turnpike leading to the Pacific from Mexico City. The teachers were demanding that they be paid for the two previous weeks when they had been on strike. Authorities, apparently fearful about being accused of repression, refrained from using force to clear the road. After nine hours, state authorities agreed to meet the strikers’ demands. Once an international resort destination, Acapulco in recent years has depended on the domestic market to keep its hotels filled.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Tianguis Success Touted

The Tinaguis Turistico trade show, held in Puebla this year, was dubbed a rousing success by organizers, including Tourism Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu. However, one journalist sniped that nearly twice as many buyers attended the event when it was held in Acapulco during 2008. Aim of the fair is to bring together buyers (packagers of tourism products) with sellers (airlines, hotels, ground service providers, destinations and others). For 36 years, the Tianguis had been held in Acapulco, but in 2011 organizers announced that it would become “itinerant.” Last year, Puerto Vallarta and neighboring Riviera Nayarit played host. Next year it will be the turn of Cancun and the Riviera Maya, and then Acapulco again will be the venue. Ruiz Massieu announced that after that the Tianguis will take place in Acapulco during alternate years. Most of those who attended agreed that Puebla did a splendid job, but some mentioned that they really never had a chance to see anything of Puebla except their hotels and the Exposition Center.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Holidays

Mexico observed on Monday the birthday of Benito Juàrez, who actually was born on March 21, but this way Mexico enjoyed a long weekend. Juàrez was president in the 1860s and is credited with defeating a French attempt to impose rule by an Austrian Hapsburg who would have been a puppet emperor. Cinco de Mayo commemorates a battle in which Juàrez’ forces defeated the French, but only temporarily. The end of the American Civil War settled matters. The French went home, the Hapsburg guy was shot and Juàrez returned to Mexico City. Anyway, next week is Holy Week and everybody who can heads for the beach. Others at least get March 28 and 29 off. School is out until April 8.  Currently, the Tianguis Turistico trade show is under way in Puebla, concluding Wednesday.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Tianguis trade show opens Sunday

President Enrique Peña Nieto is expected to officially close the 2013 Tianguis Turistico trade show, opening Sunday in Puebla. Last year the event took place in Puerto Vallarta and the neighboring Riviera Nayarit. Next year the Mexican Caribbean gets its turn. First held during 1976 in Acapulco, the trade show last year became “itinerant.” The show brings together tour operators with the suppliers of the services they need (destinations, hotels, transportation, etc). This year, buyers from 33 countries are expected to attend. Puebla, some 70 miles east of Mexico City, is noted, among other things, for its food, ceramics, Spanish-colonial architecture, ancient pyramids and enormous Volkswagen factory.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Springbreakers avoid Acapulco

Reports of criminal violence in Acapulco have led to an 80 percent cancelation of reservations by students who in past years flocked to the Pacific coast resort. Across the country, however, along the Caribbean, arrivals are up by 28 percent in Cancun. There, more security is being emphasized with everything from additional police patrols to additional life guards.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Fonatur studies project viability

Faced with heavy debt and problems that can be blamed on 12 years under the administration of a rival political party, Fonatur (the National Fund for Tourism Development) is studying the feasibility of continuing to develop Huatulco, Loreto, Ixtapa and Playa Espiritu. The first three were among the five that the agency programmed in the 1970s as master-planned resort areas aimed primarily at attracting foreign, dollar-spending vacationers. That has not occurred. Playa Espiritu, near Mazatlan, was added to the list last year, but nothing much happened. Lack of easy access can be blamed in part for poor performance, but both Cancun and Los Cabos faced similar problems and overcame them. Not clear is what would result in these areas if Fonatur did pull out.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Tourism chief murdered in Guadalajara

Jesús Gallegos, appointed head of the Jalisco State Tourism Office, was slain this weekend in what authorities say was a gangland-style execution. Gallegos, 46, took office less than two weeks ago, a surprise appointment. A former Puerto Vallarta mayor has been expected to be named to the tourism post by a newly-installed state administration. A businessman involved in construction, Gallegos worked on projects for Viadafel- Mayan Palace. His killers spotted Gallegos when he left a business meeting, chased his car in two vehicles on their own and shot the official following a crash.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Fear does discourage tourism

Although it ranks eighth in terms of natural resources where tourism is concerned, anxiety over the violence associated with the drug wars dropped Mexico to 44^th place as a tourism destination according to a survey by the World Economic Forum. The survey looked at 140 countries. Into account were taken such matters as infrastructure, health and cultural resources. In this respect, WEF ranked Europe, The United States and Canada as leaders, giving Singapore 10th place. Aim of the study is to show how competitive the 140 countries are when it comes to tourism.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Fonatur mired in debt

The director of Fonatur, the National Fund for Tourism Development, claims that he found, on taking over the job, that the agency has debts amounting to some $350 million. New officials were appointed after Enrique Peña Nieto became president in December. Many have been critical of their predecessors, members of a rival political party. According to Héctor Gómez, not only does Fonatur owe large amounts of money, but it also is saddled with master-plan resort projects that were begun but never completed. Fonatur was behind the development of Cancun, Los Cabos, Ixtapa, Huatulco and Loreto. The last two might be said to be languishing while Ixtapa has been a disappointment. Critics charge that rather than fixing these problems, Fonatur launched other projects, including the abandoned Nautical Stairway, a scheme to build yacht harbors along both coasts of Baja California.  For the moment, the president himself has announced that no new destinations will be financed until others no longer are operating at a loss. Understudy is what will be done with Playa Espiritu, a much-touted area near Mazatlán that was to be built as a new Cancun.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Jefferson’s Bible Coming to Denver

“I am of a sect by myself, as far as I know,” wrote President Thomas Jefferson, who, while living at Monticello in 1820 after serving two terms as president, assembled a handmade book that reflects his personal religious and moral philosophy — known today simply as “Thomas Jefferson’s Bible.” History Colorado has partnered with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to bring Thomas Jefferson’s Bible, a rare national treasure and masterful conservation story, to Denver.

The History Colorado Center will host “Jefferson’s Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth,” March 22 through May 27. This special limited-engagement viewing offers an intimate window into Jefferson’s extraordinary mind. Visitors also explore the story behind the intensive effort undertaken by Smithsonian conservators to preserve this fragile, yet remarkable, piece of American history.

By cutting excerpts from four translations — English, French, Latin and Greek — of the Four Gospels, Jefferson sought to tell a chronological and distilled version of Jesus’ life and moral teachings. Created to aid the third U.S. president and Declaration of Independence author’s reading and reflection, the resulting work represented a meeting of Enlightenment thought and Christian tradition as imagined by one of the great thinkers of early America.

Specific light, temperature and humidity controls are required to maintain the book’s integrity. For visitors interested in reading the complete text assembled by Jefferson, “The Jefferson Bible,” Smithsonian Edition, is a full-color facsimile created from high-resolution digital photographs that includes all four languages and Jefferson’s handwritten notes, and is on sale at the History Colorado Center gift shop ($35).

Jefferson’s Bible is included in the cost of a general admission ticket. The History Colorado Center, at 1200 Broadway in Denver, is a Smithsonian Affiliate museum.

Cost and Information: General admission — for tickets and visitor information, see HistoryColoradoCenter.org or call (303)-HISTORY. Special programs are available; see website for calendar of events.

Maya World Program Called a Flop

Focused on the end of the Maya calendar last Dec. 21, the highly touted Maya World program was dubbed a failure by Jorge Hernández, leader of the National Tourism Confederation, a private sector group. “The government declared 52 million tourists would flood into various Maya areas,” Hernández said. “The final figure was only about 15 percent of that.” He then added that there was no way that Mexico could have handled the 52 million tourists projected. Nonetheless, Hernández said, vast sums were spent on “useless promotion.” Target for his criticism was Gloria Guevara, tourism minister under the previous administration.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Steamy Saturdays as Grand Canyon Railway Returns to its Roots

The historic Grand Canyon Railway will return to its roots — almost — six times this summer when it offers steam train excursions to Grand Canyon National Park. The steam-powered excursions will be much the same as they were more than a century ago with one big exception — the famous steam locomotive No. 4960 is fueled by waste vegetable oil (WVO).

The roundtrip Saturday steam excursions will be offered on May 4, June 1, July 6, Aug. 3, Sept. 7 and Sept. 21. Grand Canyon Railway offers five classes of service beginning at the coach class rate of $75 for adults and $45 for children. The other four classes of service include first class, observation dome, luxury parlor and luxury dome. Children 15 and under are permitted only in the coach and first class cars.

Grand Canyon Railway has two operable steam locomotives that have been restored to like-new working condition. Locomotive No. 4960 was built in 1923 by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia. It operated a freight- and coal-hauling service for the Midwestern Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad until the late 1950s and made its first official run on the Grand Canyon line in 1996.

No. 4960 has been modified to use recycled waste vegetable oil for fuel, and reclaimed rain and snow melt – collected during the winter and Northern Arizona’s rainy season – are used in the boiler for steam. 

Grand Canyon Railway offers a variety of packages that include the roundtrip train plus overnight accommodations at Grand Canyon Railway Hotel as well as Xanterra-operated lodges in Grand Canyon National Park. Grand Canyon Railway is an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service. Reservations can be made online at www.thetrain.com or by calling (800) THE-TRAIN (800-843-8724).

Volaris expands fleet

Six-year-old low-fare airline Volaris has acquired its 42^nd Airbus giving it a total of 24 A319s and 18 A320s for the 75 domestic and international — Chicago (Midway), Denver, Fresno, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, Sacramento, San Francisco (Oakland), San José and San Diego —  it now operates. Leased and registered in the United States, the new aircraft enters service this month. It will allow the airline to expand its system, although no announcement has been made in this respect.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers