The Tianguis Turistico trade show opens today in Acapulco. This weekend the world may learn howMexico plans to advertise itself and explain away the perception that the country is crime-ridden and violent. That perception is blamed for the fact that three cruise lines have canceled visits to Acapulco, two Canadian airlines no longer fly there and half the expected spring breakers have stayed away. And that, according to a report in the newspaper Excelsior, also is true to some extent in Mazatlan and Cancun. Not mentioned were Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta, and Los Cabos, among others, but according to El Financiero, nine out of ten hospitality industry executives felt that image problems are hurting business, and badly. In response to the bad image, hotel prices are said to be 4 percent lower than in 2009. In other destinations, rates have increased. This may explain why tourists keep coming.
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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers
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