Tourism Board

President Felipe Calderon appointed Tourism Minister Gloria Guevara to head the National Tourism Promotion Council (Mexico Tourism Board), to be assisted by veteran hotelier Rodolfo López Negrete. Until now, the board and the ministry had been separate entities.

Meeting with several governors, members of commerce and leaders of private sector tourism organization, the new minister pledged to work with the Foreign Ministry to improve Mexico’s image abroad. Almost nothing has been done in this respect since Calderon urged abolishing the Tourism Ministry last year. Congress failed to approve his suggestion.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting from Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Pacific Dream wakes up

After a delay of nearly a year, the Pacific Dream finally has set sail, with passengers boarding either in Progreso (near Mérida) or Cozumel, calling at Montego Bay and Grand Cayman during its week-long cruises. Later this year, the route is scheduled to change, with the vessel calling at ports along Mexico’s Pacific Coast. Originally, the first season was scheduled for 2009, but postponement followed the flu scare.

Main market is Mexico itself. The Pacific Dream advertises that Spanish will be the first language aboard the Spanish-owned ship. Perhaps more important, passengers will not need United States visas. For Mexicans sailing along the Pacific coast, no passport will be required, although some official form of identification will be needed.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting from Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Click quits low-fare model

Click, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Mexicana Airlines, is now considered by its parent to be a regional carrier, not a low-fare alternative. Click began as AeroCaribe, or, officially, Aerovías Caribe. The name change was announced in 2005. At the time, Mexicana declared Click would be a low-fare carrier.

No more. Click, and the other Mexicana affiliate Link, now are regarded as feeder or regional airlines. There are no plans, however, to officially merge the two into Mexicana. Click flies Fokker 100s and Boeing 717s which Link operates Canadaair 200s.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting from Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Hotel strike reported

Three weeks after strikers expelled more than 100 guests — refusing to allow them to take their possessions — at a Mexico City Radisson, the incident made the front page of the newspaper Reforma.

Some details were added. When management refused demands to pay overtime and allow pregnant workers time off with pay to visit obstetricians, the union announced it would strike and set a deadline. On strike day, the union brought in two busloads of toughs to force guests off the property. Guests included citizens of several countries. The American Embassy appealed to local tourism authorities for help the embassy could not legally provide. According to the newspaper report, guests have not been compensated for medical fees, airline charges for changing departure times nor for ruined holidays.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting from Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Complaints about Campeche project

European purchasers of properties being developed by Grupo Mall of Spain along Campeche state’s Gulf of Mexico shoreline are demanding their money back, plus damages, according to Tonatiuh Rovierosa of the ROH law firm. The charges — and these have yet to be proved in a court of law — are that delivery of condominium units and the golf course were promised for 18 months ago. Grupo Mall blames the delay on the failure by local authorities to complete a highway to the area. Under the purchase contract, buyers can lose money invested if they fail to meet payments on time. The builder, however, can be excused from meeting delivery dates if the delay is not the fault of the builder.

Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Aguascalientes Fair

The grandest of Mexican fiestas, the San Marcos Fair, gets under way one month from now, continuing through May 9. Featured will be bullfights, cockfights, mariachi bands and top Mexican singers. There also will be a cattle show and everything found at a state fair. Aguascalientes, however, is a national fair.

Last year, for the first time, the fair was suspended as a result of the flu scare. This year, organizers promise it will be bigger and better than ever. Journalists wishing to attend should contact the state tourism secretary, Fernado Pol, at fernando.pol@Aguascalientes.gob.mx

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Jimm Budd

Reporting from Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Mexico City seeks conventions

Using the slogan “Let’s Meet Mexico City,” the Mexico City tourism office will be staging a series of promotions in Chicago, Washington, Dallas and Los Angeles during April, May and June. The Mexico City chapter of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International will be joining in the effort.

Among those promoting this effort will be such hotels as JW Marriott, Gran Meliá Reforma, Four Seasons, Nikko, Presidente InterContinental, W and the Sheraton Maria Isabel as well as the BanmexConvention Center and the World Trade Center.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting from Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers