Canada maintains visa requirement

Although President Felipe Calderon, addressing the Canadian Parliament, asked the no visa be required of Mexicans visiting Canada, the Prime Minister, at a joint press conference, indicated that no changes are contemplated. A year ago, Canada began requiring Mexicans wishing to vacation in Canada to obtain visas. Since then, Mexican travel to Canada has declined by an estimated 40 percent.
The visa requirement was imposed when it was discovered that thousands of Mexicans, once in Canada, had asked for political asylum. They lived on a dole for an average of two years before their requests were denied. Now Mexican tourists contemplating a visit to Canada must prove that they will not request asylum. Most simply decide to vacation elsewhere.

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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Cancun pol jailed

Gregorio Sanchez, who resigned as mayor of Cancun to run for the governorship of Quintana Roo, is in prison awaiting trial on charges that he accepted bribes from drug smugglers. His supporters insist that it is all politics. Sanchez belongs to the left-of-center Party of the Democratic Revolution, opposed by the Party of the Institutionalized Revolution and the National Action Party.
People in the hospitality industry worry that all this may be used by rivals to smear Cancun’s image. A former Quintana Roo governor (the state also includes Cozumel and the Maya Riviera) recently was extradited to the United States, where authorities have charged him with money laundering for the narcotics trade.

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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Investment declines

According to figures gathered by the Tourism Ministry, investment in tourism this year will be about $2 billion, a substantial sum, but 16 percent below what had been expected. The overall world economic situation gets the blame.
Lack of financing is expected especially to hamper development of centrally planned resort areas sponsored by the federal government in the Pacific coast state of Sinaloa and in Tamaulipas on the Gulf of Mexico.

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Jimm Budd
Reporting from Mexico City
Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Jai alai may return

Brisas Hotels (owners of Las Brisas in Acapulco and several other hostelries) has announced plans to re-open the Frontón México, the fabled jai alai palace in Mexico City. Once a top tourist attraction and one of the few places where bets could be placed legally, the Frontón was closed by a strike several years ago.

The new installation will include a now-legal betting parlor plus a 17-room boutique hotel. Brisas also is planning to develop a 134-hectare resort, golf course and residential complex in La Paz, Baja California Sur.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting from Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

10 Tourist Routes to be Promoted

As promised, Tourism Minister Gloria Guevara has announced the creation of 10 routes designed to take tourists to various less-visited parts of the country. Vacationers, it has been pointed out — and this includes Mexicans, who account for most of the pleasure travel in the country — generally seek out seaside destinations or resorts with swimming pools and seldom do much exploring.

This minister would like to see tourists take in the wine-producing areas of Baja California, the aquatic marvels found off the shores of Baja California Sur, the Tarahmara country of Chihuahua, the Thousand Flavors of Mole found in the neighboring states of Tlaxcala, Puebla and Oaxaca, plus much more. Speaking to tour operators and members of the press, Guevara urged these to join in promoting the program.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting from Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Programs to be announced

Tourism Minister Gloria Guevara, accompanied by President Felipe Calderon, tomorrow is scheduled to announce her plans for the department she took control of in April. Among these will be 10 “itineraries” or “routes” it is hoped tourists will follow, spreading the wealth as they see more of the country. One such route might combine Puerto Vallarta or Manzanillo with the town of Tequila and with Guadalajara, although the minister has declined to confirm this.

The fact that she will be making her presentation at Los Pinos — the official presidential residence — is taken as an indication that Calderon now fully supports the Tourism Ministry. Last year he asked Congress to abolish it as a money-saving measure. Congress refused.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting from Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Telluride a winter, summer playground

The building, from left, where Butch Cassidy held his first bank robbery, an aerial view of Telluride and Bridal Veil Falls east of town.

Story & Photos By Stan Wawer

There’s only one way in and one way out. It didn’t stop Butch Cassidy from getting away after a bank robbery, but it has made Telluride a unique town tucked away in the southwest corner of Colorado, protected by the 13,000-foot peaks of the impressive San Juan Mountain Range.

Telluride is no lonesome valley, however. It is a winter playground with some of the best powdered snow in the world and there are enough summer activities to keep the most energetic family busy.

What began as a turn-of-the-century mining community has evolved into a world-renowned resort on the scenic San Juan Skyway.

“I love Telluride. I love the snow,” said avid skier Peter Bally, former managing director of Park Hotel Vitznau on Switzerland’s Lake Lucerne. The hotel closes at the end of October and that’s when Bally used to head for Telluride, Vail and Keystone in Colorado. “The powdered snow is the best,” he said.

Helicopter skiing is popular on Colorado’s famous “champagne powder,” but so is snow boarding, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing and downhill skiing.

In the summer, a plethora of activities include jeep tours to the mining towns at elevations up to 12,000 feet, hiking, biking, camping, rock climbing, historic tours, fishing, glider rides, horseback riding, kayaking, rafting, golf and shopping.

Telluride, of course, has an abundance of night life and excellent restaurants. One historical tour takes you to 131 Main St., the former site of San Miguel Valley Bank. It was the site of Butch Cassidy’s first bank robbery, which took place on June 24, 1889. He and his partner (this was before the Sundance Kid) got away with $24,000. The money was never recovered.

Summer season ends with the Telluride Film Festival Labor Day weekend. This year’s film festival runs Sept. 3 to Sept. 6. The festival’s more than 30 programs are screened in nine different venues in Telluride and Mountain Village, which is reachable by a spectacular and free gondola that takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

The summer is loaded with festivals, including the famous Music-Bluegrass Festival in June, the Telluride Jazz Celebration in August and the Telluride Blues and Brews Festival in late September.

Telluride also is holding its first Photography Festival Sept. 20 to 26. The festival will feature field classes and workshops, seminars, portfolio reviews and exhibits. For more information on the festival, to purchase festival passes and to register for classes and workshops, visit www.telluridephotofestival.com

Azure blue skies, aspen with perfect posture and mountain peaks that rival the Swiss Alps are just some of the reasons to visit Telluride. There are no traffic lights (the nearest one is 45 miles away) and no chain restaurants or shops in the town. “That’s why you don’t see any trash,” said Dave Rote, local historian and owner-operator of Dave’s Mountain Tours. “You show me a place that serves fast food and I’ll show you a mountain of trash.”

Telluride also has a 25-mile-an-hour speed limit. Kick it up to 28 or 29 mph and you will get a severe reprimand from one of the locals.

Dave will take you on some incredible tours of mining camps and ghost towns, riding through arches and winding your way up to the summit of Imogene Pass at 13,000 feet or Ophir Pass at 12,789 feet. The views are stunning and the history of the area is fascinating. To learn more about the tours, go to www.telluridetours.com.

At the east end of Telluride, Bridal Veil Falls is Colorado’s tallest free-falling waterfall at 365 feet.

Flying into Telluride is an E ride (old Disneyland fans will remember E ticket rides). The Telluride Regional Airport is the highest commercial airport in North America at 9,078 feet. Hold your breath coming in; hold your breath going out.

Telluride is hard to get to, but even harder to leave.

(All information is accurate at the time of publication but prices, dates and other details are all subject to change. Confirm all information before making any travel arrangements.)

(For more information and lodging, go to www.VisitTelluride.com.)