The Mexican president, Felipe Calderón, has announced that 2011 will be “The Year of Tourism” in a grand ceremony in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on 02/25/2011. This official announcement is not an accident and comes in response to the increase in violence on the US-Mexico border and in an attempt to combat the decrease in the number of tourists arriving in Mexico.

Tourism revenue has long been responsible for supporting the independent economy in each state (Mexico is a federation, similar to the United States), and its profits have been used to help build new and repair roads, bridges, build new hospitals and public facilities. The benefits of these revenues have trickled down to all levels of the local population.

President Calderón acknowledged in his speech that Mexico’s image has been affected in recent years, and that it will be a bit difficult to help restore Mexico’s image to the friendly and beautiful vacation paradise that it is. To this end, the Federal Government has made funds available for advertising platforms around the world. State governments are not only improving infrastructures throughout Mexico, they are also recruiting English-speaking young men and women into the ranks of the Tourist Police, who are educated on the importance of a positive attitude and experience for visitors who come to Mexico. . The Associations of Resort Hotels, Tourism and Commerce have combined all their efforts from campaigns, funds and donations, all in order to attract tourism back to Mexico.

The price angle seems to be the weapon of choice in this war: deals on all-inclusive resorts are the word of the moment. Prices seem to be down compared to previous years and the combination of airfare and resort accommodations is easier to find than ever.

Booking vacations online seems to be the preferred method of travelers these days, with the biggest sites in that industry offering “hundreds of deals for you” which brings up multiple windows and leaves us with multiple options for useful information on Check out the best possible prices out there.

This strategy appears to be working: Resort Corporations have reported 100% occupancy for the Christmas and New Years weeks and advance bookings for Spring 2011 have also increased, with 65% of all rooms booked so far. for next spring. Whether the trend will continue remains to be seen, however, resort owners and developers remain optimistic.