Among the many tasks that have been assigned to the Marine Secretaryduring the current government, are implicit: support tourism, promote tourism and promote tourism.
The most obvious case of this is the Presidential assignment to carry out the comprehensive management of the new eco-destination of the Islas Marías and the operation of the APIs of Cabo San Lucas and Huatulco that were in charge of Fonatur.
Although the dependency has historically remained close to the tourism sector, now its role must be a leading one.
Last week, in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, the IV Hemispheric Conference on Waterways, Inland Ports and Cruise Ships: A Door to the Global Economy, in which Mexico participated, through the head of the General Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine, Ana Laura López, because since June 2021 the Navy is in charge of the entire Mexican port system.
At that meeting, a video of almost three minutes was presented that begins with a voiceover that mentions: “We are Mexico, a country of unparalleled wealth. Our history, our culture and our people distinguish us”. At the same time, images of tourist attractions and gastronomy appear to refer to the theme of cruises.
Acceptable material in the face of scarcity, although there remains the feeling that the beautiful MEXICO brand is missing, currently under the control of the Ministry of Tourism and that the company CREA, a subsidiary of CIE, has exclusively for use in international fairs where the country participates. .
Before the 4T government, the late Mexico Tourism Promotion Council (CPTM) was in charge of the brand and of preparing all the materials required to promote the attractions without using public resources.
At some point in the video produced for the Navy, which was seen for the first time internationally in Buenos Aires, it is also said: We value the economic importance of tourism. Day by day and tirelessly, our ports improve to continue being the gateways to the wonders of Mexico.
Although the level does not reach that of the one presented at the inauguration of the past Tourist Tianguis of Acapulco (by the way, it could well be repeated in the public media), the effort stands out.
Returning to the content of the presentation that can be watched on YouTube, the strength of the Mexican Caribbean is recalled, making Cozumel the main point of arrival for those floating cities called cruise ships. Later they appear: Majahual, Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Progreso, Mazatlán, Huatulco, Manzanillo and Acapulco.
And already with the control of the figures, it was reported that between January and April of this year, 1,032 cruise ships have arrived in the country, totaling one million 940,374 passengers (in all of 2019, 2,970 cruise ships and eight million 939,334 cruise passengers arrived). Slow, but the recovery in this segment is going.
We will have to see what else the Navy does to push tourism and how it coordinates with the head of the sector. The union makes the promotion. Mexico is one.
