Mazatlán, one of Mexico’s most prominent tourist destinations, is at a crossroads due to the growing insecurity caused by the fight between cartels. Despite a notable growth in real estate construction, with 150 vertical properties in progress and an 18.4 percent increase in the arrival of air passengers in September, local businessmen, such as hotelier Ernesto Coppel, demand that the government guarantee security to revitalize the so-called ‘Industry without chimneys’.
“It is one of the minimum measures that are expected, to guarantee the security of those who protect another and who have the exclusivity of security over the others,” said the businessman from Mazatlán to El Financiero.
The conflict between two cartels, those that support ‘El Mayo’ and the ‘Chapitos’, are fighting for territory with greater violence in recent months, amid a history of betrayals between the leaders of organized crime groups.
The citizens and, to a certain extent, tourists have been caught in the middle of the dispute. Although they have not abandoned the ‘Pearl of the Pacific’, they are increasingly analyzing the relevance of going to Mazatlán due to the shadow of insecurity that weighs on the destination.
“We are all afraid, how could we not be, if what you should be doing is focusing on talents to do your best work for your city, for your country. And you have to worry about who comes after you, it is sad, but it is the truth,” he said.
Although the tourist influx has decreased in recent months, the port is experiencing a strange calm that has allowed it to continue receiving national and international travelers; however, hoteliers have not been able to operate with complete normality.
“(Let) the government create a fund for situations in which business cannot be done freely due to insecurity, and let the workers receive a part of it,” Coppel adds.
The real estate boom
Between January and September, the number of air passengers rose by 18.4 percent, according to the Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte (OMA), while the frequency of flights and destinations in the United States and Canada continue to increase.
According to Ricardo Velarde, Secretary of Tourism of Sinaloa, there are at least 150 vertical constructions in progress in Mazatlán.
“Throughout the city you can see the developments, there is a real estate boom, not only in vertical developments, but in hotels. The growth that Mazatlán has had in the last three years is greater than what had been developed in the last 25 years,” Velarde said to El Financiero.
The growth of the real estate and hotel supply has triggered investment. According to official data, public-private investment amounts to 45,198 million pesos in commercial, industrial, housing and tourism-real estate businesses.
Of that total, at least 29 billion pesos are concentrated in tourist and real estate constructions with a medium and high purchasing power. Along with the new buildings, Mazatlán is diversifying its tourist products: in the last couple of years it has opened the Great Aquarium, the largest in all of Latin America, and sites such as the National Whale Museum.
Likewise, air connectivity has increased: although Mexico City continues to be the main source market for tourists to Mazatlán, flights from the main cities of the US and Canada have taken on greater relevance, with greater frequencies.
“So far this year, Mazatlán is the beach airport that has had the greatest growth in the entire country by number of passengers. This year is expected to be a record year, there are more flights, from Mexico City, Bajío, from Tijuana, we have a lot of connectivity,” said Gilberto Avilés, coordinator of Airlines and Marketing of the Association of Hotels and Tourist Companies.
The port’s goal is to have a greater diversification of tourists, so they are seeking to attract flights from South America and Canada.
“We are interested in continuing to connect with the markets in the Midwest of the United States and Canada, with up to 15 or 20 weekly flights from the main cities. The plan is to continue growing,” Avilés added.
Source: elfinanciero
