The tourism sector in the municipality of Mazatlán is consolidating its position as a driver of economic development in Sinaloa.
“Of the total 114.772 billion pesos of private investment registered during the current state administration, Mazatlán accounts for 50.519 billion, of which 33.5 billion, equivalent to 29% of the state total, corresponds to the tourism sector,” Mireya Sosa Osuna, the state Secretary of Tourism, explained to El Economista.
From January to September of this year, the destination has an average hotel occupancy rate of 72% and projects closing the year with an increase in international tourist arrivals from Canada and the United States.
Mazatlán holds the absolute lead on the state tourism map, representing 74% of all state tourism activity. “Culiacán and Los Mochis are very close behind,” the official stated.
“Culiacán, as the breadbasket of Mexico, attracts a lot of business tourism, and Los Mochis serves as the gateway to the Copper Canyon,” a destination that will also be boosted by the Development Hub for Well-being (Podebi) in Topolobampo, which has seen a 33% annual increase in passenger arrivals.
During the first nine months of the year, Mazatlán received 3.4 million tourists, out of the 4.3 million tourists in the entire state. Given this, and in the context of Sosa Osuna’s first year in office, a work plan is in place to decentralize the economic benefits.
“This is something the governor has repeatedly asked us to do: work toward shared prosperity,” the official stated. The cornerstone of this policy is the intrastate program “Fall in Love with Sinaloa,” which aims to foster local tourism in the state’s 20 municipalities. “More than 6,000 Sinaloan travelers have explored our own state, because we must experience it firsthand to share it with others,” said a representative.
This initiative is complemented by beautification projects such as “Colors and Roots” and “Coloring Sinaloa,” as well as the promotion of the state’s five Magical Towns and 12 Historic Towns.
“We have been working very hard on community-based tourism,” a task that has the direct support of the federal Ministry of Tourism (Sectur), headed by Josefina Rodríguez Zamora.
“Sinaloa is not included in the national guide to community-based tourism experiences, and we have indigenous communities like the Yoreme and Mayo peoples that people should know about,” explained a representative. Therefore, the goal is to integrate the region’s 22 ceremonial centers into the tourist circuit, thus showcasing the cultural richness that “many Mexicans themselves are unaware of.”
During the Fiesta Amigos Mazatlán event, the year-round operation of the Calgary-Mazatlán flight was confirmed, representing more than 5,000 passengers. “We are evaluating, together with the airlines, the possibility of expanding this capacity, primarily in terms of seats,” she added.
In addition, more than 1,300 business appointments were scheduled, a record number that will facilitate attracting conferences to Mazatlán next year. Mazatlán boasts a convention center with a capacity for more than 5,000 people and offers more than 14,000 hotel rooms.
“In the meetings tourism industry, we attended IBTM Americas, CNIR, and participated in business trips to Mexico City and Guadalajara,” with a promotional strategy focused on attracting business travel and conventions. “The 3% of the lodging tax (ISH) goes to tourism promotion,” managed by an advisory council, “and its impact has definitely been seen,” the secretary explained.
Source: eleconomista
