The MIT Jazz Festival of Mérida is participating in the 17th Annual Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference in New Orleans, USA, taking place from January 7th to 10th at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans. The presentation of the event was attended by the Mayor of Mérida, Antonio Rodríguez Osuna, the Delegate for Culture, Antonio Vélez, and the director of the Mérida MIT Jazz Festival, Raúl Miguel Rodríguez, along with other representatives of the festival.
The Mayor highlighted Mérida’s presence at this convention of colleges and universities from the United States, as well as jazz bands from around the world. “It’s a very important presence because we are the only city in Spain and one of the few in Europe represented here,” he noted, while emphasizing that the aim is “to continue opening doors and expanding horizons so that more tourists can discover Mérida through jazz,” the city council reported in a press release.
For his part, Rodríguez noted that this annual conference brings together the best educational institutions, not only from the United States but internationally. He explained that the presentation of the MIT Jazz Festival at this event aims to enhance the international profile not only of this musical project but also of the city itself. He also emphasized that this allows for showcasing the talent of the professional musicians, “world-class” artists, who participate in the MIT Jazz Festival.
During this official trip, the mayor also held meetings and interviews with various tourism promoters from New Orleans, as well as working sessions with several American tour operators, with the goal of strengthening the city’s tourism and cultural presence in the United States, exploring new avenues of collaboration to position Mérida as a leading destination for cultural and musical tourism worldwide.
Osuna met with Wilberto Pérez, director of TMF, a Texas-based company specializing in the planning and management of trips, festivals, and cultural events for performing arts groups, with extensive international experience. He stated that “the idea is to position Mérida as a leading destination for this type of tourism, which has been developing for many years in the country and, especially, in Europe,” where “numerous university bands travel to complete their training.”
Source: elperiodicoextremadura
