Forums > General > Traveling Mexico

jennifer rose

Mar 28, 2003, 3:38 PM

Post #1 of 5 (724 views)

Shortcut

Mexico Feels Pinch of Missing Tourist Dollars - LA Times

Can't Post |

Mexico Feels Pinch of Missing Tourist Dollars
by Marla Dickerson, staff writer

CANCUN, Mexico -- Surrounded by turquoise water, tan bodies and sugary sand, Domingo Gonzalez is a world away from the troubles in Iraq. Still, war has struck him squarely in the wallet.

The month of March typically finds the taxi driver busy hauling families and college students around this resort city. But an already sluggish global economy has been further slowed by the war, and that's meant fewer visitors here and a lot more down time for Gonzalez's aging Nissan. [more]

http://www.latimes.com/...%2Dbusiness%2Dmanual

(registration required)

Jim in Cancun

Mar 29, 2003, 2:36 PM

Post #2 of 5 (695 views)

Shortcut

Re: [jennifer rose] Mexico Feels Pinch of Missing Tourist Dollars - LA Times

Can't Post | Private Reply

I saw that article earlier today and saved it. I was asked on another board if there were fewer spring breakers this year because of the war and my response was:

"...probably some of it is due to the war and people not wanting to leave the States. IMHO it is just following the trend of the last 5 years when the number of springbreakes has gone from 150,000 to 120,000 to 100,000 to 80,000 to about 60,000 last year and it will end up about 40,000 this year due to:

1.- abuse by taxi drivers, corrupt police and drug dealers (who all usually work together)

2.- strong promotion by Acapulco and Miami this year

3.- The fact that MTV went to Miami and not Cancun

4.- high prices bad treatment, water down and altered drinks, bad service and

5.- the lack of promotion by hotels in Cancun to attract them and

6.- just the simple fact that fads don´t last forever."

So I am not really sympathetic to a taxi driver´s plight--they specifically have abused both locals and tourists for so many years now and are involved in many traffic accidents, rapes, robberies and drug deals that my sympathy for them is negligible. The downturn is tourism began before 9-11 and is due to a mentalidad (actually written as part of the State tourism policy) that as long as we build "they" will come. No emphasis put on promotion, training, quality, service or improvement--just build more rooms and people will automatically fill them. NOT! Two years ago Playa del Carmen took over the #1 spot for the highest hotel occupancy in Mexico--and it has kept its place.

There is a lot right with CAncun but I don´t have my head buried in the sand. Tourism industry leaders are now talking about quality programs, training, promotion and raising the level of services. DUH!

Cancellations based on the war have been virtually nil and although some people may postpone their plans or think about staying closer to home--based somewhat on the fear propaganda of the Bush government about "staying at home because it´s not safe anywhere else in the world"--people are and will continue to vacation and travel. JMHO

Jerry@Ajijic

Mar 29, 2003, 3:58 PM

Post #3 of 5 (687 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Jim in Cancun] Mexico Feels Pinch of Missing Tourist Dollars - LA Times

Can't Post | Private Reply

I think that Mexico is in a good position to improve their tourist market. Right now many people are nervous about going overseas and a trip to Mexico would have to be considered safer. I just hope that the Mexican tourist industry does not react like I think they did last year. I believe the head of the govt's tourist agency said something like "The number of tourists are down so you have to raise your rates to keep your income up".

This could be a good time for Mexico. I hope they take advantage of it.

Jim in Cancun

Mar 29, 2003, 5:42 PM

Post #4 of 5 (677 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Jerry@Ajijic] Mexico Feels Pinch of Missing Tourist Dollars - LA Times

Can't Post | Private Reply

I agree 100% with what you say. And I see the industry being scared enough to actually do something about the problems that exist and better the infrastructure that is already in place. I see lots more focus on hygiene, quality, service and training programs aimed at getting Cancun back to the image that it had before the place became full of tatooing and piercing parlors, pre-teens drinking and puking on the buses, drugs and other things that are not conducive to the atracction of "high quality" tourists who don´t mind spending money when the service and quality are commensurate.

And part of the plan this week at the Acapulco Tianguis (a yearly famous encounter between tourism providers and wholesalers and travel agencies) IS INDEED to try to raise the rates an average of 3% but to defend this a little, they really have "dropped their pants" since 9-11, the drop in spring break attendance and now the war. They have put out some super low promotional rates mainly aimed at Mexican, Canadia and European tourists just in order to fill the rooms. They do have a "perishable" product. The old saw in the industry is "Do you know what the most expensive hotel room is?-------The empty one!!"

David Eidell

Mar 29, 2003, 7:58 PM

Post #5 of 5 (670 views)

Shortcut

Re: [jennifer rose] Mexico Feels Pinch of Missing Tourist Dollars - LA Times

Can't Post | Private Reply

I know for a fact that many RV'ers have given up hope about visiting Mexico just because of the cost involved in getting to a destination and back. If you add up the number of miles driven to and from "home", divide this by say, six (many motorhomes get this or less mpg), times two dollars plus for fuel, a few hundred here and a few hundred there for tolls (especially when towing a runabout car). Then an RV park is about four hundred fifty dollars a month, insurance on a motorhome is something like four to five hundred annually.

Geez, you're talking four or five thousand dollars for a (three month snowbird) vacation in which maybe two weeks of it was devoted to driving to and from.

Few if any USA attractions would cost anything near this amount of money.

I remember the story of visiting Japanese dignitaries who were invited to participate in the grand opening of the autopista to Acapulco. They were astounded at the amount of toll charged (eighty dollars for a car), and simply went into hysterical laughter when they found out the cost of construction. It turned out that the concrete ribbon cost more-per-mile to build than the ultramodern twin deck superhighway that just opened between Tokyo and Osaka. Maybe those four dollar an hour equipment operators or that "prime" developed land in vertical Guerrero was to blame :-)