On the last day of activities at ITB Berlin 2023, Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism, Miguel Torruco Marqués, accompanied by Mexico’s Ambassador to Germany, Francisco José Quiroga Fernández, met with important tour operators specializing in the luxury and high purchasing power segment in that European country, who showed their interest in Mexico’s tourism offerings.
Accompanied by the Secretary of Tourism of Quintana Roo, Bernardo Cueto Riestra, the head of the Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) led the meeting with these tour operators, to whom he explained the projects that have been promoted by the agency in charge, with the purpose of diversifying the tourist activity in the 235 places with vocation, of which 132 are Magical Towns.
This productive meeting was attended by orchestra conductor Alondra de la Parra, who is also the founder of the Paax GNP Xcaret Festival, and a worthy representative of our country, who puts Mexico’s name very high up, said Torruco Marqués.
Also in attendance were representatives of important companies in the luxury segment operating in Mexico, such as Luxury Dreams, Select Luxury, Atelier Voyage, Reisetopia, In Travel Solutions, Premium Wings, Luxiders Magazine, Waldorf Astoria, Native Trails and Latinamerican Tours.
Torruco Marqués underscored the importance of the tourism sector in the Mexican economy, which is strongly driven by the domestic market, as well as international tourism, where the United States and Canada are the main tourist markets in Mexico, and Germany plays a relevant role as one of the top 10 issuing countries.
Alondra de la Parra said that representing Mexico abroad is an honor and a responsibility, as she is the bearer of the goodness and beauty that our country has to offer to international tourists.
During ITB Berlin 2023, the Secretary of Tourism met with the Federal Tourism Coordinator of Germany, Dieter Janecek, his counterpart in the European country, with whom he engaged in an important conversation in which they defined the bilateral agenda that will strengthen the relationship between both nations.
He shared the good practices that have been implemented in Mexico to achieve the recovery of tourism after the pandemic, the priority projects that will encourage the diversification of tourism, among other strategies and programs such as Magic Towns, Magic Neighborhoods and the development of high impact international events.
As part of his working tour of Berlin, Torruco Marqués met with Martina Beeken, director of the tour operator Der Touristik for the Caribbean, Latin America and South America, with whom he agreed on actions to boost the flow of travelers from Germany to Mexico.
As part of the agenda, a meeting was held with Sergi Vens, Aeromexico’s manager for offline markets in Europe and Asia, as well as the airline’s managers for Germany, Switzerland and Austria, Diana Wesser and Cristina Mora, in order to boost air connectivity between that region and Mexico, and thus strengthen the arrival of high-spending travelers. The head of Sectur pointed out that last year 247,595 German tourists arrived to our country by air.
He also met with Mehdi Langanke, Head of Product Development for Lernidee Erlebnisreisen, a German tour operator, who, among other priority projects of the current administration, showed great interest in the Mayan Train, a project that will connect the five southeastern states of Mexico: Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo, with 20 stations and 14 stops.
Torruco Marqués pointed out that Mexico’s participation in ITB Berlin 2023 was an opportunity to show an important outbound market such as Germany the great benefits that our country has to offer its visitors, with an offer that fits the profile of a new, more demanding and informed tourist.
During the working tour of Germany, the head of Sectur presented awards to Mexicans for their outstanding work as promoters of Mexico abroad.
He recognized Elisa Carrillo, dancer and ambassador of the Mexican World Heritage Cities, for her outstanding professional career as a dancer at the international level and her work as a promoter of Mexican dance talent.
He also recognized Alondra de la Parra Borja for her outstanding professional career as an international orchestra conductor and her business activity as founder of the Paax GNP Festival project, which combines musical, gastronomic and tourism elements in the Mexican Caribbean.
On the other hand, Jesús García Hernández, Raúl Oliver Arriaga and Benjamín Castillo Frías were recognized for their outstanding business activities in the gastronomic field of Mexican food in Germany.
It also distinguished Montserrat Peniche Barrera for her important contribution to preserve Mexican Creole corn and promote its artisanal processes in Germany; Victor Ibáñez Gómez and Mariachi “El Dorado” for their outstanding contribution to promote mariachi music in Germany; Ivette Pérez de Wenkel for her activity in the promotion of Mexican gastronomy in Germany; and Rosa Teresa Maya Cornejo for her outstanding contribution to promote Mexican folk dances in Germany.
With precision shots, the meetings held by the Mexican delegation headed by Secretary Miguel Torruco during these three days will allow Mexico not only to receive more travelers, but also to contribute to the attraction of foreign exchange from tourism and detonate economic spillover, whose benefits will permeate into the communities, in compliance with the presidential instruction to make tourism a tool for social reconciliation.
The Berlin tour was also attended by Humberto Hernández Haddad, Undersecretary of Tourism; Emmanuel Romain Ernest Rey, General Director of Promotion and International Affairs; Bernardo Cueto Riestra, Secretary of Tourism of Quintana Roo; Roberto Monroy García, Secretary of Tourism of Michoacán; Rodrigo Esponda Cascajares, Director of the Los Cabos Tourism Trust, among others.
