By: Tony Perez Dillon

As is customary for the last 37 years; during the first days of January, Madrid Spain becomes the world’s show place for tourism through FITUR, the International Tourism Fair, staged at the impressive Madrid Convention Center (IFEMA) where major exhibitions and international conventions usually take place.

9,672 exhibitors from 165 countries participated showing their best faces, landscapes, attractions and flavors, on a surface of more than 62,500 square meters.

Tourism professionals and visitors this year added up to more than 250 thousand guests, an increase of 10% over last year’s attendance.

Argentina was designated as this year’s main partner presenting all its attractions.

This year  FITUR presented several new sections such as: FITUR SHOPPING, FITUR HEALTH, FITUR TECH, FITUR GREEN and most especially the Gay and Lesbian tourism sector, which by the way  delivers for Spain over 6.2 million tourists a year and generates more than  e.6,300 million euros per year, almost 40% more than business tourism does.

Various exhibition areas were divided into Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, Asia including China, Japan and other exotic countries, the Middle East and Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia, Africa, and of course  Spain with its great variety of attractions and regional beauties.

Also present were peculiar characters who provided FITUR with its color and particular interest.

The extraordinary Mexico pavilion was placed at the entrance to the Latin America section.

Los Cabos representatives, as every year meet with tourism professionals who showed great interest in this tourist destination.

Rodrigo Esponda, Dir. FUTURCA: 

"We have realized that there is a lot of interest in Los Cabos as a destination, and as a destination that can offer the sophistication and experiences obtained by Los Cabos ... we held 35 working meetings in 2 days, with the main Spanish tour operators, some Dutch and other Europeans, and 2 airlines that have flow here.  In Spain there will be a consistent work program which will give very good results for Los Cabos in the following years, and more with the openings they are providing"

Paloma Palacios, Dir. Hotel Association of Los Cabos: 

"We are especially focusing on ... how to start positioning ourselves in the European market, something very important that we are seeing is how to put together all those packages, those tours, with the new hotels, these new developments that will allow us to start to access a little more European tourism."

Manuel Diaz Ciprian (Cyprian?), Rep. Tourist Trust for Los Cabos in Europe: 

"Los Cabos is a jewel, in the surrounding area it has that biodiversity is nature which is today what people are looking for, not only in the United Kingdom but in all of Europe.  However I think it’s very important, as in many other tourist destinations in Mexico, that we be careful with exorbitant growth, something that Europeans generally like about Los Cabos is that it’s a destination that is not overly populated."

Jesus Ordonez, Dir. of FITUES: 

"There’s interest shown by several of the strong tour operators here in Spain, to generate more flow towards the state and to be able to increase somewhat the variety of products offered throughout our half of the peninsula."

Genaro Ruiz, Sec. State Tourism B.C.S.: 

"In fact it’s been very successful, precisely since we’ve established these new schemes for tourism promotion for 2017, which is certainly a year that will be full of challenges, also full of opportunities to continue to position Los Cabos as the best destination on the Mexican Pacific coast. We mustn’t forget while facing these challenges that we must diversify our markets, seek new business schemes and also be able to have new business partners from both the European and Asian continents, and certainly not neglecting our greatest tourist provider the United States."

Miguel Alonso Reyes, Dir. FONATUR: 

"FONATUR is present as every year at this important fair in Madrid providing a platform for tour operators, travel agencies, hoteliers, and airlines from most of the world can have an appointment with Mexico first through our pavilion in which we are a part of this great Mexican tourist sector, and so we can strengthen the presence of Mexico by projecting and promoting our great destination."

Five days of extremely varied activities promoting this great chimneyless industry that is increasingly expanding and becoming more important for economic development worldwide.

The appointment is now set forth from the 27th thru the 30^th of March, 2017, at the famous International Tourism Tianguis in the incomparable Port of Acapulco.

With Information by Armando Figaredo, I’m Tony Perez for Cabo News Today.

End.

As a further cultural attraction in San Jose del Cabo, inside the botanical garden Wirikuta of Puerto Los Cabos, was inaugurated the theme park of the same name, where it is possible to savor a wonderful dinner buffet, a handicraft market and an innovative show that makes Reference to the cultures and traditions of the indigenous people of Mexico.

Jerome Dupuis, Production Director Wirikuta Theme Park: "It is a cultural park for Los Cabos, where we are presenting American mythology, Mexican legends, such as this Huichol story, the pilgrimage of the blue deer, everything that goes together. It is an experience from the entrance with the Huichol people, a delicious dinner with the chef Silviano, a show of this size, it’s great "

Carlos Ochoa, Pdte. Executive Theme park Wirikuta: "What we bring is a proposal of cultural tourism, a new activity for Los Cabos, is a project that is 100% Mexican"

Shirley Collins, Assistant: "The dinner was amazing, Mexican dinner, I loved it, the whole show is spectacular"

Jay Aldrich, Assistant: "It's one of the best shows we've seen, we did not expect it when we arrived, we were invited and it was spectacular, everyone is missing a lot if they do not see this show"

Patricia Aldrich, Assistant: "The dancers are absolutely amazing, you notice it through their dancing, it was a wonderful experience"

Enjoy this new cultural proposal in the middle of this and every Friday, from 7 pm, surrounded by more than 1500 varieties of desert plants from all over the world.

The Los Cabos International Film Festival during its fifth edition met with expectations due in part by the 45 carefully chosen feature films presented over the 4 day event.

The opening gala scene was a star studded red carpet event filled with foreign and national actors, directors, agents and film critics from Hollywood and elsewhere.

The Latin America premier of Pablo Larrain’s film Jackie, based on the events that occurred moments after the tragic JFK assassination, opened this year’s screenings.

On the other hand and closing ceremony and awards screened the Mexican Premier of Captain Fantastic written and directed by Matt Ross. 

During the next three days an array of films chosen for their quality and outstanding performance at film festivals from around the world.

This year a series of green films were shown in collaboration with the Televisa Foundation. 

Films such as Voyager of Time which was unhurriedly produced over a four year period; Safari which view’s todays much too popular hunting tours in Africa; and Rats a pseudo horror documentary on the whereabouts worldwide of these undesirable rodents.

Also The Islands and The Whales a controversial film that discusses the consumption of whale meat by certain natives of remote Islands who are forced to change their diet due to high mercury levels found in such meat.

Natalia Lafourcade a recognized Mexican musician received the MTV Chiu-ku award, played her music and presented a documentary based on the creative work behind the making of her latest album Hasta la Raiz.

This year the Fifth International Los Cabos Film Festival celebrated and awarded trophies for their outstanding contribution to film to director Oliver Stone, who presented his most recent film Snowden; Director of photography Rodrigo Prieto one of Mexico’s outstanding exports to the film industry, and to Italian born actress Monica Bellucci who’s beauty and talent have field the silver screen with great thespian ability and spender.

Several films produced in Mexico, United States and Canada also competed for cash prizes and awards such as the Gabriel Figueroa Award, Best Film and the Audience Choice Award.

Winners were all recognized during the closing events of festival.

All in all the Los Cabos International Film Festival is maintaining itself as one of Mexico’s premier quality film gatherings and continues to position itself as one of the world’s finer film celebrations.

With information from Armando Figaredo, Tony Pérez for Los Cabos News Today

For Cabo News Today…. Tony Perez

With the participation of more than 80 food stands from the best restaurants, bars and most prestigious wine brands in Los Cabos took place the 11^th annual gastronomic festival Sabor a Cabo.

The Sculpture Garden at Puerto Los Cabos was the site of this great event that had as its main course the presentation of Musical head liners Maná, who for the first time appeared in this tourist destination to offer their last concert of 20 16.

Maná give up one hundred percent to the audience framed by a spectacular stage that implied a production that surpassed 5 million pesos.

People danced and enjoyed the concert that, undoubtedly and until now, is considered as the most memorable that has been presented in Los Cabos in the middle of an extraordinary atmosphere of friends sharing great and unforgettable joy.

Present was the governor Carlos Mendoza Davis and Los Cabos mayor Arturo de la Rosa.

Carlos Mendoza Davis, Governor of BCS: “We are also a tourist destination in culinary, and here we have a very clear example of how it has developed, a wonderful event, a unique night”

Arturo de la Rosa, Mayor From Los Cabos: "An important event that puts Los Cabos back in the eyes of the world, and this speaks of the greatness of Los Cabos"
For tourist promotion this event has already consolidated it’s self as one of the most important.

Genaro Ruiz, State Secretary of Tourism: "It is a referent and Sabor a Cabo, and the most important of this is that people know the gastronomy that we have here in this wonderful destination, is one more ingredient that we can show the world"

Gianmarco Vela, CANIRAC State President: "We have a very positive return on investment for the destination and tells us that we must continue to promote gastronomic events of this type, because it is what tourists are looking for"

Michael Smith, Los Angeles: "This is my third year coming, we planned our entire trip to be here, no event like this, food is amazing drinks"

Seana Jones, Vancouver: "It's fantastic, I've never seen so much good food in one place, and it's so nice to be able to sample everything from wine, tequila, and all the flavors here in Cape Town"

Erick and Nina Patson, Colorado: "I think it's fantastic, we've been coming here for 15 years, it's our first time at this event and we love it ...I can not believe how wonderful food there is, and the wine is just extraordinary, of first class"

The beneficiaries were the Los Cabos Children Foundation and as in previous years, the firefighters of Los Cabos who received two new fire trucks. 

The Los Cabos Tourism Trust fund, the state and municipal government as well as Group Questro were the main sponsors in addition to all those who attended and participating restaurants, bars, wine houses, tequilas, mezcaleras, national and international companies from the great industry of gastronomy.

With information from Armando Figaredo, I’m Tony Perez for Cabo News Today.