This Thursday in the main hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Marcelo Ebrard Casoubón and the Secretary of the Federal Tourism Miguel Torruco Marqués, presided over the creation of the Council of tourism diplomacy of Mexico.

In the words of its new Managing Director, Ignacio Cabrera Fernández "this Council is a collegiate body which will be an instance of views and consultation for the planning, design and implementation of strategies of promotion and image of Mexico at the level International"

How will this Council operates

To in less than 60 days will meet a group composed of a President, advisers (28), Councillors, advisors and a technical Secretary. In addition a program will be established to integrate and train 80 ambassadors, 67 consuls and 7 diplomatic missions on matters related to the tourist promotion of Mexico and in the face of foreign crisis management.

Among other functions, this Council must define activities and work plan to develop the tourism of Mexico.

It will generate strategies with programming, monitoring of results and evaluation of results.

Strengthen the tourist image of Mexico abroad highlighting the quality, diversity and authenticity of its attractions.

Funding for its implementation

In terms of the budget for these programs, the Secretary Ebrard said that they get "of the savings that we have, with the resources that we have. We will have to define how we will project the image of Mexico, because today we lack many materials at the embassies, today do we lack many things that we can work with you, image, prestige, projection of Mexico We are going to do it with what we have."

As representative of the tourism business sector of Mexico, José Chapur Chairman Palace, said some suggestions (full speech attached) to this new Council which starts today in which highlights a program of public relations for the management of crisis is the sargaso in the Caribbean Mexican or what could be the effects of the weather, insecurity and other similar cases.

He also pointed out that hosting platforms are no longer pay more than 6 billion pesos for taxes on income and VAT (figure to the more than 7 billion pesos that were received by the right of non-resident, DNR , and which now are aiming to the construction of the Maya railway.

He also said cruise ships to pay for rights of 5 to 60 dollars per passenger in the Caribbean but not in Mexico, where rights are zero.

Members of the Council's tourism diplomacy

The 28 designated directors include the following: Dario fleet manager of the trust tourist of Quintana Roo; Giancarlo Molinelli, VP Global sales, Aeromexico; Rodrigo Esponda, Director of Los Cabos tourist trust; Juan Vela Ruiz, Vice President of the Group sails; Francisco Bulnes, President of the Sol Group; Miguel German Magnani, President of the German group (GALEM); José Manuel López Campos, President of the CONCANACO; Daniel Chavez Moran, President Grupo Vidanta; Juan José Fernández Carrillo, President of the Association of hotels and motels; Pablo Azcárraga Andrade, President Grupo Posadas and CENET (tourist business National Council); Francisco Fernández Alonso of CANIRAC, and; José Chapur, President of the Palace Group, among other prominent representatives of the tourism industry.

The federal Secretary of tourism, Miguel Torruco Marques said that 18.2 million of international tourists arrived in the first five months of 2019 which represents a 5.9% more than in the same period of 2018, with an income of $10,110 billion as that means an increase of 15.4% in 2018, with average spending per tourist of $958.6 dollars representing 14% more than in 2018.

He noted that follow this trend is estimated to close 2019 with 43.3 million international tourists mean it an increase of 4.7% more than 2018. with an economic impact of $23,600 million, 10.6% more than in 2018.

He stressed that "despite the negative forecasts of our adversaries, the tourism of our country not collapsed, conversely, walking with firm step..."

He also said that in the two previous six spent $35 billion pesos in the Tourism Board of Mexico.

In charge of programs and training and professionalization to the diplomatic corps that start in August carried out by the Institute of tourism competitiveness of SECTUR in coordination with the Matías Romero Institute of the SRE (Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

Information by Armando Figaredo

Translation Tony Perez Dillon.