Mexico Develops Plan along with other Latin American countries don’t welcome as many Chinese tourists as they would like. This holds true for two main reasons – lack of direct flights and the misperception that it’s not safe. Because Mexico has much to offer in the way of culture, diversity of landscapes, climates, and history, they have formulated a plan to attract Chinese travelers who seek thrill and adventure.
This plan was presented by Miguel Marqués, Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism. The plan has been called “Knocking at the Door.” Based on the research performed, Marqués believes Chinese travelers desire more than just a beach resort getaway.
They are interested in visiting rainforests, exploring colonial architecture, and becoming educated about pre-Spanish history. “Knocking at the Door” tourism plan would promote archaeological tours to Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza. Although no specific plans have been laid out, more is to be discussed at the tourism fair, Tianguis Turistico, which begins April 7.
Mexico hopes the Maya Train can also help to attract visitors from China. Once completed in 2024, the railway can take passengers from Cancun to Palenque, and several destinations in between.
Currently, Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Hainan Airlines have flights that take passengers directly to Mexico City. And United, ANA, Air Canada, and Aeromexico airlines, offer connection flights between cities in China and Mexico City.
Although Mexico remains hopeful on attracting Chinese tourists to their country, they may face some hardships. Visit Mexico, the country’s main marketing website, is translated in Mandarin, yet there is minimal engagement despite more than 100,000 followers. Even more, the WeChat account hasn’t been active since 2017.
Even with these circumstances, Mexico hopes their stellar reputation of cultural sites and museums, such as the National Anthropology Museum (Museo Nacional de Antropología) and the Museum of the Palace of Fine Arts (Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes) in Mexico can be an impetus for luring more Chinese tourists.
Nearly 100,000 Chinese tourists visited Mexico in 2018, which was an increase of 16 percent from the previous year. A target goal for this year has not yet been determined. The Secretary of Tourism is handling promotions, but in the near future Mexican states plan to visit China as part of their promotion efforts. Mexico Develops Plan to Attract More Chinese Tourists
