Hundreds of thousands of Chinese tourists visit the United States each year, but fewer than 50,000 went to its southern neighbour Mexico last year. But Mexico’s looking to change that.

Its tourism secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu has been visiting Hong Kong and the mainland to woo Chinese investors and tourists.

She said that last year Mexico saw about 1,500 Hong Kong visitors and around 47,000 from the mainland. “We’re looking to grow those flows” she added at the start of her two-day visit this week.

Massieu was expected to meet Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Greg So Kam-leung, among others. In Beijing, she met key government figures in the tourism industry and representatives of Air China and Hainan airlines.

Her visit comes shortly after President Xi Jinping and Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto signed a memorandum of understanding for greater cooperation between the two countries.

In June, President Xi Jinping was on a tour in Latin America. His last stop in Mexico was the country’s cultural crown jewel, Chichen Itza. The ancient Mayan site was one of Mexico’s most famous symbols and was a major draw for tourists. Mexico’s secretary of tourism had shared with us its significance to the country.

Massieu said choosing this landmark site as the last stop for President Xi Jinping’s visit shows how much they value the relationship between the two countries.

Visiting the state of Yucatan is a must for anyone who wants to experience the Mayan culture. The area is saturated with historic sites, most notably the mythical city of Chichen Itza.

Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism Claudia Ruiz Massieu. Photo: Bloomberg

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and considered to be one of the most ingenious creations in the world, the ancient Mayan city has been internationally treasured and visited by millions of tourists for decades. The 2012 apocalypse prediction has made it an even more popular site which fuelled the country’s tourism industry.

First built in 435 AD, the ancient city houses Mayan architectures of all ages. And the most renowned of them all is the Temple of Kukulkan. The enormous 9th century pyramid covers an area of over 3,000 square metres. Its four faces represent the four seasons. There are 364 steps on each of its four stairways. The ingenious design and precise scientific measurements showcase a profound wisdom that bewilders modern architects.

“It’s one of the wonders of the world…That’s one of the things we share with China,” Ruiz said.

Massieu said Mexico was looking to find investors in its tourism infrastructure such as a planned railway between the resort towns of Merida and Cancun, as well as for the telecommunications sector.

Massieu stressed there was more to Mexico – with its ancient Mayan pyramids, gastronomy and eco-parks – than the beach resorts frequented by the Americans who make up the bulk of the nation’s tourists.

Massieu said Mexico was looking to shed this image abroad. Plans included increasing the visibility of Mexico’s culture by hosting food exhibitions in China, for example.

In the first quarter of 2013, Mexico has seen a 35 percent increase in the number of Chinese tourists from the previous year. China has therefore become one of its key tourism markets.

Chichen Itza attracts 3.5 million visitors every year, with 15 percent of them coming from China. Mexico hopes President Xi Jinping’s visit can allow more Chinese people to discover the country’s abundant tourist resources and create more opportunities for the two countries’ cultural exchanges.

In Hong Kong, the number of Mexican restaurants has been on the rise, with the recent addition of Brickhouse, Socialito, and Taco Chaca among others.

Extracted from:

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1286488/mexico-woos-chinese-tourists-and-investors

http://english.cntv.cn/program/cultureexpress/20130607/103176.shtml

– see more at: http://www.sbeintl.com/

Don't be shellfish...