The Guadalajara Reporter

New year, new opportunity to change view on Jalisco tourism

When it comes to attracting tourism, the state of Jalisco, and indeed all of Mexico, has a perception problem.

There’s no doubt Jalisco boasts beautiful beaches—including well-known Puerto Vallarta—gorgeous pueblos magicos in forested mountains, along with plenty of history and culture right here in Guadalajara. Even so, tourism has suffered in recent years in the state, and throughout Mexico, as brutal violence connected to the country’s widely reported drug war has spread throughout the world.

While tourists to Mexico should remain cautious, most foreigners living here admit feeling safe most of the time and those looking to boost visitors to the state believe it’s time to build upon what Jalisco already has going for it. For that reason, the Jalisco chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico —a group that works toward improving relations between businesses in the United States and Mexico—recently completed a list of recommendations for the state’s minister of tourism highlighting what can be done to boost tourism in the area.

The time is right, said Jose Manuel Zozayacorrea Kuri, the president of the local chapter of the American Chamber, because ambitious reforms undertaken by the government (including controversial energy reform recently signed into law by President Enrique Peña Nieto) should start boosting Mexico’s economic potential next year.

“We will see a different Mexico in the next year,” Zozayacorrea Kuri said.

Please login or subscribe to view the complete article.