The Chamber of Deputies, Mexico’s lower house, approved a constitutional amendment Tuesday that will permit foreigners to have direct title to their properties located within the “Restricted Zone” – 100 kilometers within the nation’s borders and 50 kilometers of its coastline.  The legislation passed by 356 votes to 119, with only left-of-center legislators voting against the reform.  It still requires approval by the Senate and at least half of Mexico’s 32 state legislatures, before it can be signed into law by the president – a process that could be lengthy.

Opinions are divided on whether loosening the ownership regulations will significantly increase foreign investment in Mexico.

Legislators who gave a thumbs down to the bill argued that relaxing the law could lead to the “foreign colonization” of the country and rampant real estate speculation.Realtors on the ground in coastal resorts believe predictions of a potential four-fold increase in real estate sales are way off the mark.

“I don’t think (lifting the restriction) is going to have the major impact that some people are saying. I’d love to be wrong but I don’t think I am,” said Wayne Franklin, director general of Tropicasa Realty in Puerto Vallarta, and a former president of the Vallarta  Board of Realtors.  “It may open the eyes of a few people who don’t understand the trust (fideicomisio) system and may not have purchased as a result of that.  But in 15 years I have never lost a deal because of that. It is a question in people’s minds but not a deterrent for purchasing.”

Foreigners are entitled to purchase property in Restricted Areas and are considered the rightful owners,  However, Article 27 of the Mexican Constitution states that they are not the legal title holders of the land, which remains in government hands. While they are free to sell or modify their properties or land as they wish, the titles are held by a third party, usually a bank trust. The bank charges an annual fee and has legally responsibility to represent the buyer’s interest in the property.

Legislators from the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) said allowing foreigners to own property outright would encourage tourism development and create jobs.

Franklin said many foreigners may decide to keep their properties in a bank trust despite the law change because they like the benefits.

Trusts allow property owners to add beneficiaries to avoid Mexican probate in the case of death.

“That’s no small thing,” Franklin said.  “We are looking mainly at a mid-range to elder clientele and when they do pass on the banks simply needs to recognize the substitute beneficiary rather than having to go through the probate process, which is no more fun in Mexico than anywhere else.”

In addition, the cost of withdrawing from a trust could be as high as 2,000 dollars, Franklin estimated.  Another point in their favor is that trust fees are far more standardized today than in the past, he noted.

The measure to restrict foreign ownership near borders and the coast was outlined in the Constitution of 1917,  following Mexico’s bloody seven-year revolution and civil war. The threat of foreign invasion was considered a real possibility at that time.

Allowing owners of property in the Restricted Zones to have full legal title corrects a long standing anomaly in investment law and brings Mexico into the modern financial era, many economic experts say.

Franklin stressed that while lifting the regulation will undoubtedly improve Mexico’s image abroad, it doesn’t change the economic reality.  “If all of a sudden they eliminated capital gains tax or cut closing costs in half, then you would have your four times multiples of people coming in to buy. But you still have to have the cash to purchase the property.”

Nonetheless, Franklin said the real estate market in the Puerto Vallarta has “improved dramatically this year.

“There are more people coming into town. A lot more people have been buying this year.”

Franklin said Canadians and Mexicans are buying strongly, and that Americans are “still catching their breath” but starting to open their eyes and realize that “Mexico isn’t Afghanistan.”

He also noted that unlike in many parts of the United States, property values in Vallarta have remained relatively stable, partly because “people don’t have that mortgage payment eating at them every month so there is less sense of urgency to sell.”  He said the low costs of maintaining a property in Mexico is another reason why many people do not need to sell below market value.

original at:

Lower house votes to ease restrictions on foreign ownership of land at coast, borders.

Posted on May 6th, 2013 by Tropicasa Realty
Filed under: Articles | No Comments »

• The basis of the old law was from 1937 (even though it had suffered multiple reforms) and the world immigration issues have dramatically changed for Mexico since that time. The underlying core of the law no longer applied.
• Mexico is party to several international treaties regarding human rights. The previous law’s structure did not take these into consideration and therefore a major overhaul was needed to structure a law that reflected the obligations set forth in these treaties.
• “Due process” and the presumption of innocence are central parts of the law, as well as the fact that you are allowed an interpreter, an attorney and immediate access to your consulate. All authorities must observe these basic rights. Also only the immigration authority (no other authority) can retain your documents only if they feel that they are false.
• Simplification was needed not only regarding the different types of visas that existed, but also regarding the immigration procedure.

As of the date of this document not all of the guidelines have yet been published. We expect that the immigration authority, during the next 2 – 3 years, will be redefining many of the procedures for acquiring visas and it will not be uncommon to get conflicting issues from two different authorities in separate immigration offices. Also, the tax laws and other laws and regulations will need to be modified to take into consideration the changes made to the immigration law. As further information is available, we will be reporting it.

The Major Chances at a Glance

The Old Law

The New Law

• Family members of Mexicans or other Permanent Residents under the “Family Unity” dispositions—see further on.
• A retired person, with sufficient income to “live in the country”. Right now they want you to show a monthly account balance of $1,619,000 pesos (25,000 times minimum wage). Note: there is no obligation here for you first to have the Temporary Resident permit for 4 years.
• Because you have had the Temporary Residence for four years.
• For having children of Mexican nationality by birth.
• For being family of Mexican nationals by birth, up to the second grade or tier.

Family Unity

Procedure to Acquire Visas

General Rule

Exceptions to the general rule

• Article 41 – it is to preserve “Family Unity”, for an offer of work or for humanitarian reasons.
• Article 53 – “you have a relation with a Mexican or foreigner with residence in Mexico”. We are not sure how open the concept of “relation” is.

General Issues of Interest

• Under the old FM-2 you had to be in the country 182 days a year or it was automatically revoked. This disposition does not exist for either Temporary or Permanent Residents. This was a problem before for people that wanted the tax exemptions on the sale of their Primary Residence because they needed an FM-2 but could not meet the 182 day requirement.
• Under which visas can I have my car and house hold items in the country? Articles 52 and 54 of the law say that you can bring your property into Mexico “subject to the applicable legislation” – which in this case are the tax laws and customs laws. Right now those laws have not changed to take  into consideration the reforms of this law and therefore right now we are uncertain of the implications.
• If you were an “immigrant” under the old law you were not required to get a further permit to work. The new law is not as clear here. Article 52 fraction IX states that Permanent Residents can work for pay, however Article 54, second to last paragraph says that you require an additional authorization to work for pay. The Rules of the law (Article 164)  states the all Permanent Residents can work for pay. We hope this aspect of the law will be clarified in the coming months.
• It is still not clear if a person on the board of a Condominium or Non-profit will be required to get a Temporary Resident Permit or Permanent Resident permit, or if the Visitor’s Visa will be enough.
• If the immigration authority removed you from Mexico (ordered you to leave), you now have to ask permission to come back in. Under the old law if you got thrown out of the country, in most cases you could come back in on the next flight.
• Article 60 states that a foreigner, regardless of their immigration status, personally or via proxy, can open a bank account. The old law was not clear here and most banks did not allow you to have an account without an FM3 or FM-2.
• Once you get a Temporary Resident or Permanent Resident visa, you have 30 days counting from entering the country to register with the local immigration office. Furthermore any change in nationality, address, civil status or work must be notified to immigration within 90 days of the change.
• If you have a company that wants to hire foreign employees, the company needs to register with immigration.
• If old law states that if you wanted to marry a Mexican national you were required to get a permit from immigration. This is no longer a requirement.

read original at:

General Outline for the new immigration law of Mexico : Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Real Estate – MLS Service : Puerto Vallarta,….

Posted on April 23rd, 2013 by Tropicasa Realty
Filed under: Articles | Comments Off

High street stores do not come much more Mexican than Sanborns. With its rather disjointed collection of chocolates, jewellery and magazines and its cafeterias staffed by waitresses in folkloric skirts, the retail chain has long been a symbol of homespun tradition.

But even with its chaotic charm and staid looks, Sanborns, owned by Carlos Slim, the world’s richest man, is now also becoming a symbol of Mexico’s new-found economic dynamism.

read more on: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/dc545d0a-696a-11e2-8d07-00144feab49a.html#axzz2PEj1ary2

Posted on April 1st, 2013 by Tropicasa Realty
Filed under: Articles | Comments Off

IN India, people ask you about China, and, in China, people ask you about India: Which country will become the more dominant economic power in the 21st century? I now have the answer: Mexico.

Impossible, you say? Well, yes, Mexico with only about 110 million people could never rival China or India in total economic clout. But here’s what I’ve learned from this visit to Mexico’s industrial/innovation center in Monterrey. Everything you’ve read about Mexico is true: drug cartels, crime syndicates, government corruption and weak rule of law hobble the nation. But that’s half the story. The reality is that Mexico today is more like a crazy blend of the movies “No Country for Old Men” and “The Social Network.”

Something happened here. It’s as if Mexicans subconsciously decided that their drug-related violence is a condition to be lived with and combated but not something to define them any longer. Mexico has signed 44 free trade agreements — more than any country in the world — which, according to The Financial Times, is more than twice as many as China and four times more than Brazil. Mexico has also greatly increased the number of engineers and skilled laborers graduating from its schools. Put all that together with massive cheap natural gas finds, and rising wage and transportation costs in China, and it is no surprise that Mexico now is taking manufacturing market share back from Asia and attracting more global investment than ever in autos, aerospace and household goods.

“Today, Mexico exports more manufactured products than the rest of Latin America put together,” The Financial Times reported on Sept. 19, 2012. “Chrysler, for example, is usingMexico as a base to supply some of its Fiat 500s to the Chinese market.” What struck me most here in Monterrey, though, is the number of tech start-ups that are emerging from Mexico’s young population — 50 percent of the country is under 29 — thanks to cheap, open source innovation tools and cloud computing.

“Mexico did not waste its crisis,” remarked Patrick Kane Zambrano, director of the Center for Citizen Integration, referring to the fact that when Mexican companies lost out to China in the 1990s, they had no choice but to get more productive. Zambrano’s Web site embodies the youthful zest here for using technology to both innovate and stimulate social activism. The center aggregates Twitter messages from citizens about everything from broken streetlights to “situations of risk” and plots them in real-time on a phone app map of Monterrey that warns residents what streets to avoid, alerts the police to shootings and counts in days or hours how quickly public officials fix the problems.

“It sets pressure points to force change,” the center’s president, Bernardo Bichara, told me. “Once a citizen feels he is not powerless, he can aspire for more change. … First, the Web democratized commerce, and then it democratized media, and now it is democratizing democracy.”

If Secretary of State John Kerry is looking for a new agenda, he might want to focus on forging closer integration with Mexico rather than beating his head against the rocks of Israel, Palestine, Afghanistan or Syria. Better integration of Mexico’s manufacturing and innovation prowess into America’s is a win-win. It makes U.S. companies more profitable and competitive, so they can expand at home and abroad, and it gives Mexicans a reason to stay home and reduces violence. We do $1.5 billion a day in trade with Mexico, and have been spending $300 million a day in Afghanistan. Not smart.

We need a more nuanced view of Mexico. While touring the Center for Agrobiotechnology at Monterrey Tech, Mexico’s M.I.T., its director, Guy Cardineau, an American scientist from Arizona, remarked to me that, in 2011, “my son-in-law returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan and we talked about having him come down and visit for Christmas. But he told me the U.S. military said he couldn’t come because of the [State Department] travel advisory here. I thought that was very ironic.”

Especially when U.S. companies are expanding here, which is one reason Mexico grew last year at 3.9 percent, and foreign direct investment in Monterrey hit record highs.

“Twenty years ago, most Mexican companies were not global,” explained Blanca Treviño, the president and founder of Softtek, one of Mexico’s leading I.T. service providers. They focused on the domestic market and cheap labor for the U.S. “Today, we understand that we have to compete globally” and that means “becoming efficient. We have a [software] development center in Wuxi, China. But we are more efficient now in doing the same business from our center in Aguascalientes, [Mexico], than we are from our center in Wuxi.”

Mexico still has huge governance problems to fix, but what’s interesting is that, after 15 years of political paralysis, Mexico’s three major political parties have just signed “a grand bargain,” a k a “Pact for Mexico,” under the new president, Enrique Peña Nieto, to work together to fight the big energy, telecom and teacher monopolies that have held Mexico back. If they succeed, maybe Mexico will teach us something about democracy. Mexicans have started to wonder about America lately, said Bichara from the Center for Citizen Integration. “We always thought we should have our parties behave like the United States’ — no longer. We always thought we should have the government work like the United States’ — no longer.”

<nyt_correction_bottom style=”font-family: georgia, ‘times new roman’, times, serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 15px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);”>

How Mexico Got Back in the Game – NYTimes.com.

Posted on February 25th, 2013 by Tropicasa Realty
Filed under: Articles | Comments Off

Read the Tripadvisor’s Top 10 Destinations in Mexico

http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Destinations-cTop-g150768

Posted on January 4th, 2013 by Tropicasa Realty
Filed under: Articles | Comments Off

Canadians may think of Mexico as a country devastated by violence and drug-related crime. The stock market offers a far more optimistic view.

Mexico’s bourse is the second-best performing major market in the world so far this year, lagging only Germany’s. The benchmark IPC index has soared 23.6 per cent in U.S.-dollar terms (20 per cent in Canadian-dollar terms), as investors have become increasingly convinced that cartel violence can’t derail Mexico’s economic growth.

The country’s manufacturers are now competitive with low-wage Asian countries. And a series of reforms could unshackle its labour market, leading to even bigger gains for the Mexican economy and for investors.

“This is a market that was dead in the water for a long time,” said Scott Piper, portfolio manager of Excel Funds Management Inc.’s Latin America Fund. Now, he said, “we’re seeing capital markets expanding, the number of [listed companies] increasing. We think that [the proposed reforms] are structural long-term positives for the market.”

Driving Mexico’s ascent is a rapidly closing wage gap with China. In 2002, Mexican workers earned more than twice Chinese wages; now, thanks largely to rising Chinese salaries, they earn 14 per cent more, according to a JPMorgan study.

Combined with Mexico’s low shipping costs to major markets in the U.S. and Canada, the newly competitive wages are turning Mexican manufacturing into an unsung powerhouse. In 2011, Mexico touted itself as the world’s largest exporter of flat-screen television sets and fourth-largest car exporter.

A series of reforms to the country’s financial and labour markets has provided further fuel for Mexico’s economy. Economists now suggest that it could surge past Brazil to become the fastest-growing economy in Latin America.

President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto’s Industrial Revolutionary Party, while without a majority in congress, is working with opposition parties to push through measures that would allow hourly wages instead of daily rates, and loosen rules on hiring and firing. Also on the drawing board are proposals to revamp tax collection for increased revenue and to allow privatization in Mexico’s energy sector.

If the reforms are passed, Mexico is well positioned to become Latin America’s biggest economy by 2022, according to a Nomura Emerging Markets Research report.“We believe that, over time, capital will likely flow much more efficiently to Mexico than Brazil,” Benito Berber, Nomura’s senior Latin America strategist and co-author of the report, said in an interview.

While many emerging stock markets are dominated by foreign investors, recent reforms have helped create a domestic base of buyers, according to Adam Kutas, who manages Fidelity Investments Canada ULC’s Latin America fund. “That’s very positive” for the country’s investing environment, he said.

The financial market reforms, passed in 2009 and 2010, saw Mexico’s first real estate investment trust come to market, and introduced structured equity securities called CKDs that are intended for heavy investments from pension funds.

With more than half of Mexico’s population under 25, the country’s pension funds are likely to be net buyers of equities for decades to come.

Some fund managers now see the country as a relatively safe bet for global investors who are prepared to be patient.

“Mexico is the natural stop for risk-averse investors if they want to get into emerging markets,” says William Landers, senior portfolio manager of BlackRock Inc.’s Latin American equity funds.

The easiest way for Canadian investors to get cheap, broad exposure to the Mexican stock market is through the MSCI Mexico Investable Market Index Fund. The exchange-traded fund, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, is up nearly 25 per cent year to date.

Mexican wireless giant America Movil is also listed on the NYSE, making up about 10 per cent of Fidelity’s Latin America Fund portfolio. “Mexicans are very early adopters of smartphone tech and smartphone use,” Mr. Kutas says, particularly because of their young demographic.

Commercial retail is another way into the Mexican stock market, with brands like Wal-Mart de Mexico available to non-Mexican investors. Among Mr. Landers’s favourite picks is beverage company Fomento Economico Mexican, or FEMSA, for its growing suite of Oxxo convenience stores.

With property values remaining low in Mexico, XL fund manager Mr. Piper believes real estate is a wise investment. “We think property values will continue to gain over time,” he said. Fibra UNO, Mexico’s only publicly traded REIT, has gained 35 per cent in value so far in 2012, though it only trades on the Mexican Stock Exchange.

Original at:

Mexico’s market shines as reforms, confidence take hold – The Globe and Mail.

Posted on October 25th, 2012 by Tropicasa Realty
Filed under: Articles | Comments Off

I love beaches, but I get bored quickly and soon look for something a bit more exciting to do. Experiencing a kilometre-long zipline at speeds of 100 km/h through a Mexican jungle qualifies.

The zipline in question is near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and at 1,200 metres in length is the longest in Mexico. (For the record, the longest in the world is in Peru and is more than 2 kilometres long.) I was invited by the Puerto Vallarta Convention and Visitors Bureau to try it.

It’s operated by Vallarta Adventures, a big tour operator in the Pacific coast town that offers a wide variety of activities for tourists . They work with the cruise ships that come to town so they’ve got a steady stream of business. But you don’t have to be a cruise-ship passenger to take advantage of their services. They can easily accommodate independent travellers.

From the beach, you can see the mountains rise up behind Puerto Vallarta. It’s there that the ziplines sit, high in the jungle, several kilometres away from the city.

To get there, Vallarta Adventures ships out their customers in a vintage, military truck where passengers sit face to face on benches in the back. The drive out takes about an hour and gives you a chance to appreciate the rural scenery as you wind your way up into the hills.

The drive into the camp is reminiscent of scenes from the Jurassic Park movies with tourists being driven in open trucks on rough, dirt roads through the jungle. There were no dinosaurs here, but the big zipline was certainly dinosaur-sized in our imaginations as we approached.

Nicknamed Big Papa, the longest zipline is the day’s climax, but the activities that precede it are equally exciting with each providing greater adrenaline rushes than the one before.

The guides are enthusiastic and energetic and do their best to amp up the visitors to have a good time. It works.

Read the complete article here:

A ride on Mexico’s longest zipline is an experience to remember | canada.com.

Posted on October 25th, 2012 by Tropicasa Realty
Filed under: Articles | Comments Off

To dive or not to dive. That’s one of the luxuries of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where the warm tropical ocean teems with colorful fish and giant turtles while the land attractions offer plenty of space for work and play.
 
Nested between the Sierra Madre Mountains and the Banderas Bay, Puerto Vallarta has been gaining ground as incentive, as well as trade show and convention destination.
 
Its home state of Jalisco may be famous for tequila and Mariachi, but this beachfront town can hold its own with plenty of colonial charm, lots of new and established convention infrastructure and a friendly attitude, not to mention the ocean that’s impossible to resist. One of its top assets also is accessibility thanks to several non-stop flights from U.S. cities.
 
Puerto Vallarta got on the convention map in a big way when it hosted the 2012 World Economic Forum on Latin America, which was inaugurated this morning by Mexico’s President Felipe Calderón at the Puerto Vallarta International Convention Center. Over 900 global leaders in business and politics required a red-carpet treatment, and the destination delivered.  Several high-profile events have followed and are on the books for 2013.
 
“One of the reasons why we’re seeing an increase in our conventions is because organizers feel that it’s safe here,” said Laura Sauzes Ramirez, vice president of sales and marketing for Puerto Vallarta International Convention Center. “We’ve never experienced any issues. There are over 80 cameras that monitor high-traffic tourist areas and for specific events, local authorities provide additional security.”
 
Opened in 2009, the convention center is able to accommodate events from 15 to 5,000 people. It offers 53,820 square feet of convention and trade show space, including 4,843 square feet of flexible meeting space upstairs that can be divided into seven rooms.
 
The outdoor plaza has 247,578 square feet and can be used for performances and receptions. The venue also has a fully stocked kitchen that can provide food and beverage for up to 1,500 attendees simultaneously.
 
As part of its conservation and sustainability mission, the convention center supports “El Salado” Estuary; a protected mangrove and marsh oasis on some 42 acres adjacent to the venue. The main characters here are crocodiles, iguanas, crabs and thousands of birds.
 
Groups can take a boat ride through the marshes and get up close and personal with the wildlife in their natural habitat or even participate in a releasing program when during specific times a year hundreds of baby iguanas and 3-year-old crocs are released into the wild.
 
Groups also are able to be part of the conservation efforts at several hotels, including Marriott Casamagna Puerto Vallarta. Along with making their own tequila, this hotel has its own turtle hatchery. Every summer and fall hundreds of sea turtles come to lay their eggs on the nearby beaches and are particularly impartial to the beach volleyball courts and other high-traffic areas.  Marriott Casamagna employs a biologist who rescues the eggs and places them in a special incubation area.  After 45 days baby turtles are ready to face the rough seas.
 
“It’s important for us to protect the areas where we do business,” said Lourdes Bizzarro, public relations manager for the hotel. “That’s why we have a biologist on our team. It’s part of our brand philosophy.” Marriott Casamagna offers 443 rooms and 9,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.
 
Puerto Vallarta is seeing an increase in convention tourism, as well as tourism in general, said Alfonso Robledo, director of sales and marketing for Sheraton Buganvillas Resort and Convention Center. Among the most popular industries are medical, oil and pharmaceutical. Sheraton offers 477 rooms and 17,000 meeting space, including 8,000 square foot  trade show floor with direct loading access.
 
As part of the trend, several new properties are ready to welcome guests to their all-inclusive havens. Secrets Vallarta Bay, a stunning adults-only property right out of Restoration Hardware catalogue, opened in the spring of 2012 and features 271 rooms.
 
The adjacent Now Amber is family friendly and features 327 rooms. The two properties share 8,351 square feet of flexible meeting space, even though direct beach access and numerous azure pools with free Mai Tais make it very difficult to work. A few miles away, a waterfront Hilton Puerto Vallarta is scheduled to open in October 2012. It has a contemporary vibe and offers 259 rooms as well square feet 7, 212 feet of flexing meeting space.
 
One of the joys of this destination is the abundance of activities for companions. The vibrant downtown has plenty of colonial charm mixed with the refined culture of galleries and restaurants of the Malecon, a waterfront promenade beautiful at sunset.  Outdoorsy types would enjoy canopy rides through the jungle or a snorkeling excursion at The Marietas, several uninhabited islands billed the “Mexican Galapagos.” It’s a rare place to see blue-footed boobies and watch dolphins ride the surf behind the boat.
 
“It’s also a great place to do nothing at all,” said Edgar Argumedo, general manager at Las Caletas, a private beach retreat about a 20-minute boat ride from downtown. The magic of the warm ocean, palm trees and hammocks here was made famous by film director John Huston who had a sanctuary on this beach and invited Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton to read “The Night of the Iguana” script.
 
Now ordinary mortals, too, can bask in the flickering candle light and listen to the tide as they enjoy a traditional Mexican dinner buffet starring tequila flan and finger-licking carnitas.
 
The venue is able to accommodate up to 500 and also offers daytime activities. At night, a Cirque-du-Soleil style show blends local traditions with the sounds of the surrounding jungle and fire dances.

Puerto Vallarta: A Treasure Chest of Opportunity and Adventure | TSNN Trade Show News.

Posted on October 19th, 2012 by Tropicasa Realty
Filed under: Articles | Comments Off

NEW YORK, NY – Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism, Gloria Guevara released the Sixth Government Report on Tourism. The Report chronicles a period of strong growth in tourism arrivals – both domestic and international – in addition to public and private sector investment in tourism over the past six years. Tourism, which constitutes more than nine percent of Mexico’s gross domestic product, is a national priority.

The report details five key priorities, domestic tourism growth; international tourism growth; public tourism investment; private tourism investment and market diversification.

Mexico has seen a 53.7% increase in private sector investment, from $12,833,000,000 pesos in 2001 to $20,200,000,000 pesos in 2012 – which has been a key factor in Mexico having the best year of tourism ever in 2011 with 23.4 million people [international air arrivals].

Public sector investment has also sky-rocketed, during the Calderon administration, 582% over the administration of President Ernesto Zedillo and 146.8% over the administration of Vicente Fox.

Between 2006 and 2011, the number of domestic and foreign tourists increased from 162 million to 191.5 million (18.2 percent increase), an historic record.

A focus has been on diversification – targeting consumers beyond the U.S. and Canada in an effort to grow tourism to the region. There has been significant growth from 2006 to 2011. Specifically regarding North American tourists – Mexico saw 6,157,505 people in 2006 compared to 7,291,136 people in 2011 – an increase in 18.4% during the time period. Conversely, related to other nationalities – Mexico saw 1,948,612 consumers in 2006 vs. 2,852,084 in 2011 – a significant increase in 46.4%.

Secretary Guevara said that tourism, a corner stone of the Mexican economy, is truly a national priority. Government has forged a strategic alliance between legislators, bureaucrats, business, unions and academics, thereby establishing a solid basis to ensure the future development of the industry.

Mexico aggressively pursued a market diversification strategy to reduce dependence on the United States market, attracting tourists from a wide range of other countries, including Brazil, China, Russia, Canada and Korea.

Secretary Guevara also attributed the success of the sector to the creation of innovative tourism products such as Mundo Maya (“The Mayan World”), Pueblos Magicos (“Magical Towns”), the 18 gastronomic routes, the documentary “Mexico: The Royal Tour”, the Routes of Mexico and an enhanced Magic Towns program.

Mexico’s global image was repositioned in part due to organizing and hosting global forums such as the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Americas Summit, the World Economic Forum (WEF), the T20 meeting of Tourism Ministers in Merida and the G20 held in Los Cabos and participating in forums such as OECD and APEC.
Secretary Guevara said that today more than ever Mexico is seen as a global leader in the tourism industry and is well on track to being a top five destination by 2018.

Mexico Tourism Significant growth across Mexicos tourism industry – eTurboNews.com.

Posted on October 8th, 2012 by Tropicasa Realty
Filed under: Articles | Comments Off

Located on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, Puerto Vallarta was Elizabeth Taylor’s romantic hideaway and the Love Boat’s most popular stop, making millions of people fall in love with Mexico.

Puerto Vallarta’s iconic Malecón is the new main feature. The renewed boardwalk consists of almost 6,000 feet of safe pedestrian public space. Featuring a Mosaic pavement inspired by Huichol mankind’s origins myth, the boardwalk was conceived for local residents and tourists to leisurely spend time shopping, watching live performances under spectacular sunsets, and enjoying a gourmet meal at a wide range of award winning restaurants which have made Puerto Vallarta a world renowned culinary destination.

While maintaining its romantic architecture and cobblestone streets, Old Town Puerto Vallarta has also been made more pedestrian friendly with new lighting. This area offers the perfect backdrop to inspire art lovers, with its vibrant cultural scene.

For the adventurous, Puerto Vallarta provides multi generational families a wide array of outdoor activities. Have a thrilling adventure in the sun by kayaking, horseback riding, racing in a 4×4 or scuba diving year-round. Alternatively, try Puerto Vallarta’s “Extreme Adventure”, a multi-activity tour which includes Mexico’s longest and fastest zip line at 4,000 ft in length and reaching speeds of 60 mph.

This picturesque city is also home to a state-of-the-art convention center, and world-class hotels that hosts multiple events throughout the year. Guests will be impressed by its legendary marina, championship golf courses, and world-class Spas.

Puerto Vallarta is also a leader in ecotourism. Opened earlier this year, El Salado is an urban santuary dedicated to the ecological rehabilitation, research and protection of the area’s ecosystem. El Salado consists of mangrove and marsh vegetation, semi-deciduous and thorn forests. Sitting on a protected area of nearly 330 acres, El Salado is home to more than one hundred species of birds, 29 species of amphibians and reptiles, along with ten species of mammals. El Salado offers expert trainings in wild cocrodile handling and guided tours on pangas (small canoe) through the mangrove canals.

Two of Puerto Vallarta’s newest hotels, Secrets Vallarta Bay and the Now Amber will provide luxury and seclusion. The AM Resorts properties have also introduced new standards of sustainable tourism practices by partnering with the University of Guadalajara to develop trainings and technologies that protect the Bandera’s Bay natural and cultural resources, improve waste management and implement effective procedures for hotel staff to assist in these initiatives.

Scheduled for this winter Hilton Worldwide and Grupo Hotelero Santa Fe will open the Hilton Puerto Vallarta Resort, Mexico’s first all-inclusive Hilton property that will feature vanguard and elegant architectural and design concepts.

Mexi-Go! magazine has covered the destination extensively. Interesting stories and tips from Canadian living in Vallarta can be found in our blogwww.mexi-go.ca

An array of flights and vacation packages are offered by Transat Vacations and Nolitours

For more information on Puerto Vallarta visit it’s recently redesigned web site: www.visitpuertovallarta.com where visitors will find PDF versions of a travel planner, maps and a convenient booking engine to help visitors experience the destination time and time again.

Puerto Vallarta fast facts

? The Puerto Vallarta area features 40 miles of coastline

? Puerto Vallarta was made famous with the film The Night of the Iguana entirely produced on location in 1963

? Vallarta has a population of 220,368 residents (2005 census) of which 6,500 are expatriates, and visited by more than 3.7 million tourists a year

? There are over 1,000 licensed taxis operating in Puerto Vallarta

? Puerto Vallarta offers over 18,150 rooms from luxury 5-star properties to boutique hotels, bed and breakfasts, private homes and condominiums

? Locals refer to the destination as Vallarta

? Puerto Vallarta natives are also known as “salty feet”

Original at: Romantic Puerto Vallarta a mystical city.

Posted on September 10th, 2012 by Tropicasa Realty
Filed under: Articles | Comments Off