Mexico Wooing One Billion Chinese Tourists

Pursuing the potential at the China Outbound Travel and Tourism
Market

Efforts to promote Mexico's tourism destinations are being heard
half way around the globe. Mexico is ahead of many tourism
destinations in courting the fast-growing Chinese market. For
the second consecutive year in a row, the Mexico Tourism Board
participated in what is now one of the most attended
business-to-business outbound travel events in China, the 2007
China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market (COTTM), which took
place at the China World Trade Center in Beijing on May 14 - 16.

As one of the 132 countries around the globe to be given the
status of Approved Destination Status (ADS) by the Chinese
government, Mexico, where tourism ranks as its second-highest
source of foreign revenue, is especially eager to increase
visitor influx and expenditure from this region. The 2007 COTTM,
which attracted more than 200 exhibitors from 40 different
countries across the world, was attended by Mexico Tourism
Board's CEO, Francisco Lopez Mena. As part of President Felipe
Calderon's agenda to stimulate the tourism industry in Mexico,
Lopez Mena was an active participant in all promotional events
that took place in Beijing.

"China's emergence in the world market has significant
implications for the global economy, and especially for the
tourism industry," said Mexico Tourism Board CEO, Francisco
Lopez Mena. "We are quite ambitious about the Chinese market and
are eyeing the potential it is representing already to our
tourism economy," added Lopez Mena.

According to the World Tourism Organization as many as 100
million Chinese will be traveling abroad annually by 2020, and
the number of Chinese traveling internationally more than
doubled in just four years. The International Forum on Chinese
Outbound Tourism reports that the number of outbound departures
rose from16.6 million in 2002 to 34.5 million in 2006. Although
over 12,000 visitors traveled to Mexico from China in 2006,
according to latest statistics from the Mexico Tourism Board,
the annual growth rate is over 12% compared to 2005 figures.
This best illustrates the potential upside for Mexico's economy.

Sensing the outbound tourism potential in China and continuing
the government's agenda to strengthening relationships between
the two countries, Mexico was able to change visa procedures for
Hong Kong residents. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
(HKSAR) passport holders visiting Mexico now enjoy visa-free
access for up to 90-day visit. This means greater convenience
for Hong Kong travelers and helps promote trade, business and
tourism relations between the two countries.

Mexico is China's second-largest trading partner in Latin
America after Brazil, and tourism plays an active role in
strengthening cultural and trade relationships. Continuing on
the smooth development of Mexico-China relations, the Mexico
Tourism Board considers China as a friendly and cooperative
partner, and expects to make joint efforts with China to promote
the development of both countries mutual relations in an
all-around way.

About the Mexico Tourism Board The Mexico Tourism Board (MTB)
brings together the resources of federal and state governments,
municipalities and private companies to promote Mexico's tourism
attractions and destinations internationally. Created in 1999,
the MTB is Mexico's tourism promotion agency, and its
participants include members of both the private and public
sectors. The MTB has offices throughout North America, Europe,
Asia and Latin America.

About Chichen-Itza, the World Wonder Swiss-based New7Wonders
Foundation is revising the original seven ancient wonders of the
world, and Mexico's Chichen-Itza in Yucatan State is one of 21
finalists to become a new Seven World Wonder. Declared a UNESCO
World Heritage Site in 1998, Chichen-Itza is considered to have
been one of the greatest Mayan centers of the Yucatan peninsula,
and today is one of the largest and most impressive
archaeological sites in Mexico. To vote for Chichen-Itza as one
of the new Seven World Wonders, visit the "new7wonder" website.
FOR PRESS ONLY: For additional ideas, help with a story or
general travel and tourism information about Mexico, please
contact the MTB's North American Press Room directly at
1-800-929-4555.

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Erick Laseca Mexico Tourism Board 312-228-0517 ext14
erick.laseca@bm.com http://www.visitmexico.com

About the author:
Erick Laseca works for Burson-Marsteller as public relations
liaison for the Mexico Tourism Board in Chicago.