Hotel Execs: Tourism Trending Downward

(Acapulco, JG 25 April) According to Sergio Salmerón Manzanarez, manager of the Playa Suites hotel, Holy Week this year seemed like just about any other weekend. “The trend for the tourism sector in Guerrero is downward,” he said, “especially in Acapulco, where we get most of our traffic on weekends from Mexican visitors, and nothing from Monday to Thursday. This vacation period was good from Friday to Sunday, just like any other weekend.” Salmerón regretted that Acapulco had been unable to “get on board” with the positive inertia reflected in the statistical trends reported by the World Tourism Organization and even the federal Department of Tourism. He said, “There is no chance of recovery in the short term. There are no more high seasons for a while after Holy Week. Fot the last two years, Acapulco’s average occupancy has been under 50% (47.8% and 48%). If we can’t reverse that, the hotel sector will continue to be unprofitable, affecting everyone, including the workers and businesspeople who depend on it.”

Pedro Cano, public relations director of the Crowne Plaza, said that we should be “very proud of and grateful to those who come here from Oaxaca, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Veracruz and Chihuahua. We should treat them very well so that they come back.” His hotel was sold out for nine straight days this year.