Fonatur Will Help Rescue Acapulco’s Traditional Zone

(Acapulco, NA 26 April) The National Fund for Promoting Tourism (Fonatur) has announced that it will intervene in the investment and management of the renewal of the traditional zone of Acapulco. The objective is to raise hotel occupancy rates and provide services and facilities like those offered in better situated tourist destinations. The Guerrero State Secretary of Tourism, Graciela Báez Ricárdez, recalled to the press that Ixtapa was a planned unit development of Fonatur, starting in 1974, as was Cancún, and both have been very successful. Ixtapa led the State of Guerrero in occupancy rates for Holy Week at 90%.

The Ixtapa example also shows that the trust for tourism that operates Fonatur can function efficiently. “They have their problems,” she said, ”but they are clearly identified and are being resolved. Their promotional campaign in the United States is very successful.” The remark was somewhat pointed, as money spent in promoting Acapulco in the United States is not considered well spent. Critics have said that most of it stays in Mexico with well-connected friends of the government. The portion that is spent on direct promotion is spent by people who are not promotion and advertising professionals, and who are not local to the target markets.

Local Hotel Association president, Padro Haces Sordo, seemed non-committal. He said that Ixtapa has an easier job because it is smaller and more homogeneous. “We are many zones,” he said. Admitting that Acapulco has grown much in recent years, and not always in a balanced way, he said, “We can learn something from other destinations. We are very much on time.” Smaller destinations just outside of Acapulco matched or exceeded the numbers for Holy Week in the traditional zone. Coyuca reached 96% of capacity, while San Jerónimo, La Union and Petalán reached 85% occupancy.