Mexico is moving forward with a new resort development in the Pacific Coast, located 65 miles south of Mazatlan in Escuinapa. Although this resort town under construction has not been named, it is expected to be the largest project of its kind in the last 25 years.
Twice the size of Cancun, the resort development will include archeological sites, fishing villages, nearby islands and key infrastructure elements (highways, hotels, marinas, golf courses) that will make it competitive with other popular resort destinations throughout the country.
The resort area currently boasts an eco-rich environment that encompasses four types of mangroves and 155 species of birds such as the tiger eagle and ibis. Developers say that they will maintain the ecological balance in the area, which spans 5,800 acres.
More than 500 million dollars will be spent on the massive project, which is expected to create 150,000 jobs, according to the Mexico Tourism Board. Mexico’s multimillion dollar investment is a reflection that tourism is still one of the most important industries there. In fact, the Mexico Tourism Board reported a tourism revenue $13.2 billion for 2008.
Mexico reported a 5.9 increase in tourism in 2008, and the airlines have responded adding more flights to Mexico. A case in point, Areomexico now offers nonstop flights from San Francisco, Denver, Los Angeles and Albuquerque, N.M. Jet Blue has also launched new routes from Tampa, Fla., and Washington DC to Cancun, and plans to add service from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Cancun this summer.
www.visitmexico.com
