Mexico is targeting the business traveler as the key to keeping
tourist dollars flowing south of the border as the industry
continues its post-Sept. 11 recovery.
Starwood starts taking reservations at its first Latin American
W Hotel in Mexico City in September. Located in the Polanco gallery
and theater district, the W Mexico City features a Great Room that
can hold 400 people for a meeting or 300 for dinner. All 237 rooms
have work areas and high-speed data connections and a full-service
Aveda spa.
Hilton Hotels is also expanding in Mexico. The chain opens a $10
million 150-room Hampton Inn in Torreon, Coahuila state, in May
2004.
Coahuila, best known as a center for agribusiness and
maquiladora activity, has recently been luring more high-tech
companies, said Maria Elena Mancha, director of the Mexico Tourism
Board.
Torreon is particularly attractive to business tourists as
Mexico’s only city with four golf courses.
Also in Torreon, the Camino Real Hotel Chain is opening a
five-star executive resort in the lagoon region with 124 rooms and
a 120-car garage.
Airlines are responding to the bump-up in travel to Mexico by
beefing up flights to business and leisure places.
Starting July 7, Aeromexico began offering four flights a week
from Ft. Lauderdale to Mexico City, and increased the number of
weekly flights offered from Chicago to Mexico City to 18.
On July 10, Mexico’s largest airline also added new nonstop
service from Orlando International Airport to Monterrey, Mexico,
with continuing service to Guadalajara.
Also last month, Delta Airlines and Aeromexico launched
code-share service from Ontario, California, to Los Cabos, Mexico,
and from Las Vegas to Monterrey. Alaska Airlines has added daily
service to Guadalajara from Los Angeles, increasing the number of
its Mexican destinations to seven.
