Meagan Drillinger
In just over a month, Mexico’s state of Yucatan will host 10,000 people for the 45th edition of the Tianguis Turistico. The event was supposed to be held in the spring of 2020, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic was pushed back to this November. In what is slated to be one of the largest tourism events since the pandemic, Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism and the state of Yucatan are calling this the “rebirth of tourism” and are planning to put both the state and country in the spotlight.
“This is probably the most important edition of Tianguis because everyone is expecting it after Covid -19,” said Michelle Fridman Hirsch, minister of tourism of Yucatan. “It will be a different Tianguis as many things have changed, but we are expecting around 10,000 people among exhibitors, buyers and other attendees.”
The conference, taking place Nov. 16 to 19 in Merida, will include the participation from all 32 states in Mexico as well as attendees from more than 70 countries.
Maintaining safety standards
A gathering of 10,000 people is quite an undertaking as we are still in the throes of a global pandemic. But the state of Yucatan has been a leader in Mexico when it comes to maintaining biosecurity. Back in February, the state announced that it was creating a “biosecurity bubble” that created health and safety uniformity across all entities, extending beyond hotels and restaurants to include transportation, the airport and the port.
“We need to be concerned about keeping [the event] safe,” said Fridman. “We’ve been implementing the protocols and measures in order to keep it safe with our visitors and with people in Yucatan.”
Attendees are required to submit a Covid-19 test and will also likely have to show a vaccination card, though that detail is still being confirmed with the event’s security team.
“The good news about Yucatan is that it has been a Covid-friendly destination even before Covid,” Fridman added. “It is not a massive destination with a lot of tourists. Yucatan is a destination with a lot of diversity and open spaces. It is what a tourist is looking for after Covid-19 and it is now a reference in terms of biosecurity.”
Yucatan in the spotlight
What will remain the same at this year’s edition of Tianguis is that the host state is put in the spotlight. The state has been waiting for this moment for two years since it was announced as the next host in 2019, and everyone involved is eager to show off the hundreds of projects that have been put in motion since.
“Since 2019, we decided to develop a whole bunch of new products for tourism,” Fridman said. “More than 100 new products have been developed in different areas of Yucatan.”
As part of the economic recovery plan, the state of Yucatan launched a tourism promotion campaign called “365 Days in Yucatan.” It was designed to encourage local and regional travel and is made up of an itinerary of 365 activities — one for each day of the year. Activities include visiting the ruins at Uxmal, exploring the cenotes, visiting the pink flamingos along the coast and exploring the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya.
During Tianguis, the state will unveil some new projects, as well. The new Xcaret park, Xibalba, will be inaugurated as part of the Tianguis event, as well as other projects like a new Mayan villages program.
Yucatan has also been working to spotlight its coast, called the Yucatan Riviera. The town of Progreso has long been a port of call for cruise ships, and it received a 20% growth of ships arriving in 2020. Along with that came a new boardwalk, restaurants, boutique hotels and beach clubs. But the difference with this beach destination is its focus on sustainability.
“We have amazing beaches, but we believe it is important to keep it sustainable,” Fridman said. “We want to develop the coastal area, not only in Progreso, but also Sisal and Celestun. But we will not want to see huge hotels with 1,000 rooms. That is not what Yucatan needs or wants. We will see new boutique hotels, sustainable hotels, with the essence of Yucatan.”
Another exciting project will be the development of Las Coloradas area. This section of pink lakes is part of a salt industry and has become one of the most photographed spots in Mexico thanks to the contrast of the pink lakes next to the turquoise sea. Yucatan will be turning this area into a sustainable destination where visitors can come and enjoy more than just the photo opportunity.
“Together [with the salt industry] we have been developing a project that will include a spa, restaurant, hotels and activities, where visitors can come to enjoy. It is going to be a beautiful destination on its own,” said Fridman. More details will be announced during Tianguis.
Improving connectivity
One of the goals of Yucatan is to improve and increase its connectivity. New flights have been launched from Dallas; Houston; Miami; Oakland, Calif.; and Tijuana.
“We’re still looking for new connectivity,” said Fridman. “The airport of Cancun is well connected and is only 30 minutes away from the Yucatan border.” To capitalize on this, the state of Yucatan is working with transportation to launch a shuttle service between Cancun and Merida. This will be put into practice for Tianguis to assess the performance and see if it will be something that can be used for travelers in the near future.
As for the Mayan train project, it is still a plan that is being put in motion. “It is a federal project, but at least in Yucatan we already have some buildings for the Mayan train,” confirmed Fridman. “I am not sure if they are doing the whole circuit, but the route that goes between Cancun and Merida is getting built at this moment, which will also be a nice way to connect between Cancun and Merida.”
