Mazatlan Announces Increased Visitor Numbers, New Tourism Development

At this year’s annual Tianguis Turistico, taking place in Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit, March 25 to 28, 2012, Carlos Bedegue, vice president of the Mazatlan Hotel Association and Tourism Board, announced that visitors to the Pacific Coast city have increased 7 percent over the last five years while the average length of stay has increased 4 percent year-over-year in 2012. The groups and conventions market is up 25 percent and visitors from the U.S. have also increased 1 percent.

Bedegue attributes the increase over the past seven years to the Canadian market, groups and conventions and domestic travelers. Incentive groups are also up by 8 percent over the last year, with American travelers comprising the bulk of these visitors and selecting the destination for its fishing and golf courses.

Bedegue additionally announced an investment of $11 million in promotional monies that will be used on advertising and marketing campaigns across North America, including a redesigned website and new social media platforms as well as banner ads and paperclip campaigns. More than 1,000 testimonial videos from U.S. and Canadian residents of Mazatlan will also be produced.

For 2012, when Bedegue predicts visitors to “the Pearl of the Pacific” will rise another 8 percent, plans are slated to get underway for a new $4 million cultural walkway, connecting the city’s cruise ship port with its historic district. Delta Airlines is also considering new service between its Atlanta hub and Mazatlan and United may inaugurate service between San Francisco and Mazatlan. A new shopping mall is also set to open in its first phase in November.