Tianguis

Tianguis is an open-air market or bazaar that is traditionally held on certain market days in a town or city neighborhood in Mexico and Central America.

Tianguis - National And International Tourism Sector

Tianguis Turístico is the most prestigious event of its kind in the region, bringing together professionals of the worldwide tourism industry.

"TianguisTuristico" is a national tourism convention organized by the Federal Secretary of Tourism and the Tourism Promotion Council. It is attended by representatives of the national and international tourism sector. The event will be held in Acapulco, Guerrero in the month of April. The Tianguis trade show's main goal is the completion and signing of agreements, alliances, and contracts between companies, destinations and governments to promote the national travel industry. Attendees over the four days include hotel chains, travel agencies, receptive tour operators, meeting planners, tourism promotion trusts, CVBs, state tourism ministries, governors and other key industry players. TianguisTuristico is representative of the kind of large, complex conventions and other mega-events and gatherings Acapulco has held. Acapulco was recently hosted to the Telcel Mexican Tennis Open, which attracted world-class players including Rafael Nadal, Wang Yafan, Nick Kyrgios, and many others for its doubles and singles competitions.

Who Exhibits Tianguis Trade Show?

“TianguisTurístico México” in its 45th edition will be held for the first time in Mérida, Yucatán. It is the most relevant event of the Mexican Tourism sector and a business forum based on pre-established appointments between Buyers and Exhibitors. Mérida is the headquarters that houses the 2020 edition and invites you to participate in this highly professional event in which Mexico promotes its wide variety of tourism products and is projected once again, as a tourist destination of excellence nationally and internationally. The city of Merida awaits you to show the world everything it has to offer, with its streets full of historic buildings and its proximity to natural treasures; an easily accessible destination with the world by land, air, and sea.

The 44th edition of Mexico's most important travel trade show kicked off in the port of Acapulco at the state-of-the-art Forum Mundo Imperial, showcasing 383 marketing suites and 59 corporate pavilions with 114 suites. This is new president Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s first Tianguis. According to data from the Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR), there are 1,249 confirmed buyers, 856 of which are domestic. These buyers will be a part of 47,411 pre-registered business appointments, a new record and an increase of 5.3 percent over the number of appointments held during last year's trade show fair in Mazatlán. The balance of international buyers come from 45 countries including Germany, Argentina, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Brazil, Russia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Korea, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Spain, the United States, the UK, and the Philippines, among others.

Besides the excitement on the exhibit floor with its lively displays of culture and attractions, the official Tianguis program includes several lectures with keynote speakers such as Jaime Alberto Cabal Sanclemente, Secretary-General of the World Trade Organization. Other top industry corporations such as AMResorts and Aeroméxico will also be presenting updates and future plans. The passing of the Tianguis baton from Acapulco to representatives from the city of Mérida, Yucatan for the 2020 event will also take place during the event. The objective of this event is to boost tourism in Mexico and its economy by promoting all travel destinations in the country. The fair involves providers of Mexican tourism services; states and municipalities that exhibit their attractions; tour operators; international travel agencies; and national and foreign journalists. The main participants in the event are:

  • Exhibitors
  • Independent hotels and hotel chains
  • Airlines
  • Tourism Offices of the 32 States of the Mexican Republic
  • Destination Management Companies
  • Tour Operators, Wholesalers, Travel Agents, and Tourist Associations
  • Incentive Houses
  • Event Planners and Group & Convention companies

Why Choose Tianguis Trade Show?

As one of the largest travel events in Latin America, TianguisTuristico will lead to over 40,000 individual business meetings. Among the exhibitors are hotel companies ranging from international chains to independent boutique properties; airlines connecting Mexico to points across the globe; ground transportation companies, as well as DMCs, exhibition halls and other tourism-related companies and organizations. Importantly, all 32 tourism authorities from across the different states of the Mexican Republic will be represented, on hand for meetings, questions and other information about the entire country and its myriad travel destinations. Attendees of TianguisTuristico will enjoy an Acapulco under constant improvement, with new, expanded services and infrastructure investments. With a history dating back to 1976, TianguisTurístico has established itself as the most important promotional event in the sector, in which national and international buyers meet with Mexican companies to generate important commercial relations. Despite the uncertainty surrounding new Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and his impact on the tourism industry, the 2019 edition of TianguisTuristico.

Mexico's Secretary of Tourism Miguel Torruco also announces a new model for tourism promotion in the country. The most significant change will be the disbanding of the Tourism Council of Mexico. The Secretariat of Tourism (SECTUR) will be fully in charge of the industry promotion in Mexico, which will focus on tour operators, airlines, adding new business partners and participation in international fairs. During the opening ceremony, held at the Imperial World Expo Forum, Governor Vila Dosal greeted and spoke with the secretaries of the National Defense, Luis Crescencio Sandoval Gonzalez, and the Navy, Jose Rafael Ojeda Durán, as well as the presidents of the Tourism Commissions of the Senate of the Republic, Antonio Garcia Conejo, and the Chamber of Deputies, Luis Alegre Salazar. The head of Sectur, Miguel Torruco made a special mention to Yucatan, where important anchor projects will be developed with the support of the State Government, among which he mentioned the Armando Manzanero museum, the three new turibus routes, and the haciendas and henequen history. Vila Dosal will hold a series of meetings with top executives and directors of hotel chains, airlines, fairgrounds, tour operators, travel agencies, among others, to promote the tourism strengths of the State, in order to attract new investments.

Tianguis is the largest tourism showcase in all of Mexico, attracting hundreds of local exhibitors, and thousands of international buyers. The event is also open to the general public, providing locals with the knowledge they need to visit other parts of their own country. Still, the main objective remains to put Mexico first and foremost in the global marketplace for tourism. México’s Tourist Tianguis 2019 invites you to participate in this professional, dynamic and highly productive platform. It interacts with the main suppliers of the Mexican tourism industry with buyers from various countries through pre-established business appointments. Ernesto Rodriguez Escalona, Secretary of Tourism of Guerrero State, said it represents a vote of confidence for Acapulco and the Guerrero State to host once again the important Tourist Tianguis, and announced that it will host more than 40,000 individual business meetings.

During the ceremony, the governor of Guerrero, Héctor Astudillo Flores, said that working for tourism represents a counterweight to the evils that afflict the entity, such as insecurity, unemployment, and poverty. Representatives of the 32 states of the Mexican Republic review the latest details in the assembly of the pavilions and stands that will be exhibited during the tourist Tianguis in which more than 1,200 buyers and representatives from several European countries will participate, Asia and America. "Tourism is the friendly face of Mexico, do not neglect it, do not neglect it," said Astudillo. The governor called to strengthen a Mexico and a state of Guerrero with more options to visit and raise the attitude of human warmth. State Secretary of Tourism, Germán Rallis Cumplido, assures that the participation of the Jalisco delegation in the Tourist Tianguis held in Acapulco, and where according to him, was not questioned the issue of insecurity as a factor to inhibit the arrival of more tourists, on the contrary, it was matters of connectivity, infrastructure, and services that prevailed in the work meetings.

TianguisTuristico Mexico is the most important event of the tourism sector in Mexico, where entrepreneurs, hoteliers, travel agents, in-bound operators, tour operators, meeting planners and specialized media of the tourist industry from more than 80 countries in the world, gather to concrete business appointments with all the destinations of the country, being the most representative event for the commercialization of the Mexican tourist offer. TianguisTuristico with thousands of travel industry professionals from across the globe descending on the Port of Acapulco to learn about all the regions of Mexico. Over 1,000 hosted buyers from 43 countries will have the chance to meet 600 exhibitors will spread throughout the 240,000 square feet (22,500 square meters) of the Mundo Imperial, Acapulco's newest convention venue, with capacity for more than 20,000 attendees. “It is an honor and a vote of confidence for Acapulco and the State of Guerrero to host once again the all-important TianguisTuristico,” said Ernesto Rodríguez Escalona, secretary of Tourism of Guerrero. “We are excited that thousands of members of the tourism industry will be coming to Acapulco to learn more about all that we and the entire country of Mexico have to offer the discerning traveler during this 4-day conference and to see the new developments that have recently been planned and opened in the Pacific Ocean beach resort.”

During the days of the meeting, Vila Dosal will receive the award “Chichen Itza, the best archaeological site in Mexico” and the award to organize and host the Tourism Tianguis of 2020, which is expected to close more than 45,000 business appointments and the attendance of more than 1,750 buyers and national and international companies. The Tourist Tianguis of Acapulco is considered one of the ten most important tourist events in the world, together with the International Tourism Fair in Madrid (FITUR), the International Tourism Exchange in Berlin (ITB), the World Tourism and Travel Exhibition in Paris (SMTV), the World Travel Market in London (WTM) and the International Tourism Exchange in Milan (BIT), among others. The event originated in 1976 at the initiative of Miguel Alemán Valdés, former president of Mexico and then president of the National Tourism Council. It is based on the Pow Wow tourist fair in the United States and has been going on for 35 years without interruption. It currently concentrates more than 500 companies providing Mexican tourist services, who meet with national and international buyers through a system of pre-established appointments. For this year, more than 19,000 appointments are estimated between buyers and providers of tourism services.

Unlike other tourist fairs, the Acapulco Tianguis has a unique character, since it is dedicated to promoting and selling a single country, Mexico, with its vast culture, natural beauty, historical wealth and the warmth of its people. This year, in addition, has a special meaning since the Bicentennial of Independence and the Centenary of the Revolution are commemorated and through this event, routes, and destinations of great importance in Mexican history are promoted. The port of Acapulco remains one of the destinations preferred by tourists and offers a great set of sun, beach, and attractions for both the attendees of the Tianguis and for travelers in general. In addition, you can enjoy special events, shows, and a variety of entertainment. Among the exhibitors are hotel companies ranging from international chains to independent boutique properties; airlines connecting Mexico to points across the globe; ground transportation companies, as well as DMCs, exhibition halls and other tourism-related companies and organizations. This meeting will also be an opportunity to show the tourist offer of Mexico represented in sun and beach, culture, adventure, nature, historical routes, colonial heritage, archaeological sites, gastronomy, etc.

As part of the program of this edition of the Tourism Tianguis, two keynote lectures will be presented: one by the Deputy Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Jaime Cabal Sanclemente; the second will be given by Carlos Slim Domit, President of Grupo Carso, with the theme "The era of connectivity, disruption and challenges". Mayan designs, handicrafts, gastronomic shows and technology to promote Yucatecan archeological sites and cenotes, are part of the elements that attract the most attention in this pabellón. Accompanied by Miguel TorrucoMarqués, head of the Ministry of Tourism, and Héctor Astudillo Flores, Governor of Guerrero, the state president inaugurated said space aimed at promoting the attractions that the entity has to offer the world, which, together with security and competitive opportunities, it became the venue of this important event for 2020, which caused interest in visitors and consolidated it as one of the most visited points. Finally, the “Estafeta Pass” will be held for the Tourism Tianguis of Mexico, whose headquarters will be “Mérida 2020”, and later the Secretary of Tourism of the Government of Mexico will hold a ceremony for the delivery of Recognitions to the Sponsors of the Tianguis.

Together with Michelle Fridman, secretary of Tourism Development, Vila Dosal and TorrucoMarqués made a tour of the different areas of the state pavilion, which from the beginning of the day attracted the eyes of the attendees, who, among other activities, tasted the typical dishes of the entity that were offered in the gastronomic bar. From the Expo Mundo Imperial de Acapulco, the Governor said that the Tianguis Mérida 2020 Tourist It will be the ideal showcase to show and position Yucatan in the world, since it represents a great opportunity to show the great beauties that the entity has and its capital, such as its archaeological sites, nature reserves, magical towns, cenotes, henequen farms, typical food and the warmth of its people. To encourage the arrival of investments in infrastructure and tourism services within the state, the state administration made available a series of tax incentives that contemplate the reduction of up to 100% in taxes and duties in the first three years of activity.

More than one thousand buyers from 43 countries will attend Tianguis Mexico and will be able to interact with 600 exhibitors in what constitutes an ideal showcase for tourism entrepreneurs to show the attractions and services to travel agents and tour operators. This important event will have representatives of hotel companies, including international chains and independent boutique properties; airlines, land transport companies and other entities and organizations linked to tourism. The hospitalization tourists represented an average expenditure of one thousand five dollars and 40 cents, which resulted in an increase of 17.4 percent, and the border workers reported an expense of 66.9 dollars, 17.4 percent more than the same period last year, said Torruco Marquis. Within the framework of the tourist event, the Secretary of Tourism of the state of Guanajuato, María Teresa Matamoros Montes, informed in a meeting with the media that the leaders in business and adventure tourism would also know the attractions and the offer offered by the municipalities of Leon, Celaya, Silao, Irapuato, San José Iturbide.

Tourism is one of Mexico’s most important industries. 7.4% of Mexicans are employed within Tourism and travel and tourism make up a full 8.5% of Mexico’s annual GDP. International tourism makes up 3%. Mexico is now the second-largest Medical Tourism destination in the world. Of international tourists, 49% come from the US and 22% from Canada. International tourism from places outside North America remains one of the largest areas of potential growth for Mexican Tourism. The Tianguis offered high-quality events, including 43 seminars, 12 press conferences and, for the first time, the Virtual Tianguis with the participation of the network of Embassies, Consulates of Mexico and the offices abroad of ProMéxico.

TianguisTuristico continues to host tourism industry meetings as the number one platform to promote the country’s diverse tourism offerings including its mega biodiversity wealth, one of Mexico Tourist Board’s focus areas for the year. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about Mexico’s natural and protected areas, different ancestral cultures, and millennia of gastronomy that distinguish it as a pillar of socio-economic development. “TianguisTuristico in Acapulco is the ideal stage to showcase the unique experiences that Mexico has to offer,” stated Lourdes Berho, CEO of the Mexico Tourism Board. “Tianguis is key to our continued success as it allows us to align and grow closer to our industry partners such as tour operators, airlines, and hotels who support us as Mexico continues to be the preferred travel location for travelers around the world,” she added.

Additionally, TianguisTuristico will feature new and diverse companies in the tourism industry, innovative strategies and means of communication that will serve to continue consolidating the tourism activity as one of the main engines behind Mexico’s economic growth. A wide range of press conferences was held throughout the four-day event, including those touching on Los Cabos hurricane recovery, international tourist money back benefits, and new Aeromexico routes and connectivity. Per the federal tourism ministry, an estimated 31,000 business meetings were held. But it didn't just work—many of the Mexican state booths presented cultural displays such as dancing and some even offering gastronomic specialties and drinks.

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