With relatively low online travel penetration and a population of more than 120 million, Mexico is a market of great untapped promise. According to a new Phocuswright Global Edition report, the country had the world's 13th largest travel market in 2013. Mexican airports transported over 55 million passengers in 20131, and despite concerns about personal safety related to inter-gang violence, international arrivals jumped 10% between 1H13 and 1H14.

On the heels of an economic upswing, Mexico's middle class will drive domestic demand for both leisure and business travel in the coming years.

Totaling US$24.3 billion in gross bookings, the Mexican travel market was Latin America's second largest in 2013. According to Phocuswright's Latin America Online Travel Overview Second Edition, growth projections suggest that it could overtake Brazil for first place within the next decade, particularly if economic conditions improve and online travel agencies (OTAs) continue to make headway with Mexican consumers. Because traditional channels hold sway, online penetration is low – more than 80% of leisure travel is booked offline. But some OTAs are now partnering with local travel agencies in hopes of tapping into Mexico's huge offline market.

"Hotel bookings in 2013 surpassed Germany, the U.K., and Spain," says Phocuswright's director, research, Luke Bujarski. "Traditional travel agents still capture a large share of the leisure market, but the pendulum is swinging toward direct and online bookings. This will create opportunities for online travel agencies with local market knowledge and technical know-how, as well as for web-savvy suppliers in tune with the latest channel management and digital marketing applications."

Phocuswright's Latin America Online Travel Overview Second Edition presents market sizing and projections for Latin America's online leisure and unmanaged business travel market from 2012 – 2016. The report features rich analysis of the Latin American travel market, with coverage of online versus offline bookings, bookings by travel segment, supplier-direct versus intermediary bookings and more.

Highlights include:

Purchase Phocuswright's Latin America Online Travel Overview Second Edition today to gain the information and insight you need to make informed decisions about the region’s dynamic travel market.

[readon1 url="http://www.phocuswright.com/research_updates/mexico-poised-to-become-latin-americas-largest-travel-market"]Source:www.phocuswright.com[/readon1]

This effort was completed by the OVC Riviera Nayarit in the XX International Gourmet Festival and diffusion is expect over a million impacts as a result of this public relations activity.

To get the big event representing the International Gourmet Festival (IGF) in the region, for its twentieth edition this Convention and Visitors Bureau of Riviera Nayarit (OVC), invited media from different countries to a familiarization tour parallel to event.

Journalists from Brazil, Colombia and Canada, who work in specialized areas of gastronomy, luxury and tourism essentially had the opportunity to be part of the event that The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort, conducted as part of the FGI, called "Tastes of Punta Mita ".

"Sabores de Punta Mita was a great night of celebration that brought together all those who settle the fate of Punta Mita (hotels, developer, restaurants, chefs, suppliers, residents, guests and employees) with a common goal: begin a new season, "said the general manager of St. Regis, Carl Emberson.

In Brazil there were three media widely reported. Elite Magazine is a magazine with 22 years in the market, also comes to America and Europe, its pages manage to reach 180,000 readers. Their website has more than 480,000 monthly unique visitors.

The magazines also Brasileiras Mensch and Prazeres da Mesa, together reach a circulation of more than 250,000 readers. In Colombia participated magazines Casa Viva Kitchen and Food Magazine, whose impacts Rock 100 000, however, is a very accurate for the most special "foodies" segment.

Canada was included Alison Kent freelance journalist who writes for The Star, Travel Mind Set and Kitchen Daily.

In addition to its participation in the IGF, were also taken to other communities in Riviera Nayarit to provide more content and get more publications in their respective media.

With these public relations OVC Riviera Nayarit, states that the information reaches the captives and potential markets, emerging, continuing to promote the destination for the benefit of the region.

• December 4th marked the official start of the work needed to transform Nuevo Vallarta into Mexico’s second destination to be certified as an EarthCheck Community, an undertaking that was initiated by the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), the first initiative of its kind in Mexico.

This important action brought together the different environmental and tourism representatives from the states and the municipalities, as well as private and social entities, and allowed them to be a part of this environmental sustainability project.

“We believe this ceremonial event will reinforce the commitment that has been taking shape in the past few months. The Riviera Nayarit is truly an innovative destination and has positioned itself very strongly both on a domestic as well as an international level. We’re very honored to have them join the EarthCheck Community,” said Erika Lobos, Manager for EarthCheck Mexico and Latin America.

The Riviera Nayarit CVB, the Nayarit Secretariat of Tourism, the Nayarit Department of the Environment, the Banderas Bay City Council, the Banderas Bay Hotel and Motel Association, the Nuevo Vallarta Homeowners Association and the Banderas Bay Trust secured the signature.

“Environmental sustainability is a global trend—it’s no longer enough to ‘put out fires’ and work independently on key concrete issues. We now need to strategically include the destinations themselves. It’s obvious the CVB understood this point very well when they proposed the program,” added Erika Lobos.

Once the ceremonial act was finished, the “Outreach Presentation for Tourist Communities” workshop began, during which those who participated in securing the certification began to enumerate EarthCheck’s needs, objectives and methods.

Romero, Foster and Peña Nieto. (Photo credit: Mexico’s Presidency)

Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim gave a vote of confidence to the embattled government of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto by unveiling plans to invest nearly $4 billion in key areas of his business empire in 2015: telecommunications, infrastructure, energy, real estate, retail, construction and mining.

As he starts his third year in office, Peña Nieto’s popularity ratings have slumped to some of the lowest levels in recent memory, new polls showed on Monday, amid growing popular outrage over violence and corruption.

In a brief statement Monday, Grupo Carso, the global conglomerate controlled by Slim, announced the investment plan, without giving details of specific projects. However, Grupo Carso is part of a consortium of Mexican construction companies planning to compete for a $9.16 billion new international airport project in Mexico City. In September, Peña Nieto announced that British architect Norman Foster and Mexican architect Fernando Romero, one of Slim’s son-in-laws, won the bidding for the design of the gigantic new futuristic, spider-shaped airport. Seen as Peña Nieto’s crown jewel infrastructure project, the biding for construction of the airport will begin soon. Grupo Carso is considered a strong competitor.

Energy is also an area where Grupo Carso is expected to expand its investments. Last year, Mexico approved the most far-reaching oil reform in 75 years, opening up Mexico’s $95 billion-a-year oil industry to private capital.

Slim is poised to take advantage of the opening. In the past years, he has been increasing his presence in the energy sector not only in Mexico but also in South America and the United States. Servicios Integrales GSM, Swecomex, and Infraestructura y Construcción, are companies owned or controlled by Slim that already supply drilling and oil-platform services to Mexico’s state oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), the world’s second largest non-publicly listed company by total market value and 7th by reserves and production.

In the press release, Grupo Carso said it had adhered to the operating principles of efficiency, competitiveness, investment and commitment to the markets it operates in since its founding. The company also has “health, nutrition, education, research, environmental, cultural, sports and social justice” that it supports to help society, Grupo Carso added.

Grupo Carso is one of Latin America’s largest conglomerates. Slim also controls América Móvil, the telecommunications giant that operates in 18 countries and serves more than 260 million customers.

[readon1 url="http://www.forbes.com/sites/doliaestevez/2014/12/02/billionaire-carlos-slim-gives-mexico-a-vote-of-confidence-announces-a-4-billion-investment-plan-for-2015/"]Source:www.forbes.com[/readon1]

Mexican multiplex cinema chain Cinepolis has reportedly acquired Indian exhibitor Fun Cinemas for $77 million. While both companies have not issued any formal announcement, the news was first reported by Indian daily newspaper Business Standard.

The report quoted an internal email from Cinepolis India managing director Javier Sotomayor, who “communicated the news of the acquisition to the employees of Fun Cinemas and welcomed them to the Cinepolis family.” The report also quoted sources as saying that the deal for Fun Cinemas’ 83 screens was valued at $77 million.

The acquisition boosts Cinepolis’ screen count in India from 110 to 193.

Cinepolis entered India in 2009 and is still the only multi-national cinema operator in the country taking on domestic players such as India's largest chain, PVR Cinemas, and Big Cinemas, owned by Dream Works partner Reliance. Fun Cinemas is owned by Subhash Chandra's Essel Group whose interests include broadcasting venture Zee Telefilms.

The acquisition is the latest step in the ongoing consolidation in the Indian exhibition industry. Following PVR's acquisition of rival chain Cinemax in 2012, the company now runs 454 screens. Rumors indicate that PVR is next eyeing South Indian chain SPI Cinemas.

Earlier, Mumbai-based Inox Leisure acquired Fame Cinemas. More recently, Inox also acquired all 38 screens of New Delhi-based Satyam Multiplex, taking its screen count to 358.

All eyes are next on Big Cinemas, which is rumored to be in advanced discussions for a possible takeover by South India's Carnival Cinemas. At one time, Cinepolis was also reportedly interested in acquiring Big Cinemas, which operates 515 screens worldwide, of which 280 are in India.

[readon1 url="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mexicos-cinepolis-acquires-indian-exhibitor-753244l"]Source:www.hollywoodreporter.com[/readon1]

• The statistics reported by GAP indicate there was a 9% increase in the domestic market and a 20% growth in the international market in 2014 when compared to 2013.

There are still two months to go before the end of the year and according to the official report by the Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP) there was an increase of 174,120 from January through October of this year compared to the same period of time in 2013.

A total of 1,225,565 tourists has arrived at the Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport during the first ten months of the year while, in 2013, there were a total of 1,051,445.

The majority of the tourists were from international destinations; their number grew from 686,718 in 2013 to 827,246 in 2014, a difference of 140,528 or a 20% increase.

The domestic market has also responded with 33,592 more tourists in 2014 than there were in 2013, representing an increase of 9%.

The target number of visitors to be recovered in 2014 established by the Vallarta-Nayarit Joint Promotion Committee was 100 thousand tourists, a number that was surpassed and may even be doubled by the end of the year, as there are still the visitors from November and December totally.

If one considers that November is the official start of the high season and the cold weather settles in north of the border during the month of December, it stands to reason the US and Canadian market will head south—all of which bodes very well for the destination.

These excellent numbers are a reflection of the joint effort put forth by the governments of Nayarit and Jalisco, together with the destinations of Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit all under the aegis of the Federal Secretariat of Tourism (SECTUR) and the Mexico Tourism Board (MTB).

Passenger use at Ontario International Airport continues to rise, with a 4.11 percent increase since the first of the year, while October had the largest single-month increase of 2014, at 7.68 percent.

From January through October, 3.42 million travelers used ONT, up from 3.28 million for the same period in 2013.

Aeromexico and Volaris, which provide a total of seven nonstop flights a week between ONT and Guadalajara, Mexico, served 71,705 passengers for the 10-month period, compared with 43,030 in the 2013 period, a 66.64 percent increase.

Volaris announced recently that it will offer daily flights to Guadalajara during the holiday season, from Dec. 17 through at least the end of the year.

In a statement, airport manager Jess Romo said that “2014 is shaping up to be a good year for ONT.” If operations remain healthy, “ we hope this provides an opportunity for carriers to re-examine the market potential for increased service or new routes in the future.”

RELATED: MACDUFF: City taking airport feud to L.A. mayor

For all of 2013, ONT had 3.96 million passengers, a distant number from 7.2 million in 2007. The airport went into decline with the onset of the Great Recession but has not recovered as well as regional airports in Orange County and Long Beach.

In June 2013, the city of Ontario sued Los Angeles, the Los Angeles World Airports and the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners, which owns and operates ONT.

The lawsuit claims ONT’s decline was caused by the defendants’ abandonment of promoting Ontario and including it in a regional airport plan, in deference to gaining more passengers and revenue at Los Angeles International Airport, which they also control.

The defendants have denied the claims, and a key portion of the lawsuit, the legality of Los Angeles’ control and ownership of ONT, is now awaiting a judge’s decision in Riverside County.

[readon1 url="http://www.pe.com/articles/ont-755387-airport-angeles.html"]Source:www.pe.com[/readon1]

Over one million impressions were obtained thanks to the one-on-one interviews held with representatives of four important media from this South American country.
Last month there were several one-on-one interviews that took place with representatives from very important Colombian media as part of the diversification of public relations strategies implemented by the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) in South America.

The results of these interviews achieved a reach of over one million impressions between the Periódico Portafolio, the ¡HOLA! Colombia magazine, the Revista Gastronomía and on television via the Noticias Caracol program.

The Periódico Portafolio is considered a leader in financial and business information in Colombia and is a top provider of business opportunities. It has a monthly reach of 500 thousand readers through its website http://www.portafolio.co.

Noticias Caracol is a Colombian newscast that airs on Canal Caracol. It airs four times from Monday through Friday and twice on weekends and holidays; it’s also relayed via radio, reaching thousands of Colombians every day.

¡HOLA! Colombia magazine follows the daily exploits of the rich and famous up close and personal exclusively and in a very respectful, positive manner. They spotlight many different types of people, events and human-interest stories. It’s characterized by its ample photographic spreads.

The Revista Gastronomía specializes in the culinary culture of the country and the world at large. It goes to press every two months in the daily El Espectador (by subscription only), which publishes around 130 thousand issues.

These media were chosen in order to reach a variety of market segments in Colombia, thus continuing the promotional efforts in South America.

Puerto Vallarta, Jal.-Barra de Navidad is routed to a recovery in the flow of visitors who come to this place every year, so there is optimism among hoteliers and service providers in this coastal delegation of the municipality of Cihuatlan.

Thus they agreed representatives of various public and private bodies within the framework of the Festival of the Mexico-Philippines friendship that was carried out between Friday and Sunday in this tourist destination on the occasion of the 450th anniversary of the first issue of our country to that Asian country.

The memorial ceremony for these events was headed by the Ambassador of the Philippines in Mexico, Catalino Dilenn, and the head of the Ministry of tourism in Jalisco (SECTURJAL), Enrique Ramos Flores, on behalf of the Governor of the State, Jorge Aristóteles Sandoval Díaz.

The Asian diplomat recalled the points of coincidence and the historical ties that bind both Nations, then that for more than 300 years the Philippines were under the administration of the new Spain, and that was through our country how began trade between Asia and the West.

He recalled the twinning of Barra de Navidad with the Philippine town of Vigan, first point of the island where arrived the Spanish military Miguel López de Legazpi and Urdaneta André friar, they sailed from Jalisco town of November 21, 1564 and reached 90 days later.

At the time, Enrique Ramos Flores recalled that many words of language Tagalog, which is spoken among Filipino natives, are of origin nahualt.

"Sister us a vast artistic when Mexico administered on behalf of Spain to the Philippine Islands and thousands of Spaniards or Mexicans came to those Asian lands and already did not return, establishing his permanent residence in those lands", declared the owner of SECTURJAL.

In the framework of the celebrations for this important event in the history of Barra de Navidad, arose bands of different municipalities of the State and dances, as well as various artistic activities and Fireworks.

There was also a solemn session of meritorious society of geography and statistics of Jalisco, where the importance of this geographical point in Mexico and the facilities was weighted so began an expedition to be so unattainable that originated the international trade between Asia and the West 450 years ago.

Eduardo Velasco, President of the Agency, led the academic work in the presence of the Ambassador of the Philippines in Mexico and the Secretary of tourism in Jalisco.

After these activities, Ramos Flores met with hoteliers and service providers, who reiterated the unconditional support of the Government of Jalisco to teamwork and open new expectations after the recovery of the beach.

He noted that 80 percent of tourism arriving at Barra de Navidad came from the metropolitan area of Guadalajara, so it did not rule out joint promotional campaigns in the Jalisco capital between Colima and Jalisco.

[readon1 url="http://notivallarta.com/2014/11/24/optimismo-en-barra-de-navidad-para-la-proxima-temporada-vacacional/"]Source:notivallarta.com[/readon1]

• The Secretariat of Tourism and the MTB announced that 2015 will the year of Mexico in the United Kingdom, as they will intensify their promotion of the country’s tourism destinations.

The Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) was present at the thirty-fourth edition of the World Travel Market (WTM) in 2014 to promote the destination in a booth inside the pavilion set up by the Secretariat of Tourism (Sectur) and the Mexico Tourism Board (MTB) during the four days of the event.

This global travel industry expo is among the top three tourism exhibitions in the world and offered a unique opportunity for those in the travel business to conduct meetings, network and negotiate with the over 50 thousand attendees that were present at the ExCel center in London this year.

During the cocktail traditionally offered by Sectur and the MTB for the destinations presenting in the pavilion, the Mexican and London authorities and special guests, Secretary of Tourism Claudia Ruiz Massieu announced that the 2015 event will celebrate the year of Mexico in the United Kingdom.

This would mean a bigger presence of the brand both as a country and for its tourism destinations. She also announced an increase in the number of activities for tourism promotion within this European region as well as the reach obtained through the fair.

According to the statistics offered by the MTB, British tourists are the top European visitors to Mexico. A prime example is the great response of British visitors to the region after the inauguration of new direct flights to the region last May.

Every year the attendance increases for this event, which took place in early November. This year it was 4% higher than in 2013 with about 40 countries participating. According to the organizers, Reed Travel Exhibitions, the WTM 2014 will generate about £2.5 billion in industry deals.

• The top 10 clients from among ADV Turismo and Flot’s retail agents and the top 10 reservations agents from Nascimento and MMT enjoyed a FAM trip to the Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta.

The promotional activities of the Vallarta-Nayarit joint campaign under the aegis of the Mexico Tourism Board (MTB) continue in the South American market. In this case, two different groups of travel agents from Brazil visited the region.

The event was a coordinated effort between the Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta convention and visitors bureaus. Together they hosted the different tours that included visits to hotels in both destinations and the most beautiful attractions in the bay area.

From November 10-15, the top 10 clients from among ADV Turismo and Flot’s retail agents and the top 10 reservations agents from Nascimento and MMT visited the area. These four wholesalers have been the top vendors for the destinations.

The director of Puc Turismo, Wladir Da Rocha Soares, mentioned that Brazilians like trends and the Riviera Nayarit is a new destination that offers a great opportunity to begin working with the Brazilian marketplace.

“I know that what the Brazilian tourist is looking for is here: the quality of the hotels is high, the weather is perfect, and air access is good, because it takes the same amount of time to fly into Cancun as it does to fly here,” explained Wladir Soares.

He also coincided with María Do Carmo De Sousa, a sales consultant for ADVTour, who mentioned the airfare to visit the region is accessible so it does not present a problem.

“Brazilians like the mixture of culture and beach very much, they enjoy traveling to get to know other countries because Brazil’s own tourism hotspots are very expensive,” added María do Carmo. “That’s why they travel to explore new countries. The Riviera Nayarit could easily become a trendy destination because people are curious about it.”

They both closed their comments by expressing their thanks for the exposure the destinations are having in Brazil, as they hope it will trigger a good increase in tourism for everyone, plus they also commented on the region’s excellent gastronomy.

For me, a traveling golfer who savors accruing passport stamps, Puerto Vallarta is ideal - friendly, authentic, sunny, and, best of all, you have to cross an international border to get there.

I'm not alone in my affection for Puerto Vallarta. The city receives over 3 million visitors yearly. This gem of a locale on the scenic Mexican Pacific coastline seems to handle the onslaught of tourists with grace and ease and toothy smiles, and without sacrificing one iota of the charm of what Puerto Vallarta remains to be - a lovely coastal town with great weather, idyllic sunsets, and a bunch of stuff to do just in case you don't want to simply plop down in a beach chair and wiggle your toes in the sand. I love walking around Viejo Vallarta - Puerto Vallarta's Old Town with its cobblestone and brick paths winding through a Mexican city that has maintained its Old World ways. Better yet, the local golf is first-class - especially at Vista Vallarta Club de Golf (www.vistavallartagolf.com).

My personal theory that a longish drive to a golf course via curvy back roads almost always leads to a pleasant

golfing is validated here in spades. About 30 minutes or so from the main drag of beachfront resorts and restaurants, the drive to Vista Vallarta takes you through quiet working-class neighborhoods complete with dogs lazing in the sun, the occasional chicken hurriedly scampering across the dusty road (to get to the other side no doubt), and local street vendors selling tacos and orange Fanta - which in addition to tequila seems to be the national drink. As we turned off the main road and started gaining a bit of elevation as we drove - and not to mention a curve or two - I knew I was in for a golfing treat, Mexican-style.

Vista Vallarta offers 36 holes of golfing heaven set in the foothills of the sleepy Sierra Madres. We're talking true championship golf as the club hosted the 2002 World Cup of Golf as well as a Champions Tour event in 2006. Two legends designed the respective 18s - Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf. Combine intriguing topography chockablock with blooming flora and a couple of craftsmen like those two and chances are you've really got something really happening as a place to tee it up. Both courses are indeed muy bueno.

I loved the rugged terrain combined with the lush vegetation. Here you'll discover fairways framed by dense patches of palms, fragrant bougainvillea, giant ficas trees, natural creeks, and unforgiving ravines. The Nicklaus course holds the higher ground and is the flatter of the two, although that's not to say there aren't undulations. Like most Nicklaus layouts, there is plenty of room off the tee, but par is prudently protected by clusters of well-placed bunkers around the greens - many of which have diabolical slopes. One of my favorite holes is the 381-yard 4th which offers a grand view of the Bay of Banderas off on the western horizon. Though you'll probably hit a smallish iron on your approach, the sombrero-shaped putting surface slants severely from right-to-left and makes two-putting feel like you just won a Lotto.

The Weiskopf side is even more dramatic as the groomed fairways are bordered by thick jungle, vast ravines, and rocky creek beds proving hazardous for any dreams of a decent scorecard. I've been on few courses around the world with more flowers throughout. The pleasing scent of the fragrant ruby-red bougainvillea wafts on most every hole and brings a soothing respite to the challenging golf offered by Mr. Weiskopf. The par-3s are noteworthy, especially the 15th which plays from 190-yards from the back tees and requires a blast over a thirsty, cavernous gully to a green protected by five ball-gobbling bunkers. Par there feels like a birdie.

I guarantee that once you're up at Vista Vallarta you won't want to leave in a hurry, no matter how much fun awaits you back in town, as there is a good reason why "Vista" is part of the course moniker. The Mexican Pacific offers Shakespearean sunsets and everyone stops to watch the sun - which looks to be startling close - gradually sink behind the horizon. That high vantage point from Vista Vallarta makes the ephemeral murals over Banderas Bay even more brilliant. Grab a cerveza and a chair outside the airy clubhouse and take it all in; your blood pressure will fall faster than the Dow.

In addition to golf, Puerto Vallarta has it all: snorkeling, sport-fishing, open-air markets, and gastronomical delights that will have your taste buds in rapture. Puerto Vallarta has become famous as a haven for internationally known chefs who chose to ply their trade in a tranquil sunny locale. Two restaurants are not to be missed - Los Xitomates (www.losxitomates.com), where Chef Luis Fitch is such an avid golfer (he said he plays most everyday) that he was wearing his golf shoes while cooking my delectable seafood dinner.

Café des Artistes is also off the charts good. The multi-level eatery resides in a century-old, artsy-furnished hacienda (worth at least a drink at their bar just to see the hipster interior) on a hillside overlooking the heart of old Puerto Vallarta. This 212-seat restaurant offers diners the opportunity to sample the artistry of Chef Thierry Blouet - recognized worldwide for his genius in the kitchen. Though I can be content with tacos sold from street vendors or golf course cheeseburgers, Café des Artistes is simply too good and unique to be missed. You'll thank me for this tip.

For comfortable accommodations at a good price, try the Sheraton Bougainville Resort (www.sheratonvallarta.com) which has several huge swimming pools complete with swim-up bars, a great private beach, and a bunch of tasty dining options on the compound. Once checked in, you don't have to leave if you don't want to: it's all there for you in one spot if that type of vacation floats your boat.

What's better than life in the slow lane of sunny Mexico and lovely Puerto Vallarta, especially with Vista Vallarta and its awesome golf nearby? My passport is current. I'll be back.

David Wood - writer, in-demand corporate speaker, and humorist - is the author of the book, "Around the World in 80 Rounds." For information on David, visit his website: www.DavidWoodSpeaking.com or email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 [readon1 url="http://www.cybergolf.com/golf_news/puerto_vallarta_golf_and_life_in_the_slow_lane"]Source:www.cybergolf.com[/readon1]