Guanajuato should be very much top of mind for Canadians visiting Mexico, says Jorge Cabrejos, Director of Tourism. It's the reason they're in Canada this week for the first time, meeting with the travel industry to both learn about Canadians' travel habits and educate agents about the state's offerings.
TravelPulse Canada met with Cabrejos Thursday morning in Toronto, before their jam-packed day of meetings and educational seminars.
"After the pandemic, people have a renewed interest in exploring different places and it's important for us to connect with the Canadian travel industry about one of Mexico's most cultural destinations," says Cabrejos.
Located in central Mexico, northwest of Mexico City, the state doesn't have the beaches that make spots like Cancun a top sun destination, but they do have strong culture, very colorful architecture and history and the opportunity to explore the area "like a local." The three main cities for tourism are the capital city of Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende and Dolores Hidalgo.
Although there are currently no direct flights, it's easy to get to from Toronto via Mexico City on Air Canada/AeroMexico where there are 5 daily direct flights to Guanajuato airport in Leon (Bajio International airport - BJX). There are also connecting options in US hubs such as Chicago or, once in Mexico, it's a quick 2 hour flight from Cancun.
Guanajuato is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its beautiful examples of Baroque architecture in America, including the visually stunning Templo de la Compania church.
"It's very rare you don't have a sunny day, so you can enjoy walking around a historic, cultural city with a beautiful sky and learn about our Spanish conquerors who made Mexico what it is."
Mexico has gotten negative press lately due to an influx of violence and crime, but that's something Cabrejos said Canadians don't have to worry about when visiting Guanajuato, due to its small size and sense of community.
"I think it's important to talk about this," explains Cabrejos. "It's important to separate the difference between violence and between insecurity. There are criminal groups that cause violence to businesses but it's not towards our citizens and tourists. Visitors are safe and can walk around with a strong sense of security, the way they would in any other major city. What we see on the news in unfortunately, due to criminal groups fighting each other."
Cabrejos says they are projecting tourism to be strong as they emerge from the pandemic. Approximately 120,000 Canadians visited the state in 2019, with many being longer-term winter visits to popular San Miguel Allende and Canadians who have been to Mexico many times and want to explore something new. With this week's meeting, he hopes to further grow visitation to the state.
"We encourage you to visit, to discover, and you enjoy your time, because it's not a fast pace of life. Just come and enjoy it."
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