Mexico President Felipe Calderon appointed Gloria Guevara as the country’s new secretary of tourism on Wednesday.
Guevara replaces Rodolfo Elizondo, who resigned after more than six years on the job. Former president Vicente Fox appointed Elizondo to the tourism post in 2003, and was retained by Calderon when he took office in 2006.
Guevara previously headed Sabre’s Mexico division. She has experience in destination promotion, which will be important in developing strategies to attract more visitors to Mexico, according to an announcement of the appointment on Mexico’s government website.
Mexico tourism had a tumultuous year in 2009, as the country suffered drops in arrivals due to the H1N1 outbreak and the poor economy. Mexico also has battled image problems because of drug-related violence.
Mexico’s revenue generated from tourism dropped 15% last year.
In February, Oscar Fitch resigned as director of the Mexico Tourism Board, the country’s tourism promotion agency. Carlos Behensen was named interim director.