¿Que pasa en Acapulco?
There's much ado on Acapulco's tourism scene of late. Developments include:
• Mundo Imperial: Due to open in November, Mundo Imperial is a complex that will include a luxury hotel, spa, meetings and convention center and a 4,000-seat theater. Also part of the complex is a "cultural corridor" with restaurants and La Isla, a high-end shopping and entertainment center.
• Tehuacalco: A recently discovered archaeological zone, called Tehuacalco, is to open to the public later this year. Located less than an hour's drive from Acapulco, the site, which dates to the seventh century, includes the remains of a ball court, residential space and a temple.
• Banyan Tree Punta Diamante: This new hotel is slated to open in December as part of the 642-acre Punta Diamante Resort, which includes a 125-berth marina, golf course, oceanview residences and condominiums. The resort will include 60 villas, a Banyan Tree Spa, several gourmet restaurants and a residential complex.
• Grupo Habita: Grupo Habita is to break ground on a 54-room boutique property on Punta Bruja, along the southern end of Acapulco Bay, and is also partnering with Mexican architect Fernando Romero, owner of the Boca Chica hotel in the area known as Acapulco Tradicional, to renovate the property's 43 guestrooms.
• Grupo Posadas: This hotel firm, which opened the 126-room One Acapulco Costera this year, is planning to open the Aqua Acapulco in 2009.
For more on travel developments in Acapulco, go to www.visitacapulco.com.mx.
In spite of its star-studded past, Acapulco hasn't been the highest-profile resort destination in recent years. But that might be changing, thanks to increasing visitor numbers, a brand-new convention center complex and an array of luxury hotel brands -- including Banyan Tree, Grupo Habita, Starwood's W and Grupo Posadas' Aqua -- about to enter the market. Visitor numbers increased from 8.9 million in 2006 to 9.8 million in 2007. Jesus Radilla, executive director of the Acapulco Convention and Visitors Bureau, spoke with Travel Weekly about the destination's growth.
Travel Weekly: Acapulco is getting more attention now for its "return to glamour." Why do you think it's taken so long for the attention to be focused on Acapulco as an upscale destination again? What has convinced the new hotel brands to finally enter this destination?
Radilla: Acapulco has made a lot of progress in the meetings and incentives market, especially thanks to the Mundo Imperial, which will be finished in November. This is attracting a lot of interest. It's an enormous draw.
Acapulco has always maintained a prime position on the tourism radar screen, but unlike other resort destinations in Mexico, Acapulco held tight to its roots and traditions.
The destination is committed to expanding upon its iconic appeal while maintaining an element of the quintessential Acapulco that put the destination on the tourism spotlight in the 1960s.
TW: Much of the growth in Acapulco is in the Diamante district. What effect does this have on other parts of Acapulco? Will other neighborhoods lose business, or do you think that overall visitor numbers will increase?
Radilla: We're hoping that more people in total will come to Acapulco, and business will be distributed throughout the destination. The development of the Diamante zone has enhanced our inventory of resorts and attractions by expanding beyond Acapulco Bay to offer additional areas of interest for business and leisure travelers to enjoy. Diamante appeals to a variety of markets, including luxury/vacation homeowners, business and leisure travelers.
TW: Why aren't more new brands entering the existing Golden Zone along the bay?
Radilla: New hotels and tourism projects are focusing on building in areas farther from the existing Golden Zone because these regions will enable the new Acapulco to emerge in a distinct fashion while preserving the existing attractions in the already-thriving areas of the destination.
TW: You reported major growth in visitor arrivals in 2007. What are your projections for 2008?
Radilla: With continued investments and growth in our tourism infrastructure, 2008 is already proving to be a banner year for Acapulco.
We anticipate that the opening of Mundo Imperial and our new luxury hotels, along with extensive remodeling projects of our existing anchor hotels, will garner increased consumer interest and travel to Acapulco.