Acapulco Renewal Well Underway

A warm Acapulco breeze blew into chilly Vancouver last week, as reps from the Pacific coastal city in Mexico came to YVR with information on big changes in the city.

The news was delivered at the Westin Wall Centre Vancouver Airport, at a breakfast meeting attended by tour operators and supplier partners.

Leading the presentation was Piquis Rochin, international promotions director for the Acapulco Destination Marketing Office. She reviewed the expansion and renewal of the core Mundo Imperial area of the city, saying that investors had committed some US$1 billion over seven years to remaking this section. That includes a new Expo Mundo Imperial, which will house the Tianguis Turistico trade mart in 2017.

Another significant component has been the comprehensive renewal at the Crowne Plaza Acapulco, which was represented by Mexi-Can Holidays at the meeting. They told attendees that the hotel had invested US$8 million on the revisions there, and that the hotel had 427 rooms, 79 suites and six pools.

Rochin also brought an update on the expansion work at the Acapulco airport, which is defined by the construction of a new terminal. The terminal is slated to open in 2018, and will increase capacity at the airport from one million people per year to three million.

That is good news for AeroMexico, which was represented at the meeting by Neil Prassad, market manager for AeroMexico in Vancouver. He reminded travel sellers that the carrier has just increased its capacity in three Canadian cities – Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal – from one flight per day to two per day. He also said that commissions of 5% were paid on bookings.

Pictured, Piquis Rochin (l), international promotions director for the Acapulco Destination Marketing Office, was joined by M.K. Lam and Marian Lam, owners of JBC Travel in Richmond, during a recent meeting near Vancouver Airport.