ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ CEO Senthil Gopinath met in Mexico City on 24 March with Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism, Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, and Mexican Council of the Meetings Industry (COMIR) leader Michel Wohlmuth. The meeting took place at the Secretaría de Turismo (SECTUR), the Mexican government department responsible for the promotion and development of tourism in the country. SECTUR, which is an ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ member, designs and implements public policies related to tourism, fostering economic development through tourism, and coordinating efforts with other government entities.
On the agenda was knowledge exchange and capacity building, including ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½’s expertise on global best practices, trends, and insights to support strategy development for the international conventions market.
ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ provided relevant global data related to market development and market intelligence to demonstrate the growth potential of international business events and identify specific opportunities for Mexico. The discussion also touched on challenges identified by SECTUR and COMIR regarding bolstering business events in the region, for which ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ representatives offered solutions.
Michel Wohlmuth, President of COMIR, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ North America Deputy Chair Jair Lopez Montes, and ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Mexico Committee Chair Paola Blancas were also in attendance.
During his visit to Mexico City, Senthil also met with newly appointed general director Carlos Martínez of the Fondo Mixto de Promoción Turistica (FMPT CDMX) with the goal of increasing the annual number of visitors to Mexico City by attracting international congresses, meetings, and exhibitions. FMPT CDMX was established to boost tourism in the capital, with a primary objective of positioning Mexico City as a prominent tourist and business events destination at the local, national, and international levels.
The meeting highlighted the importance of attracting international events to the region. Senthil offered ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½’s support and expressed the organisation’s commitment to further collaboration and enhancement of FMPT CDMX development. Carlos outlined his vision, emphasising the importance of attracting international congresses and events to Mexico City.
Senthil and ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ North America Regional Director Shawn Cheng shared ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ success stories from other ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ members around the world and outlined how ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ can help and support FMPT CDMX, which is an ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ member. ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ North America Deputy Chair Jair Lopez Montes and ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Mexico Committee Chair Paola Blancas also joined the discussion.
“It’s a great honour to be a part of this incredible period of growth for Mexico. I’d like to extend my thanks to Secretary Zamora for her warm welcome and for an important and fruitful meeting,” Senthil said. “ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ looks forward to working with FMPT CDMX, and we are eager to continue our relationship and offer support during this exciting transition period. Mexico is in an excellent position for global business events, and ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ can be a key partner in its development.”
The federal Ministry of Tourism reaffirmed its commitment to promoting the meetings industry, considering it a strategic tool for economic development, innovation, knowledge transfer, and Mexico's global positioning. SECTUR also reiterated its commitment to supporting the meetings industry for economic development and Mexico's global positioning.
ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is committed to increasing support for SECTUR and to working with stakeholders in the region to further their goals of making Mexico City and the nation of Mexico a top destination for global business events.