A new museum in Hidalgo will pay tribute to the influence of the United Kingdom on mining in the state.

British Ambassador Corin Jean Stella Robertson announced the creation of the Museum of British Miners in Real de Monte during a trip to the state with federal Tourism Secretary Miguel Torruco Marqués.

“It is very important to the British Embassy that here live the relatives, the descendants of the English miners who arrived in 1824,” said Robertson.

“Museums are very important for protecting the history of a town like Real del Monte and the links between countries,” she added.

The museum is part of a plan to boost British tourism to Hidalgo.

“With the ambassador’s visit we are strengthening ties with the United Kingdom, for which we will also create the mining museum, which will pay homage to the pioneers of mining here in Real de Monte,” said Torruco.

Nearly 600,000 British tourists visited Mexico in 2018, more than any other European nationality. The UK is the fourth largest source of tourists to Mexico worldwide, after the United States, Canada and Colombia.

It was also announced that the United Kingdom will be the special guest country at the Tianguis de Pueblos Mágicos, an annual tourism event that celebrates Mexico’s Magical Towns, to be held this year in Pachuca in October.

After the conference, the ambassador was invited to visit Real de Monte’s Cornish Pasty Museum, which tells the story of the snack’s growth in popularity in Mexico after it was imported by Cornish miners.

Robertson joined the tourism secretary and others in making some pasties to mark the event.

Sources: Milenio (sp), La Silla Rota (sp)