Mayor laments bus tourists who leave little economic benefit

The mayor of Guanajuato has spoken out on a subject of concern in many tourist destinations: visitors traveling on economic bus tours bring few economic benefits.

Mayor Alejandro Navarro Saldaña said that last weekend, a puente or long-weekend holiday, brought 400 buses carrying some 20,000 people from nearby states.

As is customary with bus tourists, they arrived with their own food and with little money to spend, and stayed for a single day, the mayor said. They spent little, created traffic chaos and and left their trash behind.

Navarro said that everyone is welcome to the capital of Guanajuato, but he would prefer visitors that could spend more on services and products.

“We want a visitor profile that produces greater economic spillover, people who go to a museum, buy a handicraft, eat at a restaurant and not bring their own food . . . .”

The mayor explained that the visitor profile will be achieved by improving the quality of services provided.

Despite the large number of bus tourists, hotel occupancy reached 98% on the long weekend, and estimated visitor revenues were 107 million pesos (US $5.3 million).

Despite the large number of visitors, ideal or otherwise, many stayed away from the Museum of Mummies. Only 17,706 people visited the famous mummy showcase, down 20% from last year.

Navarro dismissed the notion that visitors stayed away from the museum due to the 40% increase in ticket prices, which last year cost 60 pesos but are now 85 pesos each.

Source: El Universal (sp)