The OCV and hoteliers forecast accelerated growth in the sector, although it would be better if the city had a convention center and a functional airport
In saltillo tourism has the table set towards the future; It has a very important automotive hub and with the arrival of Tesla comes growth plans that will force businessmen in the tourism industry to speed up their investments.
The director of the Saltillo Convention and Visitors Bureau (OCV), Raúl Rodarte Leos, pointed out that Tourism today represents 8 to 9% of the national GDP and in Salitllo it must be located in the same percentages.
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In the Southeast Region, 1.5 million visitors were received last year, generating a total income of 2,500 million pesos (820 million correspond to lodging), while In 2021, there were 1.2 million visitors and 1,800 million pesos (615 million pesos per accommodation).
The Ramos Arizpe airport contributes little to the arrival of tourism; travelers must use the Monterrey air station.
Based on the hotels that comply with the payment of the Lodging Tax, Rodarte Leos explained that in the Southeast Region there are 3,800 rooms, of which Saltillo has 3,365 distributed in 36 hotels; Ramos Arizpe, 322 in 7 hotels; Arteaga 91 with 4 hotels and General Cepeda 35 with 2 hotels.
“Which means that Up to 95 percent of the region’s income is generated by Saltillo, in addition 78 percent of the tourism that arrives in the region is national and only 22 percent is foreign; Of the former, the metropolitan area of Monterrey represents 20 percent while internal tourism from Coahuila, 10 percent (visitors from Torreón, Monclova, etc.), CDMX 7 percent, Reynosa and Querétaro 3 percent. cent each and Guadalajara 2 percent, among others.
The director of the OCV added that business tourism represents up to 70 percent of what arrives at the plaza, followed by romance tourism with 7 percent, meeting and sports tourism with 6 percent each, and adventure tourism on One percent; On average, business tourism stays from 3 to 3.5 days, while the rest from 1.5 to 2.
WHAT IS COMING FOR THE FUTURE?
The president of the OCV Saltillo, Andres Velasco, said that he sees the future of the region as very optimistic, as an example he cited that Saltillo in the period January-April 2023 vs. 2022 grew 25 percent in income and that shows that it is going by far good progress, and occupancy 7 points, going from 43 percent that it had last year to be closing at 50 percent.
He stressed that the growth that is coming for Saltillo is very clear and It is not by chance, you have a safe city, with good services and you just have to adapt to what is coming.
The arrival of Tesla in the region will force businessmen to accelerate investments in the tourism sector.
“Saltillo has become a very important automotive hub and with the announcement of Tesla’s arrival in Santa Catarina, it will undoubtedly allow us to land growth plans and It forces businessmen in the tourism industry to speed up investment because growth is just around the corner”, he claimed.
A very important growth is coming and it is not speculation, Saltillo lived it in the past when the automotive industry arrived, for this reason, now with Tesla it is repeated, but also thanks to the diversification of new tourism products related to fossils and promotion of vineyards.
The table is set and all the elements are in place for this sector to do well, it is only necessary to consider that the investments be orderly, but also Saltillo must be made to collect what it’s worth, he added.
Finally, he explained that for many years Saltillo has been a place with very penalized rates; in April the average rate closed at 1,374 pesos (other months it was 1,200 pesos), when 80 percent of the hotel offer is business class and its rate should be 2,000 pesos, however, already an average among the 3-star hotels and Gran Turismo should bring the average rate to 1,600 pesos.
CHALLENGES
The most important, he considered, is tourism because it depends on people, however, today it is faced with the fact that the new generations seek to generate their income through digital platforms, so the sector will face remuneration schemes much higher than what the hotel industry can cover.
Another challenge is to update the hotels, he said: “Before, the client asked for a very spacious room, with a good bed and luxury, but today what they ask for is a technological update, such as a very high speed internet because today they manage everything from their phones.
“But All this must also be accompanied by the reactivation of flights at the Guadalupe International Airport, that is not only a leader in cargo, but also in passenger transport, but also that an Events and Conventions Center for Saltillo be consolidated, as well as concretize a train between Derramadero and Monterrey.
LET THE TOURIST STAY MORE DAYS
For his part, the vice president of the Association of Hotels and Motels of Coahuila, Héctor Horacio Dávila Rodríguez, pointed out that business tourism has always been the trend and will continue to grow, although there is also this opportunity in sports tourism and even gastronomy.
The hotel businessman Héctor Horacio Dávila forecasts a growth in business tourism; “It’s an upward trend,” he says.
However, what should be sought is that they stay not just one night, but 2.5 nights and to achieve this, he said, the life of the OCV must first be extended, create more products to visit the Southeast Region, be more competitive in prices and services, as well as create a culture of service.
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In tourist infrastructure, signage, roads and lighting are required, as well as continuing with the issue of security and promoting cleanliness in tourist places and that they have services for tourists, said the hotel businessman.
“But above all, that the Municipal, State and Federal governments are in a single project and that they sell the same story together with the private initiative,” recommended Dávila Rodríguez.
Finally, the director of the OCV Saltillo, Raúl Rodarte Leos, highlighted the importance of generating more indicators on the type of tourism that arrives in the city, for example, exactly how many arrive of different types, ages and sex, based on This will generate strategies that allow increasing potential, which will be achieved by creating more synergies with hoteliers.
