H.E. Jesús Seade:Tourism is the Key to Improve People's...

Tourism is the Key to Improve People's Quality of Life

On 18 August, the 2022 Asian Mountain Tourism Promotion Conference on Amity, Sincerity, Mutual Benefit, Inclusiveness, Cooperation, and Sharing —— Jointly Building a New Future for Asian Mountain Tourism was officially launched in Guiyang, Guizhou province. Online address by H.E. Jesús Seade, Ambassador of Mexico in China.

Here is the full speech:

At the Asian Mountain Tourism Recommendation, online address by H.E. Jesus Seade, Ambassador of Mexico in Chinah.

Dear participants,

Hello! I send you warm greetings from the Embassy of Mexico in China on the occasion of the 2022 Asian Mountain Tourism Promotion Conference.

This year we celebrate half a century since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Mexico and China. In this context, and eager as I am to reach out to all sectors in our relationship and to all regions of your wonderful country, let me express my appreciation to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China, the Guizhou Provincial People's Government and the International Mountain Tourism Alliance for their effort to strengthen the recovery of tourism in the post-COVID era that we all are preparing for.

The Government of Mexico has recognized the fundamental role that tourism plays in improving the quality of life of people, especially those who live in places where tourist centers are located, as well as to highlight the importance of promoting sustainable tourism resources.

It is important to consider that nature destinations, like the ones highlighted in this Conference, have been among the favorite places for domestic and international tourism during the recovery stage of the sector in our respective countries.

Thanks to several mountain systems that run through its territory, as well as countless mountain lakes, Mexico is fortunate to have a wide variety of mountain tourist destinations which, thanks to spectacular landscapes, climate, biodiversity and hospitable local communities, have become popular among lovers of nature, camping and sporting activities.

Let me highlight that in 2021 -last year-, tourism represented 8.7% of Mexico´s GDP and 8.5% of our national employment, figures very close to those observed in 2019. In 2021 the country was visited by about 32 million international tourists, which represented an increase of almost one third compared to what it was in 2020.

All this clearly indicates that the recovery of the tourism sector in Mexico has developed steadily, although additional efforts and international cooperation will be necessary to resume international flows from all source markets to reach the same levels observed during the pre-pandemic era.

I trust, very sincerely, that soon we will resume tourist exchanges between Mexico and China, with full force, and I have no doubt that the wonderful mountains of both our countries will continue to amaze international tourists.

Congratulations and all the best to you.