Tourism, priority in CDMX Economic Package 2023

One of the main spending strategies of Mexico City for 2023 is focused on achieving the recovery of the tourism sector, this within the framework of the fact that it will host the Tianguis Turístico.

In a conference, the head of the Ministry of Administration and Finance, Luz Elena González Escobar, explained that for next year all the institutions related to tourism and culture will receive more resources, since Mexico City is expected to be more competitive. .

“That is why the Ministry of Tourism receives a substantial increase in its budget, also the Mixed Fund, all this is to promote tourism actions, sustainable tourism actions (…) We are supporting these institutions because they are going to be those in charge of the organization, we will be the headquarters of the Tianguis Turístico next year, which has been decided and they have wanted to have a great party within the city”, she said.

According to the official, with the resources raised, it is expected to take advantage of the fact that in 2022 the opening of activities was consolidated at 100%; In addition, as a new effort, and within the framework of the tourist event, an agenda of massive events will be presented, from concerts, festivals and exhibitions.

“Next year we want to give a special boost to tourism and culture. There are going to be massive concerts, big festivals; and also, with the completion of the Tianguis Turístico, a series of activities will be carried out that also allow the reactivation of this sector that was so hit by the pandemic and that also allows a projection of the major city at an international level ”, he stressed.

The 2023 Expenditure Budget Project specifies that 1,015 million pesos are estimated for the Ministry of Culture, which would mean an increase, according to González Escobar, of 11.6% more than in 2022.

For the Ministry of Tourism, a total amount of 146.9 million (85.5% more than this year) is expected, while for the Mixed Fund for Tourism Promotion resources of 189.9 million (41.8 percent).

Within the cultural offer, an increase is contemplated for the Museum of Popular Art with 20.6 million pesos (9.2% more than in 2022), as well as for the Museo del Estanquillo with 10.8 million (5.6 percent).

With data from the January-September Quarterly Advance Report of the Ministry of Administration and Finance, in 2022 the Mixed Fund for Tourism Promotion was assigned 133.9 million pesos and the Ministry of Culture a total of 910 million.

Decrease

It should be noted that the increase in the Ministry of Tourism enters a context where in 2022 it was the unit with the lowest budget allocation, with 79.2 million pesos, this according to the Expenditure Budget.

This year’s budget allocation also enters a scenario where tourism activity has not been able to recover, since it still has not reached pre-pandemic levels.

For example, according to data from the Statistical Bulletin of the local Tourism Secretariat, from January to July of this 2022, 6,220 visitors arrived at the hotels, in 2021 there were 3,268 tourists, in 2020 there were 2,943 attendees and in 2019, a year without covid , 7,787 guests.

Until July of this year, hotel occupancy was 51.8%, in the same period of 2021 it was 25.8%, in 2020 it was 25.6% and in 2019 it was 66.2 percent.

Added to this, according to a document in the possession of El Economista, the Ministry of Tourism made only five reactivation agreements for the sector.

During 2020, one was carried out: the Collaboration Agreement on Tourism and Cooperation with the Destinos México Program; in 2021: two, with Autobuses Rápidos de Zacatlán and Mooi Collective.

For the first semester of 2022 there were three, again with Autobuses Rápidos de Zacatlán, with the National Association of Charros and with the Mexican Association of Travel Agencies of Mexico City.

estados@eleconomista.mx