Celebrating Life in the Coral Reefs

If you travel far into space and look back to the Earth, the only living structures you will distinguish are the coral reefs: wondrous colors such as greens, blues, yellows, and reds painted on the globe. These are the rainforests of the sea, the largest living structures on the planet due to the vast amount of species they harbor.

This is the time to celebrate the diversity that rises within the coral reefs. 2008 has been declared the International Year of the Reef and it is promoted by the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI). Mexico and the U.S. are leading the ICRI Joint Secretariat in order to increase awareness and understanding about the conservation and sustainable use of these ecosystems. As part of the IYOR activities, the Mexico Tourism Board will host a special lecture in Washington, D.C. in which two Mexican specialists will talk about the actions taken by the Mexican government in order to reduce the threat of human activity on the development of coral reefs.

Coral reefs cover less than one percent of the ocean floor but they support an estimated twenty-five percent of all marine life. The Mesoamerican Coral Reef, also known as the Great Maya Reef, is one of the Riviera Maya’s most magnificent natural attractions. It is the largest complex in the Western Hemisphere and the second largest in the world. Along with other reefs, it helps to keep balance in the environment by minimizing wave impacts from natural forces. Also, their beauty creates a powerful attraction for tourism, making the reef an important source of revenue and a stimulus for job creation.

The Great Maya Reef is a weave of coast-hugging, fringing reefs, banks, islets and immense coral atolls. Its uniqueness is breathtaking. When witnessing the abundance of marine life and the blue dominant color that turns into a rainbow of colors when you approach the reef, you will be overwhelmed. Much more than a single reef barrier, it is a myriad of shallow patch reefs, coral gardens and precipitous drop-offs.

Melomans: Head Out to the International Music Festival of Morelia!

Seeking to experience some of the world’s best music in a single location? Then you need look no further than Mexico! From November 15th through the 29th, the striking city of Morelia will be showcasing one of Mexico’s most important artistic events, the XX Annual International Music Festival of Morelia, Miguel Bernal Jimenez.

Honored guest for this year’s festival will be the country of Argentina, arriving with its National Philharmonic Orchestra and performing the closing concert ceremony. Among other featured sounds will be Mexico’s very own National Symphonic Orchestra, orchestras from the United Kingdom, Poland, Switzerland and other Argentinean musicians. Music aficionados will experience the presence of over 450 international artists, 35 concerts, over 50 thousand people in attendance, seminars, classes and courses both for students and music professionals.

Located in the northern region of Michoacán, Morelia’s Historic Center, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1991, boasts colonial-style structures such as the Palacio Nacional (National Palace) and La Catedral (The Cathedral).

Due to its strategic location, many tourists visit Morelia before heading out to nature reserves such as the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in the State of Mexico and Michoacán, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.

For further information about Morelia and its International Music Festival, please visit

Analyzing Tourism in a Turbulent Economy

Mexican Tourism Secretary, Rodolfo Elizondo Torres, invited the participants of a meeting of the Tourism Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), held in Riva del Garda, Italy last October, to meet again in Mexico in January 2009 to analyze new business models to boost the tourism sector amid the current world economic situation.

Elizondo Torres explained that a meeting on Culture and Tourism that will take place in Mexico City and the state of Michoacán on the 22nd and the 23rd of January will be extended an additional day exclusively to analyze the consequences of the world economic situation and to establish, if it is necessary, new business models within the tourism sector.

The Mexican minister of Tourism emphasizes that the Mexico meeting will not be limited to high ranking officials of the OECD only, but will also include specialists in various economics sectors that directly influence tourist activity. The OECD is an international organization of thirty countries including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, the United States, United Kingdom, etc.,that provides a setting in which governments can seek answers to common problems, identify good practices, and co-ordinate domestic and international policies. The OECD is headquartered in Paris.

SATW on its Way to Guadalajara 2009!

From October 17th through the 21st, the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) held their annual convention in Houston, Texas. Five days filled with professional development, council, chapter and board meetings, local FAM trips, a golf tournament and social events.

The most anticipated event was the closing ceremony where the passing of the gavel between the outgoing and the incoming president of the Society of American Travel Writers takes place. The president’s awards are also given out during the closing.

The Mexico Tourism Board was in charge of the closing reception and dinner. “Mexico knows the importance of travel writers and their influence on consumers and where they choose to take trips. We are very grateful that Mexico is a favorite destination among these writers and the least we could do was to help by participating in celebrating them with the warmth and joy that the Mexican culture offers,” said Martin Gonzalez, Director for the Mexico Tourism Board’s office for the southern U.S. based in Houston.

This same warmth and culture will be felt at SATW’s next convention in 2009 when they will be received by Guadalajara, the capital city of the Mexican state of Jalisco.