NAMI News
The latest trinational news.Tuesday, July 29, 2008
U.S. Recession, Drug War Violence Cause Crisis in Mexico Tourism.
IRC Americas Program, July 29, 2008 - “At first, a song about the Mississippi Delta belted out on the moonlit shore of Zihuatanejo Bay, Mexico, seemed out of place. But the bluesy tune performed by U.S. musicians at this year’s Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival struck a chord in the Mexican town. These days, many locals know the blues very well. Wandering along Zihuatanejo’s small waterfront, harpist Jose Luis Ramirez lamented the absence of foreign tourists to serenade. Wearing a resigned look on his face, jewelry seller Margarito Batalla sat alone at his jewelry stand. And silver salesman Rolando Pineda Fernandez expressed the sentiments of many in the Pacific Coast resort. ‘We were expecting more people, but they didn’t come,’ Pineda shrugged. ‘Who knows what happened?’ In 2008, Zihuatanejo and other Mexican tourist destinations are suffering a downturn in international tourism. The reasons are multiple: U.S. recession, high fuel costs, air route cancellations, new U.S. passport requirements, narco-violence, and environmental contamination.” Read more.
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