Resounding Success at Amdetur’s 29th Annual Convention
“New trends in global tourism for attracting markets; the latest sources of financing, advanced technology for reaching vacation ownership tourists and innovative growth and expansion strategies, were just some of the takeaways from our 29th Annual Convention, “Reinventing the Tourism Industry and Vacation Ownership.”
The activities of the AMDETUR Convention included presentations by key figures from the private sector, academe and government, on different timeframes, which created a very interesting conceptual synergies and an in-depth knowledge of the tourist industry from a variety of perspectives. This enriches the horizons of those involved in the industry today, who took part in “The Tourist Event of the Year.”
AMDETUR-FONATUR Agreement to Benefit Affiliates
AMDETUR’s chairman of the board Ana Patricia de la Peña, acting on behalf of the Association, signed a collaboration agreement with the National Tourism Promotion Fund (FONATUR) to promote investment in tourism through joint actions between government authorities and 90 percent of Tourist Oriented Real-Estate Developers in Mexico, in the areas of timeshare, vacation ownership and vacation condominiums, as well as comprehensive developments including golf courses, marinas and different vacation ownership models.
During the signing of the Agreement, which took place during AMDETUR’s 29th Annual Convention, the General Director of FONATUR, Héctor Martín Gómez Barraza declared that “the fundamental purpose is to increase the development of micro, small and midsized tourist enterprises, and to promote investment in domestic tourism.”
Speaking for the Ministry of Tourism, Under Secretary of Innovation and Development Carlos Manuel Joaquín González noted that innovation is fundamental for destinations’ competitiveness and ability to attract tourists, so this Agreement is a great achievement for both AMDETUR and FONATUR, and will benefit all businesses in the field.
Signing of AMDETUR-ProMexico Agreement
During the events surrounding the ProMéxico Global Forum – Business Roundtable for the Hotel and Restaurant Industry, the Mexican Association of Tourist Resort Developers (AMDETUR) signed a Collaboration Agreement with ProMéxico to promote the internationalization of Mexican companies and boost development of productive chains in Mexico’s hotels and restaurants.
Within that collaboration agreement, the two organizations will work jointly to promote
industrial development in Mexico and encourage local companies to increase their exports and internationalize their activities, strengthening productive chains and developing a supply of exportable Mexican products. These efforts will include activities such as event organization, participation in trade fairs, missions and congresses; mentoring, training, and publicizing the support and services ProMéxico offers.
A model of continuing communication on export activities and ways to attract foreign direct investment will be introduced as well, and technical support will be provided in the area of exports, as well as advice to foreign investors looking to place their capital in Mexico.
AMDETUR represents Mexico’s vacation ownership industry, grouping together 90% of developers in this industry, the second largest in the world in after the United States and responsible for an economic flow of around 4 billion dollars a year.
AMDETUR and Banreservas Work to Promote Investment
“Generating growth and expansion strategies,” a key panel within AMDETUR’s 2015 Annual Convention on “Reinventing the Tourism Industry and Vacation Ownership” gave attendees an introduction to the various sources of funding “that help us support our industries to
strengthen and develop,” according to Patricia de la Peña, Chairman of the Mexican Association of Tourist Resort Developers.
The Director of Tourist Development for the Dominican Banco de Reservas (Banreservas), Deyanira Pappaterra, said the event was highly important for her institution, because “we were able to attract the interest of hotel groups and developers attending the Convention, and based on these negotiations, a group of them will be visiting the Dominican Republic, with Banreservas acting as the host bank.”
Thanks to AMDETUR’s influence in the industry, Banreservas’ tourism proposal inspired such interest among industry representatives that Pappaterra was able to meet with entrepreneurs at its stand, and individually explain to them the facilities her bank offers to foreign investment. “We expect to create more than 2,000 new rooms for the country in the medium term,” she said.
Timeshare: a Formal, Regulated Business That Provides Foreign Revenues, Pays Taxes and Has Great Expansion Potential
Patricia de la Peña Sánchez, Chairwoman of the Mexican Association of Tourist Resort Developers (AMDETUR), participated in Panel 2, “Tourism, Vital for Prosperity” within the Mexico international Real Estate Tradeshow (SIME) Congress, where she underscored that the conditions described above help our country to become more competitive around the globe.
“What we intend to do is to reinforce and continually improve our infrastructure of hotels and major tourism center, to position Mexico at the forefront of the world’s top three tourist destination countries, although admittedly we owe a great deal to the excellent conditions provided by our AMDETUR members, who have established tourist resorts in zones of extraordinary biological wealth, while respecting the environment.”
Ms. Peña assured her audience that AMDETUR members have earned certifications such as Earth Check – Green Globe, considered the highest international standards designed for the tourist industry, because they have installed and operate a sustainable tourism infrastructure.
AMDETUR’s national Chairwoman also recalled that six years ago, Mexico stood in 51st place in the World Economic Forum’s Tourist Competitiveness Ranking, with a score of 4.43 points, and today, it has advanced 21 places and ranks 30th, with a score of 4.36 points. This, she said, is a sign that we can improve if we all work together to position Mexico alongside the best in the world.
AMDETUR Strengthens Investment Ties With Puerto Rico
Representing the Mexican Association of Tourist Resort Developers (AMDETUR), Chairwoman of the Board Patricia de la Peña meets with entrepreneurs and authorities from around the world, and recently had the opportunity of exchanging viewpoints and experiences with entrepreneurs from Puerto Rico.
“Mexican resort developers have invested in a number countries over the past few years, like the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, for example, and our affiliates are interested in meeting with the Puerto Rican Ministry of Tourism to talk about investment options and business alliances with Mexican tourism businesses, as well as the incentives that work there,” Ms. Peña said.
Johnny Fernandes, VP for Business Development at the Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, said that with the tax incentives his government offers, foreign and local companies find support for investing in that territory, since the Caribbean nation “is at a historic point in time, where it has made structural changes aimed at overcoming the recession and supporting the private sector.
Awilda Mercado, from the Puerto Rican Office of Economic Development, said a joint effort has been made between Puerto Rican businesses and government to get the word out about business opportunities in the Caribbean island.
Specialization Course in Timeshare Starts Up
One of ADMETUR’s chief objectives is to train people to work in and lead our industry, and this specialization course is a magnificent opportunity to learn in greater depth and analyze the timeshare business, its environment, structure and operation, in order to encourage optimum decision-making on the part of companies, development agencies, sales firms and related services, so they can generate value and sustained growth.
Based on the enthusiastic response of our affiliates, we took on the task of organizing this second specialization course, where we will have the opportunity to work in a great industry that is a crucial pillar for Mexico’s development.
The course will be held in September and November, and consists of four modules:
1. Tourism and Vacation Ownership
2. Industry Structure
3. Business Model
4. Operation and Service
