The Jalisco Tourism Secretariat, headed by Michelle Fridman Hirsch, officially presented the state’s Tourism Development Plan, a six-year, organizational document that will chart the course for the sector in the coming years. It was developed collaboratively through forums and roundtables with industry stakeholders.
“It’s an unprecedented document. In many destinations in Mexico, but in Jalisco, there hasn’t been a project of this type, where we bring the tourism industry together through consultation forums and roundtables in different regions and municipalities,” Fridman noted in an interview.
The plan included panel discussions with more than 16 international and national leaders to discuss needs related to sustainability, brand renewal, investment, and connectivity. However, it can be adapted “to the needs and challenges that the current context presents, but today it already sets the tone for where we are heading.”
The plan is structured around ten main axes, ranging from sector restructuring to promotion. One of the most concrete announcements is the investment of 100 million pesos for infrastructure in Magical Towns in this first year, with confirmed projects for San Sebastián del Oeste, Talpa, Tapalpa, Cocula, and Sayula.
“We received projects from the 12 magical towns and defined certain criteria for prioritization. The intention is to allocate a similar amount again next year.”
In addition to this specific amount, 30% of the Lodging Tax (ISH) revenue collected by the four Jalisco trusts will be allocated to tourism infrastructure for projects such as signage and lighting for heritage sites, complementing the major projects under the jurisdiction of other ministries.
In terms of private investment, it was revealed that the 40 new hotels to be built in the state represent more than $2 billion in investment, with construction deadlines between 2025 and 2027, “a sign of the private sector’s confidence in the destination.”
One of the flagship projects presented is the second Tequila Route in Los Altos de Jalisco, an effort that, according to the official, took more than a decade to materialize, and “in just four months we will be implementing it.”
This new route brings together eight municipalities (Acatic, Tepatitlán, San Ignacio Cerro Gordo, Arandas, Jesús María, Atotonilco El Alto, Ayotlán, and Tototlán) that together offer “75 current tourism products, 1,691 hotel rooms, and 533 food and beverage establishments,” and is expected to grow ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Guadalajara will be one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Jalisco expects to receive around three million additional tourists, so efforts are focused on decentralizing the offering. “Jalisco is the only host city of the three that can offer the diversity of tourism that Jalisco can, with beaches and 12 magical towns,” so event-related activities will be brought to different regions to distribute the economic benefits.
Meanwhile, Jalisco is moving forward with infrastructure projects that transcend the sporting event, such as the renovation of the airport exit, Guadalajara’s historic center, and the Akron Stadium, the latter already ready to host matches.
Source: eleconomista
