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Mexico – Mexican Hotel Casinos could attract 10m more tourists
By Phil - 22 April 2015
President of the Mexican Association of Hotels and Motels Rafael García González, has said that Las Vegas type gaming could lead to a huge tourist boom in Mexico and could add 10m more visitors within two years time.
Speaking to local news portal REPORTUR.mx he said: “Quintana Roo, and specifically Cancun and the Riviera Maya, will be pioneers when it comes to the installation of casinos. It will add to a value to the tourist infrastructure already in place while leading to a boost in tourism in other states which would lead us more quickly to the figure of 40 million tourists in two years time.”
Although Mr. García González did not provide any names he did say that there are already, “a number of hotels which are going to see the possibilities in adapting their rooms. I can’t get ahead of myself but there does exist an interest in all beach areas and there is a lot of interest from hotels.”
The interest in casinos as add-ons to hotels has been growing ever since the government passed Mexico’s new Federal Betting and Raffles Law which was approved by the House of Representatives in December last year. The new gaming act could see Las Vegas style casino complexes being built in the Riviera Maya, Acapulco and Baja California in order to attract foreign investment into Mexico.
Mr. García González went onto say that the new casinos could also herald in a much higher level of professionals in the industry generally and would lead to a large boost in the economies of towns on the U.S border. In addition cities such as Mexico City which already have a number of gaming establishments would benefit greatly from adding shows and other attractions to what they already offer.
His statements come on the heels of news last week that Iberostar Hotels & Resorts plans to open a casino on the area. The company announced that it will strengthen its commitment to the region with the opening of a casino in the Mexican Caribbean. Earlier this month the President of the Association of Hotels in Cancun and Puerto Morelos in Mexico, Carlos Gosselin said that the hotel industry in the region must be prepared to adapt to new challenges and changes that will support tourism infrastructure ahead of Mexico’s new gaming law.
