Oaxaca, a top 10 world´s best city

By Askari Mateos
According to Travel and Leisure magazine, the city of Oaxaca is rated as one of the ten most important travel destinations in the world (Sydney, Australia tops the list). However, reaching such status hasn’t come easy, having entailed a tremendous amount of arduous effort on the part of the government of the state, specifically the Secretary of Tourism (Sectur) in promoting the state’s richness, time and again noting Oaxaca as a prime tourist destination amongst service providers (i.e. airlines).

This effort has been a culmination of participation from integrated delegations of service providers, artisans and promoters in fairs and forums, all expounding Oaxaca as an important option at both national and international levels.

In an interview, the head of Sectur, Beatriz Rodríguez Casanovas, explains into where effort is being channeled and identifies the main projects.

In addition, with Hurricane Wilma lashing the Mayan Riviera, the Oaxacan beaches, predominantly Huatulco, have become an important option for tourism. And so a pair of Spanish hotel chains quickly began building two new hotels.

In the same way, finally after a number of years Oaxacan venues are now winning competitions to host international events: March 31st and April 1st the Santa Domingo ex-convent hosts Fashion Mexico International, a symposium determined to bring young Mexican designers to the forefront of international fashion design.

By special invitation the event will feature designer Carolina Herrera who will showcase one of her full fashion lines, while the Mexican contingent will be represented on the runway by the designs of Carlo Demichellis and Alvin Valey, who have stood out in terms of the creativity and innovation of their artistry.

The leading magazines in Mexico, Quién and ELLE, will bring together the highest of Mexican society with the most elite of national and international fashion, while TV Azteca will be able to reach 80 million Mexican households with the best on the international runway and Mexican prospects of the future.
Within the framework of Fashion Mexico International, the magazine Elle with its 37 publications worldwide, will present the first “Fashion Elle” award in recognition of Mexican professionals. These awards, part of a project which Elle spearheads in a number of countries, provide bona fide financial support.

Apart from this, Rodríguez Casanovas indicates that governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz has made a fund available of more than 95 million pesos, that’s already been applied to strategic projects like the Dominican Route of the Oaxacan Mixtec, alternative tourism (ecotourism) in the Sierra Norte and the Hotel Escuela in the capital.

Insofar as the Dominican Route is concerned, included are the temples of the city of Oaxaca, San Juan Bautista Coixtlahuaca, Santo Domingo Yan huitlán and San Pedro and San Pablo Teposcolula…and roadside stops equipped with basic conveniences are being built so as to improve services made available to visitors.

Moreover, community development in alternative tourism is being promoted at Santiago Apoala, San Francisco Yosocuta and Santo Domingo Tonalá, and ethnic tourism is already coming to fruition in the Heroica Cuidad de Tlaxiaco.
All this is happening because, in the words of Rodríguez Casanovas, the Sierra Norte is a pioneer in ecotourism which began in 1995 with a single accommodation in the community of Benito Juárez, the region currently boasting 11 establishments with capacity to house 264 people, apart from the dozen operational fish hatcheries.

The communities which will be boosted through such ecotourism projects are La Cumbre, Santa Catarina Ixtepeji, San Pedro Nexicho, Ixtlán de Juárez, La Nevería, Santa Marta Latuvi, San Antonio Cuajimoloyas, Llano Grande, San Miguel Alemán and Santa Catarina Lachatao, amongst others.
As far as the Hotel Escuela in the state’s capital is concerned, it will be established where the government buildings were previously located, the secretary of tourism explaining that they’re progressing with remodeling, layout and adapting the usable space in the building, as well as with services and equipment, all so as to satisfy the requirements of a five star accommodation.

More to the point, she has indicated that the objective of the center will be to support the training and professionalization of the students in a way which parallels the quality of the intended accommodations. Twenty-two lodging units will be included, furnished typically consistent with the different regions which constitute the state…apart from other services which will be offered such as concierge, business center, restaurant, coffee shop, banquet hall, bar, pool and gym, all of which will generate work for 35 full-time and 70 part-time or indirect employees.

The project will be akin to a training center of basic operational skills for tourist sector employees in the areas of hotel management and food & beverage, combining both theory and practice so as to enable students to acquire the necessary skills to provide top quality comprehensive tourist services.