By Carola Rico
The Secretary of Tourism for the State of Guanajuato, Juan José Álvarez Brunel, recently spoke to Atención San Miguel about the tourism challenges and opportunities resulting from two years of pandemic and also discussed some of the events and public works projects planned for the state, including San Miguel.
Brunel said Guanajuato currently has a tourism strategy based upon studies of what interests visitors to the state and noted that the plan focuses on Guanajuato’s many tourist highlights. «When it comes to the topic of tourism, you will find gastronomy, crafts, culture, traditions, health tourism, and wellness,” he noted. He also said that two new tourism categories have recently been added to the state plan: promotion of sports tourism and distilled spirits, i.e., mezcal and tequila.
Brunel spoke about the success of the state’s wine tourism initiative, which has been strengthened by the wine promotion law approved by the state congress in December 2020. Brunel emphasized that Guanajuato has a growing number of vineyards, along with associated activities linked to wine tourism. In the northern area of the state, from Comonfort to San Diego de la Unión, there are 25 vineyards, and there are 43 registered throughout the state, which is the #4 producer of wine in the country. During the last Brussels World Contest, Guanajuato was awarded more than 18 medals with 18 labels, from bronze to gold. Brunel attributes much of the success of this segment to the launch of the tourism plan and the hard work of an entire department make it happen. He pointed out that wine tourism is about more than just the vineyards; it also involves numerous tourism service providers that are involved and when enable further expansion into other segments.
Brunel conveyed that many important international events will be held in Guanajuato in the coming months, underscoring the confidence that their organizers have in the state, which they view as a dynamic, proactive location that is quick to adapt and be flexible. He pointed to the World Meetings Forum that will take place in San Miguel April 4-7, noting that this is the most important event in the international meetings industry, drawing attendees from Canada, the United States, LATAM, and Europe. This event will be held at the Live Aqua and Hilo Rojo hotels and showcase the benefits of hosting meetings in San Miguel to some 150 influential event specialists who are expected to attend.
Another event is being organized for the “romance” segment. The IADWP (International Association of Destination Wedding Professionals) will host its «World Romance Travel Conference: Love Mexico» conference November 7-10 in both San Miguel and Guanajuato City, attracting some 250 wedding planners, travel agents, and others focused on the wedding tourism industry to the state’s two UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
In addition, the Sustainable and Social Tourism Summit will travel to Guanajuato for the first time to hold its sixth summit in Leon on August 31-September 3. Guanajuato has attended the previous four summit meetings and is now proving itself a leading destination with the first-class infrastructure needed to host this event, with its focus on clean energy, sustainability, solidarity, and social responsibility—all aspects that are among the goals and strategies of the Secretary of Tourism.Another important upcoming event is the 4th World Company Sports Games (WCSG) that will take place in León towards the end of 2022.
Organized by the World Federation for Company Sport, the games bring together working people from across the globe to compete and demonstrate the virtues of company sport. According to Brunel, by hosting the 4th WCSG, the state of Guanajuato is aiming to develop its reputation as a sports tourism destination. Some 4,500 national and international athletes are expected to participate in the games, which will take place at sports complexes such as the Impulso Aquatic Center, Enrique Fernández Martínez Sports, Bosque Country Club, León Autodromo, Distrito León MX, Club Punto Verde, and Bol-León. Previously, these games—which include soccer, basketball, volleyball, golf, swimming, bowling, tennis, and athletics—were held in Spain, France, and Greece.
One other event highlighted by Brunel is the Rally of the Nations Guanajuato, a world class competition of rally drivers that will take place April 1-3. Hosted by León, Guanajuato City, and Silao, this event will celebrate 20 years of rally history in the state of Guanajuato, a destination known as the «capital of rallying in North America.» As in past years, the Secretary of Tourism of the state of Guanajuato, the three municipalities, and the organizing committee of Rally Mexico have teamed up to promote the sport and reactivate tourism and the economic viability of the organization. The Guanajuato Rally of Nations will be broadcast in more than 120 countries, and, in Mexico, through TV4. It will include 16 timed sections and 229.28 kilometers of competition, in which drivers compete in pairs to win as a country.
On the topic of infrastructure improvements, Brunel pointed to important works that will benefit San Miguel, such as the Cieneguita bridge, which—due to weather-related challenges—has not been completed but will be completed when the water level recedes. Another project is the Boulevard de la Libertad that will join Dolores Hidalgo with San Miguel. It will be a four-lane highway with a median in the middle, a bike path, and vehicle returns. This will be a magnum opus that will help consolidate this area of the state from Dolores to Comonfort. It will also improve the connection between San Miguel and the state’s vineyards, and an analysis is underway to determine how to incorporate San Diego de la Unión and Pozos, because the Tourism Department feels that it is very important to strengthen the entire region.
