By Carola Rico
The rector of the Technological University of San Miguel de Allende (UTSMA), Professor Daniel Jiménez Rodríguez, has reported that the Second National Tourism Forum will be held in San Miguel de Allende from September 21 to 23 at the La Casona Convention Center.
In 2020, UTSMA took on the task of coordinating the tourism committee at the national level to show what it can do as an institution throughout the country. The first forum was held in 2021at the technological university in Bahía de Banderas, Tepic. Professor Jiménez explained that at this second forum there will be a large number of researchers and tourism figures at the federal level.
In Mexico there are more than 200 technological and polytechnic universities and more than 55 universities offer an academic program in tourism or some related area such as gastronomy. Professor Jimenez further explained that when the institution received this most recent mission, it shared the national tourism agenda with all the universities.
He explained that what is intended with this type of event is that businessmen and society in general will learn how the universities are part of the team that will promote tourism at the national level. He said the educational system has put in place the infrastructure, and has the human resources to prepare students for participation in many essential aspects of tourism development. This is especially important after the pandemic and the downward trend that tourism experienced.
Invited to this forum are the governor of the State of Guanajuato, Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo; the State Secretary of Tourism, Juan José Álvarez Brunell; and the Federal Secretary of Tourism, Mr. Miguel Torruco Márquez.
On the first day, an agreement will be signed between participating universities and the National Offices of Tourism, that will improve cooperation between the two entities in developing tourism in the country. Thirty-five research papers will be presented, written by students from the country’s technological universities. These research papers will be used to generate an electronic data base that will be in the public domain and available for use by all researchers.
The guest country of the forum will be Spain, On the first day, a tribute will be paid to a very important Spanish man, Dr. Manuel Figuera Paloma. He is well known in Mexico as a tourism expert and an indefatigable researcher. He has been teacher and mentor to many leaders in the Mexican tourism industry; as well as a teacher of several office of tourism in Mexico.
Later there will be an event called «Wine of Honor.» There will also be a gastronomic event with the theme of food from the region of the State of Guanajuato. On the second day there will be keynote speeches, research papers, and tourism workshops. The third day will have book presentations and also keynote speeches.
For more details about this forum, consult the social networks of the Technological University of San Miguel, UTSMA.
