All hotels in the capital’s Historic Center registered 100 percent occupancy during the holy days, highlighted the head of the Zacatecas Tourism Secretariat (Secturz), Le Roy Barragán Ocampo.
He explained that visitors began arriving on Tuesday and that occupancy level continued until Holy Saturday, although he acknowledged that many tourists are leaving today and others are staying to enjoy Easter Week.
“All the hotels in the center are at 100 percent capacity. We’re talking about Quinta Real, Emporio, Santa Rita, Casa Torres, Hampton Inn, City Express, and Mesón de Jobito, which come to mind,” he said.
Barragán Ocampo included those located at the northern entrance to the city among the properties “with very good occupancy,” although he did not specify the average level recorded during the first week of vacation for all hotels in the Zacatecas Guadalupe metropolitan area.
He noted that many of the visitors are from the municipalities who come to enjoy the Zacatecas Cultural Festival (FCZ), as well as many migrant families from other cities in the country and the United States.
“Most of the flights are full. They come from Tijuana, Los Angeles, San José, Chicago, and Texas,” stated the Secretary of Tourism, who attributed this influx of visitors to the promotion of Zacatecas as a destination through migrant club federations and Mexican consulates in the United States.
“There is no room in the hotels in Jerez [in García Salinas], [because] migrant families book in advance for these dates. [Although] some stay at friends’ houses or even in Tepetongo or Zacatecas City,” he explained.
He emphasized that many foreigners are staying in the capital, including Germans, Americans, and Spaniards, who visit the state as a result of international tourism promotion and because “large companies [established in Zacatecas] have brought foreign families.”
HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Regarding the expected economic impact, Le Roy Barragán insisted that it could be up to 300 million pesos. “The impact is not only measured by hotel occupancy, and doing so is a mistake, since [this category] includes taxi drivers, laundromats, hotel and restaurant suppliers, Airbnb, and service providers.”
He emphasized that on Good Friday night, the entertainment venues in the Historic Center, after the Procession of Silence, were packed. “I’ve been told that there were still people there until 5 a.m., so the impact could easily be 200 to 300 million pesos.”
He expressed confidence that the FCZ activities in the capital and the Spring Fair in Jerez will continue to attract visitors for this second week of vacation.
Source: ntrzacatecas
