Here's why Durango is the best kept secret in Mexico

Durango has an impressive history, expressed during Fitur, an exclusive conversation with Caribbean News Digital, Elvira Silerio Assistant Secretary of Tourism of that State in Mexico.

Dear Lic. Silerio, reading about your State, I realize, correct me if I'm wrong that Durango is a very unknown state, especially to the Spanish public and yet it has incredible things and I would like it since we are in FITUR to tell us that Durango offers.

Of course, as you say, Durango is the best-kept secret in Mexico, Durango has an impressive history, it has a name like one of the provinces that are here in Spain in Bilbao there are three Durango in the world, Durango Mexico, Durango Colorado in the United States and Durango in Vizcaya, Spain.

Then in Durango, we have four important slopes to promote, we see the tourist theme that, the first is adventure tourism Durango through the Sierra Madre Occidental is a beautiful mountain that connects the beach with Mazatlan, then you can combine a stay in some cabins with a campfire, do a bit of rappelling, hiking and then finish your weekend on the beaches of Mazatlan, that's an option we have. On the other side of the city of Durango, the capital is an open-air museum, we have many sites of architectural value, we are part of a binational itinerary called Camino Real de Tierra Adentro which is a cultural heritage of humanity for this binational itinerary and we have many sacred art museums, we have the Pancho Villa museum that is A very famous caudillo in Mexico and well that's the cultural theme, for people who like culture.

Durango also differentiates itself from all the other states of Mexico because of its history in cinema, John Wayne came to film many films in Durango and from there a long history and trajectory were made by the cinema. Why? Because Durango has a sky where the light lasts a lot and incredible footage can be made, we have had characters like Salma Hayek, Penelope Cruz, we have had Andy Garcia, Ringo Star, Bob Dylan was also in Durango, well then, well, it's a We are invited to visit Durango, look for the tour operators that sell in Mexico here in Spain, such as Julia Tours, such as Corte Inglés, and there they can buy packages. to visit us and really, it will be a destination that will surprise you.

The issue of connectivity is the key, but, perhaps the most direct way is to go to Mexico City and I imagine that Durango flies with great frequency.

Exactly, we have four daily flights to Mexico City, then you can get to Mexico City without problems, for example, now we return on the flight that leaves here at noon and night you are in Durango, then the connectivity is very short, do not wait another night or anything, on the same day you arrive in Durango.

So, we invite you to visit Durango, when they know you are going to say, I want to be there again.

This year is a little special, well we already talked to different states about the issue of the change of government, there is, therefore, some uncertainty with the issue that CPTM is not going to be, for example, I would like to know how you think about this state problem, where are the resources coming from, in short, how do they face that?

Well I always stay positive, the CPTM was always one of the agencies that helped us a lot in the promotion, especially with the handling of the Mexico brand and with the brands of the destinations, but now, with those changes that Come I think we're going to have to see a strategy where we can use our resources more positively.

Before the CPTM always gave us a little more money, but limited us on the issue of how to buy, and in what areas to buy traditional media, we were very punished online.

So now with the change, now that we are not going to have these strict guidelines because there will be a little more autonomy and freedom in the destinations to make more effective purchases in what suits them, then well, all the changes come to improve and are years of opportunity, then I stay positive and continue doing the promotion of Mexico for free.

Very well, the theme of magical towns is also another hot topic, they have two magical towns, how are they going to continue taking care of those magical towns?

Of course, now what we are doing and I think this can work very well is inviting the same private initiative of the magical people to invest in it, tourism is an industry that generates well-being, then people have to see it as a generator of companies, jobs and investing, then we are looking for entrepreneurs who want to invest in destinations, especially in Nombre de Dios, which is very close to the capital of the state, has worked very well with the Mezcal theme.

The Mezcal is a fashionable drink, then the people go to the mezcal route, then the people of Nombre de Dios, some businessmen who have seen all the potential there are already making cabins, they are going to make a hotel there, then that is a very positive example that adding the facilities that we as a government have to be facilitators and the strength that private initiative brings can make a team that has very good results.

Speaking of gastronomy that goes together with tourism. What is the importance of gastronomy in tourism in Durango, do specific things of the gastronomic theme?

Well in Durango we are just strengthening the theme of gastronomy, we have done very interesting things, in the Tourism Tianguis which is the most interesting event in Mexico we made a gastronomic sample, where we also carried scorpions prepared in different ways that were a great success, the Durango cheese is delicious, it is a tradition that we have, almond paste sweets, it is very similar to Spanish gastronomy, gorditas and good Mezcal comes right now to get a little fashionable.

We are opening many gaps in the United States, we were also promoting the Mezcal in China, I think we are making efforts there, adding all teams to try to put the high name of Durango and stop being the best-kept secret in Mexico.

I was also seeing that for example in the theme of congresses and incentives they had more than 100 events, it is also I imagine a very important issue for you.

We are now betting a lot on the subject of congresses and conventions, it is one of the parts that generate more economic and above all what allows us to de-temporalize hotel occupancy, when the offseason comes, for example, January, and February, are complicated months for the hotel, there we look for events. Now only in January we will have between 5 and 6 events that for Durango are a good number between 300 and 500 people, we have a single precinct that is a historic site that has a capacity for 3 thousand people and we are doing work to go preparing events, not only this year but we have already scheduled 2020-2021.

Perfect, thank you very much, I do not know if I want to add something else.

No, so to invite all the people that visit us in Durango. Durango is a destination that will surprise you and we hope you are there.