Press Release – For immediate release

Mexico tourism has investors’ confidence:

PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN TOURISM TOTALS a record $4 BILLION IN 3rd QUARTER

• From January to September 2008, the amount of private money invested in tourism in Mexico totalled USD $4.3 billion, a 29.47% increase compared to the previous quarter.

• Since 2006, the tourism sector benefited from USD $7.8 billion in private investment, representing 39% of the six-year goal of USD $20 billion.

• In agreement with the Secretariat’s National Projects Guidelines, 58.5% of these investments came from national capitals, while 41.5% were of foreign origin.

Despite the global economic slowdown and the higher costs of fuel this year, Mexico received a record amount of private investment in tourism.

During the first nine months of the present year, private investment in tourism in Mexico reached the record amount of USD 4.3 billion, which represents a 29.4% increase compared to the previous semester, the Mexican Secretary of Tourism Rodolfo Elizondo Torres announced.

The Secretary underlined that under mandate of President Felipe Caldrerón (who entered July 2006), the amount of investment received by the tourism sector total USD $7.8 billion, which is already 39% of the six-year goal established at USD $20 billion.

In agreement with the Secretariat of Tourism (SECTUR) National Projects Guidelines, 58.5% of these investments came from national capitals, while the remaining 41.5% originated from foreign capitals, especially from Spain and the United States.

Secretary Elizondo also noted that the states benefiting the most from private investments in tourism over the period examined were Quintana Roo, Nayarit, Sonora, Sinaloa and Guerrero. Moreover, the states of Campeche, Tamaulipas, Baja California and Chiapas also reported an important presence of investors.

The project of the federal government, Elizondo Torres insisted, goes further than the consolidation of existing destinations, as it aims to create new alternatives across Mexico. The best example of this is the new resort center of Escuinapa, which is planned to become a large-scale tourism hub on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, and which will guarantee a sustained growth of the private investment in tourism for Mexico.

In the year 2007, a total of USD $3.4 billion in private funds was invested in tourism. When added to  this 3^rd quarter results of USD $4.3 billion, sums up to USD $7.8 billion.

For more information about tourism in Mexico, and to try the new online reservation engine, please visit www.visitmexico.com

Aerial shot of the hotel zone in Cancun                                                                            Beach in Mazatlan

ABOUT THE MEXICO TOURISM BOARD

The Mexico Tourism Board (MTB) brings together the resources of federal and state governments, municipalities and private companies to promote Mexico's tourism attractions and destinations nationally and internationally. Created in 1999, the MTB is Mexico’s tourism promotion agency, and its participants include members of both the private and public sectors. The MTB has offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

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