The Puebla Tourism Cluster will propose to the state government some important flights to complete in the first two years of the six-year term, both domestic and international, with the expectation of a 20 percent increase in tourism.
Rafael Alexander Gherke Sánchez, president of the cluster, revealed that the flights include flights to Acapulco, Ixtapa, and Tulum, as well as an increase in trips to Tijuana, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.
He considered that state authorities are open to receiving proposals, especially those from the tourism sector, because he knows the market niches that should be explored to attract vacationers to Puebla or to choose the “Hermanos Serdán” International Airport as a point for traveling to beach destinations.
In this context, he said that, due to the proximity to Tlaxcala and Morelos, the Puebla terminal located in the municipality of Huejotzingo could be the alternative for travelers from those states.
He commented that authorities have enough time to increase air service, as negotiations with airlines take time, and some companies are interested in serving other destinations.
However, he said, the opinions of tourism service providers must be taken into account, as they know where visitors arrive from and the average length of stay in Puebla.
“If the government and hotel, restaurant, travel agency, and tour operator owners work on an agenda to establish new, permanent flights to Puebla, there will be an impact on the economy,” he emphasized.
He commented that the mistakes of the past must be avoided, when authorities unilaterally decided on some flights only to have them fail shortly afterward due to a lack of research or failure to consult with service providers.
Gherke Sánchez emphasized that there is a new opportunity for the Puebla airport to have greater connections to other destinations in the country, not only beach destinations but also business destinations.
The organization’s proposal includes expanding routes to cities in the United States, for example, Chicago, Los Angeles, California, and New York.
At the beginning of the year, according to the state Secretariat of Economic Development and Labor (Sedetra), the “Hermanos Serdán” terminal offered flights to Cancún, Tijuana, Guadalajara, Mérida, and Monterrey domestically, in addition to a single international destination, Houston.
However, in recent months, new routes have been added. Among the domestic destinations are Chihuahua, Puerto Escondido, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, and Huatulco in Oaxaca.
“Authorities will always have a different view than business owners, because we see it as a business and, as such, we are interested in capitalizing on a direct flight’s revenue,” explained the cluster president.
Source: es-us.noticias.yahoo
