Chetumal, Q.R. — State governor Carlos Joaquín was one of several who accompanied Mexico’s president Andrés Manuel López Obrador during Flag Day in Chetumal where he emphasized the importance of tourism for the growth of the state’s economy
During the celebration, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador recalled some of the plans for the state such as the Maya Train, scholarships for low-income students and the transfer of the Ministry of Tourism to the capital city of Chetumal.
During his talk, López Obrador announced 600 million peso will be invested in Quintana Roo with future investments into other areas including Acapulco, Los Cabos, Vallarta and Bahía de Banderas, among others.
He stressed the necessity of continuing work to guarantee public security throughout the country in a coordinated effort with the three levels of government.
He also emphasized the importance of this for the economy of the state, as well as at the national level saying “Quintana Roo is the state with the highest growth in generation of formal jobs nationwide.”
Tourism Minister Miguel Torruco announced that Mexicans with limited resources and those considered vulnerable groups will travel for free throughout the country as the federal government gets ready to introduce its national tourism strategy.
“Tourism will be a right for all,” Torruco said during President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s visit.
The Sonrisas por México program will promote social tourism so that people can experience different tourist destinations around the country for free as part of their universal right, explained Torruco.
The official said the program will begin with a pilot phase but did not provide more details, only adding that another national tourism program is Enjoy Mexico, which through agreements with tour operators, will offer low-cost packages for locals throughout the country.
Torruco said that when he was Secretary of Tourism in Mexico City, these programs were successful.
During his brief visit, López Obrador also touched on national security and Chetumal becoming a free zone in the future.
