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Mazatlan is gearing up for its largest and most important tourism event of the year, International Carnival, the third largest in the world following those in Rio and New Orleans.
For all intents and purposes, the popularity of the event, to be held from Feb. 12 to 17, clearly reflects the destination's tourism comeback, with the number of Carnival visitors rising to 650,000, a 10 percent increase over last year's numbers, said Frank Cordova, Mazatlan's secretary of tourism.
"This year's event will be even better than last year's," he said, adding that the city's hotels are fully booked. "We're getting more of our Americans and Canadians back in much larger numbers - all of which will add up to a really great Carnival. We're expecting a very, very good crowd."
The event, featuring parades, fireworks, art shows, concerts and an array of culinary offerings, is an integral part of Mazatlan's cultural tradition and history. "For us, it has a lot of meaning," Cordova said.
Mazatlan's Carnival also provides visitors with authentic, experiential vacations, which is one of Mazatlan's strongest selling points. "If you want a real, authentic place in Mexico you have to come to Mazatlan," he said. "It's Mexico's only colonial city on the beach with 400 years of history, culture and gastronomy."
The city, meanwhile, is continuing on its road to recovery from one of its most dismal years ever, 2011, when Mazatlan, along with other several other Mexican cities, was plagued with the effects of the recession and perceptions about safety.
"Mazatlan is one of the safest cities in Mexico, and Mexicans have always recognized that," said Cordova. "Travelers from the U.S. and Canada painted Mexico with a wide brush and we've been working diligently to change that perception."
To help stanch safety concerns, in 2013 the city installed hundreds of security cameras in tourism zones and added a tourism police force. "This has paid off tremendously, with perceptions about safety greatly improved," said Cordova.
Arrivals numbers bear out Cordova's contention, with the destination experiencing a boost of 11 percent in 2013 and 14 percent last year. "Things for 2015 are looking very, very good," said Cordova, adding that hotel occupancies are also on the rise.
On the hotel front, Cordova said 10 hotel projects are currently underway, with the city expected to add 1,500 new rooms in this year alone.
Another bright spot for the city is the return of cruise ships to its port. "We've got Carnival, Princess, Holland America Line and Norwegian making regular stops now," Cordova said. "That's up from zero in 2011."
And, during this winter season, air capacity has increased by approximately 30 percent compared to last year's numbers, he said.
In other tourism developments, Cordova said the federal government just opened a new highway corridor that cuts travel time from the airport into the city's hotel zone by 25 minutes.
In the city itself, the continued gentrification of the 13-mile Malecon, or promenade, continues with the addition of 600 palm trees and lighting.
Going forward, Cordova said he expects tourism numbers to continue to rise from year to year. "Things are looking up," he said. "Things are looking great."
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