On May 6, Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism of Mexico (SECTUR), together with the Yucatán state governor, Mauricio Vila Dosal, announced that the 45th edition of the Tianguis Turístico—which was originally scheduled to take place in 2020, but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic—will now be held in Merida from March 21-24, 2021.

The trade show organizers will also debut the first Digital Tianguis Turístico event via an online platform this September as a sort of preview, as well as to compensate for this year’s event that had to be canceled in light of the pandemic.

“In an unprecedented and historical way, the 45th Tourist Tianguis evolves into a better showcase meeting the needs of the new reality imposed on us by the global crisis of COVID-19,” said Michelle Fridman, Minister of Tourism for the State of Yucatan. “The renewed Tianguis 360 will be a hybrid multi-event with a digital component and a face-to-face component, which will allow us to face the current needs for efficiency, innovation, reactivation and preservation of the great institution called Tianguis Turístico that represents us. Yucatan is ready.”

Secretary Torruco Marques commented on the unprecedented socio-economic climate caused by COVID-19, which has severely impacted not only the health sector but other productive industries, including tourism, which has proven itself a solid engine for prosperity and development.

Recognizing these challenges and the way the world is changing in the wake of the pandemic, Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism is implementing a series of new strategies aimed at reactivating the industry.

Marques announced that the format of Mexico’s most important tourism event will be updated to meet six specific objectives:

1. Protect the health of all Mexicans and participants of Tianguis Turístico.

2. Promptly reactivate tourism in the country.

3. Empathize with and support an industry that has been financially affected.

4. Further evolve and innovate Tianguis Turistico, in alignment with the latest trends in the meetings segment.

5. Conduct an edition of Tianguis Turístico that is inclusive, a first for the show.

6. To continue an event that belongs to all of us, one that we should preserve as an important institution that represents us all.

7. Secretary Marques went on to announce that the details of this renewed Tianguis Turístico event will be revealed during another press conference, to be held in the coming months, once the acute phase of the health crisis has ended.

Sectur will also be working other initiatives to restart tourism, such as the second edition of the Tianguis Turístico de Pueblos Mágicos 2020, scheduled to run from November 26-29, 2020. This separate event is held to promote domestic, as well as international, tourism in Mexico’s 121 “Magical Towns.”

Yucatan Governor, Mauricio Vila Dosal, encapsulated, “Tianguis 360 aims to strategically reactive our industry so we can send a strong message to Mexico and the world in September that we are resuming our agenda and propelling our tourism offering with even more strength, so that come March of 2021 we can give our plans and strategies continuity when we meet again in Yucatán in person.”

For more information, visit tianguisturistico.com/en.