Mazatlan Anticipates International Tourism Growth In 2013

Increased Air Seats to Accommodate Growing Demand, Cal Jet/ XTRA Airways Launches Service

- Francisco Manuel Cordova, newly appointed Secretary of Tourism of Sinaloa, joined other government and tourism officials to welcome international tourists on first Cal Jet/ EXTRA Airways service

- Extensive research conducted by Mexico Tourism Board shows growing demand for in-bound service to Mazatlan from international markets

- State government committed to upwards USD $10 million investment in tourism last year

MAZATLAN, Mexico, Jan. 11, 2013 /CNW/ - Cal Jet/ XTRA Airways (www.caljetair.com), a United States air service operated, launched its international service to Mazatlan, its first tourist destination in Mexico, yesterday. The pilot program will end April 9, 2013, with nine weekly flights of 150-passenger capacity (1,350 total seats per week) from Houston, San Antonio, Denver, Los Angeles and Oakland, California. Roundtrip fares start at $399.

Mazatlan government and tourism officials, including Secretary of Tourism of Sinaloa Francisco Manuel Cordova, welcomed tourists arriving on the first Cal Jet/ XTRA Airways and addressed questions in a press conference held at the Mazatlan International Airport.

Mazatlan Hotel Association in conjunction with the state government announced the strategic partnership in October following extensive research conducted by the Mexico Tourism Board on air connectivity, airline efficiency and air capacity which showed that Mazatlan needed more air seats to keep up with growing demand from the U.S. and Canada. Last year, the government invested upwards of USD $10 million in tourism promotion to further generate demand and expand into new target markets by way of in-flight promotional videos, web-based destination marketing and other marketing tactics for both domestic and foreign travelers.

International airline air capacity is steadily on the rise with strong market demand and need for more air capacity. During the month of December, U.S. and Canada based airlines reported high passenger load factors to Mazatlan, all reaching air seat capacity over 75%: U.S. Airways (94.67 percent); Alaska Airlines (91.26 percent); Sun Wing Airlines (90.52 percent); WestJet (89.54 percent); and American Eagle (75.24 percent.

Mazatlan continues to diversify and strengthen its tourism product and offering far beyond its world-class beaches to its strong cultural portfolio. Mexico's Ministry of Tourism recently appointed El Rosario, a colonial town nearby Mazatlan, as a Magic Town – a distinction for highly cultural places in Mexico which appeal to tourists. Additionally, Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History recognized Las Labradas, volcanic rocks nearby the village of Chicayota 51 km north of Mazatlan, as an archaeological monument zone.

For more information on Cal Jet/ XTRA Airways, please visit www.caljetair.com
For information about Mazatlan, please visit www.gomazatlan.com

About Mazatlan
Mazatlan is a thriving cultural destination in southwest Mexico known to many as "the Pearl of the Pacific." Set at the foot of the Sierra Madre Mountains on a peninsula that extends into the Pacific Ocean, Mazatlan is one of the Mexican Riviera's premier resort areas and has become a popular retreat for the national and international community of 440,000 inhabitants. Named Travelocity's "Best Family Beach in Mexico" amongst fierce competition, the city of Mazatlan is divided into two main areas: Old Mazatlan, or Centro Historico, and the Zona Dorada connected by a 7-mile Malecon along the beach.

Recognized for its world-class beaches, golfing, gastronomy and cultural offering, Mazatlan is an ideal vacation getaway for all ages on the Mexican Riviera: you can see The Lighthouse (El Faro), the second-tallest natural light house in the world; you can experience the famous Angela Peralta Theater nearby the charming Plazuela Machado; and you can taste the exquisite gastronomy, whether a local pastry shop in Old Mazatlan or the world-famous seafood at The Shrimp Bucket. So, come try it all yourself. Go Mazatlan.

SOURCE: Mazatlan Hotel Association

Kelsey Garvey, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, [phone], [email protected] or Kimberly Miller, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, [phone], [email protected]

http://www.gomazatlan.com