Businesswomen in the tourism sector in Hidalgo warned that the implementation of the Tourist Pass could become an obstacle to attracting visitors to the state, given the lack of clear information and a lack of consultation with the industry.
Representatives of the hotel and tourism sector agreed that the Tourist Pass could discourage visitors to Hidalgo due to the lack of official information and the absence of dialogue with business owners.
Businesswomen in the tourism sector in Hidalgo believe that the implementation of the Tourist Pass could become an obstacle to attracting visitors to the state, especially since it has not been discussed with the industry, and there is no clear information about how it will work.
In separate interviews, they agreed that this measure could hinder tourism, as Hidalgo needs to facilitate the arrival of visitors, not make it more difficult. They pointed out that, to date, there is no official statement explaining how the registration will operate.
The president of the Mexican Association of Hotels and Motels of Hidalgo, Roxana Vargas, stated that a thorough explanation of the objective and how the measure will operate has not been provided, causing confusion and fear among potential tourists.
“I don’t have the full details; however, it seems to me that there was a lack of awareness, a lack of public outreach on the issue, and a failure to communicate it in an organized and effective manner. Therefore, before offering any opinion, I will contact the Hidalgo Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to request a detailed explanation of how it will work. However, this controversy and the lack of information are causing people to become alarmed and often decide not to travel because of these kinds of messages,” she said.
She also questioned what would happen in municipalities like Huejutla and Pisaflores, which have high traffic with Veracruz and San Luis Potosí, since many vehicles from those states would not be exempt. She added that the name “Tourist Pass” is misleading and, from the outset, generates resistance as it is perceived as an additional obstacle to travel.
For her part, Graciela Fátima Yanuzzo, president of the Tourism Alliance in Hidalgo, recalled that similar measures have been attempted in other states and have failed. She pointed out that the state still has much work to do to attract visitors and that imposing obstacles will not be productive.
“If a tourist comes and, because they are unaware of the permit, they are fined, it is a bad experience; they will not want to return,” she stated in an interview at the headquarters of the Hidalgo Business Coordinating Council (CCEH).
She maintained that, if the objective is to generate statistics or address environmental issues, the pass should be implemented without penalties and allow visitors to obtain it on the spot.
Finally, she criticized the fact that neither the CCEH nor representatives of the tourism sector were consulted before the measure was announced. He indicated that the members of the organization under his charge have expressed their disagreement and will request a working group with the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Hidalgo, while criticizing the lack of dialogue with the businessmen of the sector on the implementation of this measure that is intended to be applied in the middle of the year.
Source: Effeta
