tourism

Perhaps I can make myself more clear by saying the reason Z isn't a thriving tourist town is because they (the local economy) is not giving the market what the market wants. And the AIs are. It is that simple.

And I have never stayed in an AI and don't intend because they don't have what I am looking for. On the other hand CBM was a lovely place to stay for 4 months. And over the years 3 times at Bungalows Solecito, twice in the casita Paradise Properties rents on Playa Blance (David Rhiehardt's place), and Puesta del Sol (?)==Syd and LaRae Baker's place, and Nayitos. Always for long stays.

And my favior ite places? Caletade Campos and Patzcuaro.

If the tourists aren't coming to Z then it is because something)s) is not being offered which the tourists want. That is the bottom line and no amount of wishful thinking can chnage that fact.

I appreciate your perspective, but I don't believe it's quite that simple because typically here in Zihuatanejo (and this is a mistake some public servants and so-called turisteros make) we do not look to compete for the same tourists that go to other destinations. For example, we don't want folks coming to Zihuatanejo looking for Acapulco night-life or Cancún spring-break party atmosphere, even though that seems to be the direction the local authorities have tried to take us with disastrous results. We like being unique and it is a formula that has produced excellent results for us when we had folks in the business and in government who understood this. Now we have too many folks in the business and especially in government who simply don't understand the business, much less Zihuatanejo's place in it. Local Zihuatanejo tourism professionals are calling for the dismissal of the state government's local representative for Sefotur (Secretaría de Fomento Turístico) for exactly the reasons I have endeavored to explain.

External events and the lack of maintenance by our "responsible authorities" have greatly contributed to the current decline in tourism. I am hopeful that this year will be okay but that next year will be much better as we get a new local government. This one recently admitted publicly that it has pretty well screwed everything up. Everyone here agrees it is the worst local government we've ever had.

If you want to understand Zihuatanejo's niche in the tourism market, this pretty well sums it up: Zihuatanejo isn't for everyone, nor does it aspire to be.