Huitzilan´s Fair

 

Summer still has to tuner in its final numbers on visitors and profits but for what we can observe it will be great, and after seeing the numbers for this year in Puebla´s Tourism it´s a done deal than summer and August can only bring happy news.

The Star of Puebla has brought increase in sells for the nearby stands and businesses, the restaurants are surpassing their sales due to the Chile en Nogada season and many other events that signal that even though summer is practically over, Puebla´s activity is not.

But the real attraction of August are the many estate and municipal fairs, living samples of tradition, color and team work that entice locals and international visitors alike, with their many particular foods, crafts and other products, besides the welcoming nature of its people, who look to keep their traditions alive while sharing them to everyone that may be interested.

Now is the turn to the township of Serdan Huitzilan, which, in order to celebrate the Virgin of the Assumption from August 10^th to the 16^th, goes all out, however the more busy day will be next August 15th as wheel Rafael Herrera, representative of the council of this town announced.

He said that some of the activities that have been planned for this celebration are the carnival, in which will include the “batucadas”, parade cars, marching bands, midnight rodeo and sporting events.

“One of the traditional crafts of the region is the embroidery work done for mass demonstration”, he also recalled that in the capital of Puebla the rebosos (a shawl like clothing item), embroidered tablecloths or bedspreads are sold at a higher cost due to the transport and other elements involved, however Huitzilan´s local artisans sell these items in 200 to 500 pesos.

Reports are that at least 15 thousand visitors are expected to arrive to the fair, which can generate an economic impact of approximately 3 million pesos for the town and the state. It´s also important to highlight that the city and the organization of the fair this year invested a million and a half pesos in preparation of the activities.

The Zacatlan Fair

 

And even though the vacation period is officially over for most, there´s still some left of summer, the nice weather, the drive to go out and be in the daylight and for Puebla´s State, the summer fairs. It would seem that summer and specially August is the time for this beautiful, colonial state to want to show the world the perseverance of its tradition with a pleasant weather.

In this occasion, we will talk about the Zacatlan Fair in Zacatlan “of the apples”, beautiful and proud “Magic Town” of Puebla, full of delicacies, architectural icons and amazing sights, delightful in its quaint way of life and famous not only for its apples, even though the town and the state are nicknamed after these.

From August 10^th to the 19th will take out the long tablecloths (so to speak) for this traditional fair, which is expected to count with the presence of at least 15, 000 visitors a day that will leave an economic impact of 35 million for the municipality and the state, as said the tourism promotion director of the town, Jorge Becerril Sanchez.

He explained that they expect hotel occupancy to be at a hundred percent for the spaces that are intended to provide this service, in which visitors are expected to spend approximately 1, 800 pesos and even up to 2,300 pesos per family.

“At the Apple Fair, Zacatlan producers will engage in a procession on August 18^th dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption as a thank you to this saint patron of the town for the harvest, which amounts to about 12,000 tons through 1,800 hectares involving 1,500 families”  he said.

It is noteworthy that domestic visitors come from entities such as Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Mexico City and the rest of the State of Puebla, with internationals arriving from the United States, Spain, Germany and South America.

He recalled that this will be the 73rd edition of the Fair of the Apples, in which visitors will be able to sample food, acquire crafts and enjoy all the attractions, culture and history Zacatlan has to offer.

Audi sold more than a thousand units per month; beats Mercedes Benz and BMW

 

The new Audi plant in Mexico, specifically in San Jose Chiapa, Puebla is really a big deal for locals and the country in general, seeing as the automotive sector in Mexico is really strong and offers unique and equally strong qualities that national and international car companies have chosen to picked for their offices more than once.

The new Audi plant is set to be fully functioning by 2016, however, but that doesn´t mean that the famous German car brand is not equally popular in Mexico, which bodes very well since for two consecutive months Audi managed to sell more than a thousand units, representing a record for its long presence of over 16 years in Mexico with sales surpassing those of its direct competition Mercedes Benz and BMW.

According to the latest report of the Mexican Association of the Automotive Industry (AMIA) in the months of May and June the German company sold 56,009 units in our country to total 5, 619 cars sold in the first quarter of 2013.

With these sales Audi remains a leader in luxury car sales closely followed by Mercedes Benz which managed to sell 4,400 units from January to June, and BMW which sold 4, 274 luxury cars in the country.

It is the second time a luxury brand sells over a thousand units a month and according to Audi´s expectations they are well on their way to be first in Mexico, with up to the 10,000 units at the end of 2013, a market share to be around one percent.

In 2012, Audi placed 9, 500 units in Mexico, representing an increase of 18 percent from the year before, when it had grown another 40 percent.

In keeping with the overall plan of the German carmaker, they currently deliver a car to a buyer every 22 seconds, and by 2020, they hope to take this number to one every 16 seconds, allowing them to reach a sales figure of two million units per year thereafter.

The investment of 14, 500 million pesos in the Audi plant, will result in an outlay of significant resources from the supply chain, as Audi has said, which represents a great economic growth for Puebla, Mexico and its automotive sector, gaining more strength and presence internationally. 

The Calpan´s Fair

 

With the upcoming Latin American Coffee Summit being hosted in Puebla along with the summer holiday and its fairs, we have our hands full for the time being in touristic matter and since we are days away from the summer to be over and the conventions tourism phase to begin for the state (specially the capital city) we have to take advantage of the last of it.

It is the turn of Calpan, another of Puebla´s traditional municipalities which also celebrates its fair during summer and the best part is that it includes the delicacy that is the chile en nogada, uproar amongst locals, national and international visitors.

At least 50, 000 chiles en nogada be sold during the tenth edition of the Calpan Fair in which 30 exhibitors will be participating in the town, has said at a press conference, Abundio Ramos, director of the fair.

He announced that the activities will be held during two weekends of this month of August, from the 9^th to the 11^th and from the 17^th to the 18^th, in this town located about forty kilometers from the state´s capital.

“This year the cost of each chile ranges from 100 to 120 pesos, and that was due to an increase of up to a 20 percent in the price of the ingredients, even though the fruit and especially the walnuts, are produced in this region, “he said.

He also recalled that the production of the main ingredient for these chiles, the nut, was for the first time produced in the orchards of Calpan´s former convent, built in the sixteenth century.

He added that each of the exhibitors generated between 8 and 10 jobs that benefit local families, and involved from children to senior citizens in the development of this traditional dish, the chile of Puebla.

And now, in this fair and conveniently during the summer for visitors, it will be available to taste and why not? Even carefully over indulge.

Puebla is home to the Latin American Coffee Summit

Latin America is known for producing coffee of the highest qualities, placing itself amongst the top producers in the world; Peru, Brazil and Colombia are well known for this but others like Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico are doing a good job of positioning themselves as great producers and distributors of high quality coffee.

In the case of Mexico, Chiapas, Veracruz and Puebla are particularly strong in this topic, but other states are also producing and distributing this very much appreciated golden grain, a reason why the look for support and recognition to keep expanding this successful venue.

On this regard, the Secretary for Rural Development, Sustainability and Land, (SDRSOT) Julio Lorenzini Rangel announced that from August 1^st until Saturday the 3^rd will be held in Puebla the second edition of the Latin Summit Coffee.

This international event will involve 13 coffee producing countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela and as special guests, the United States and England.

The venue for this great event will be the Exhibits and Conventions Center where approximately 350 exhibitors will gather offering the best varieties of coffee in the Americas, besides working farm equipment, the latest technology and various proposals for business dining.

Lorenzini Rangel explained that this event is an excellent opportunity to bring together producers of 54 municipalities in our state who have dedicated themselves for many decades to coffee production to live and share experiences with traders, industrialists, exporters and researchers.

Also they will develop a very extensive program of conferences and forums in order to promote training in sustainability, profitability, quality, productivity and marketing for the entire coffee production chain.

He stressed that the benefit for the producer of Puebla is to directly market their harvest and thus avoid intermediaries.

Finally, the Secretary said that Puebla is the third national coffee producer with a harvested area of almost 60, 000 hectares and a production of 202,000 tons per cycle, only after Chiapas and Veracruz. This will undoubtedly give the State more projection as well as the attendants to the event, looking to establish and strengthen relations and knowledge that can lead to their benefit in the sector.

Besides the feed to tourism conventions, a part of touris thaht Pueblas is taking good advantage of.

Tourism leaves an economic impact of 3, 119 million pesos

The spell summer has casted upon many of us is almost over, we dread the reality of the everyday life, children returning to school, our returning to our respective jobs, but we do it reenergized after having a vacation to remember, especially if we went along and got out of the city and the country, arriving to a place where all our needs were met and form which we took a peace of us back home, a place we would want to return.

Apparently Puebla is that place, with all the new fixtures in its modern bit still traditional landscape, the high-end infrastructure and top of the line service and a cultural and historical offer that rivals any of the most sought after tourist destinations in the world, the State of Puebla has been placed amongst Mexico´s favorites but also the world.

The proof is in the statistics results for the past month of June, which show that the state gained an economic impact of 3, 119 million pesos, as said Roberto Trauwitz Echeguren, head of the Ministry of Tourism.

During his visit to the State Congress, the official said he has a projection of 8 billion pesos compared to the 7, 500 million pesos that were achieved in 2012, meaning an increase of 500 million pesos in the budget.

He also said that since 2011, with the arrival of Rafael Moreno Valle to the State government, Puebla remains the first place in tourism growth, a situation that they hope to hold with the organization of conferences and world events, as well as the Legend Nights activities that take place in Lake Concordia. In an interview, Echeguren Trauwitz also proudly reported that a week from the opening of the Star of Puebla, the new attraction reported an influx of 21,000 visitors, and also, that there are plans for the opening of two new restaurants in the Art Park.

City of Puebla receives certification Safe Community

 

Good news for the City of Puebla and all of those who have come to visit this summer since it has been deemed the fifth largest city in the country to be certified as safe city, which enables the creation of new jobs, promoting of the economic sector, support and promotion of tourism and domestic and foreign investment.

17 different government agencies and civil associations summited 27 social programs to obtain this certification and so, Puebla was certified Safe Community, which supports the work of the municipal government to create a comprehensive social infrastructure, crime prevention and safety promotion.

This is the result of the work that has been done in the City, especially of coordination between authorities and society to ensure the development of the population. “Protect families in Puebla is one of the main tasks that this administration has taken since the beginning of its office” said the mayor of the City, Eduardo Rivera. He also assured that work will continue intensively in favor of Puebla, in collaboration with other actors in society.

The certification, endorsed by the International Movement called “Safe Communities”, placed as the State of Puebla as the first locality and the fifth in the country in obtaining it, so, the flag raising and unveiling of the plaque certify the municipality of Puebla as a Safe Community in the world.

Among the programs involved are: Crime Prevention, General Attorney of Justice, Trail, Trail City, Observatory, Citizen Observatory, Hosts Tour, Drive for Life, Municipal Youth Centers and Youth Organizations and Municipal Networks and the Municipal Institute of Youth.

The best part? These programs will participate in a national competition, whose winner will be presented officially in October, during the National Convention in Mexico of Safe Communities based in the City of Merida, Yucatan.

Fairs run rampant in Puebla

 

As we commented before, in Puebla, summer is a time for celebration but also tradition, a perfect time for the those visitors interested in learning of other cultures in the sun; they´ll have the opportunity to experience in the flesh all these fairs and festivals, so traditional in the state.

The closest ones are the Teziutlan Fair,  which is expected to bring an economic impact of $ 10 million pesos left by the nearly 300, 000 visitors expected to reach the municipality for the event that will be held from August 2^nd to the 18^th in honor of the Virgin of the Assumption, a venerated image in this city.

In the last day of activities of this fair it will be held the First Contest of Chilposon Teziuteco, typical regional dish made ​​with pork, chicken, beef, and in some cases, with seafood. There will be a prize for first three places in metallic, as to make it more interesting.

So, who comes visit this time will know of the traditions and cuisine of the region where one of the most important traditional dishes is Chilposon and the tlayoyos that are made ​​with avocado leaf alberjon and Creole, accompanying themselves with chipotle sauce, cheese and onion.

Second, but no less important, there´s the Santa Maria Coapan Fair, with an expected economic impact of at least 700,000 pesos left by the nearly 21, 000 visitors who will come to this fair, to be held from July 233d to the 28^th, in the town of Santa Clara Hitzilotepec.

The roots and traditions are still preserved in the population of this region despite everything, a community where they already have organized a series of activities ranging from the sacred to the mundane such as Masses, first communions and processions, as well as dances, feasts and a rodeo sponsored by the steward of the feast.

This feast will be filled of typical food, mole poblano, barbecue or carnitas though to feed more than 5,000 people at a time, so they can enjoy of the warmth of the people, the traditions and the place, alive for the summer.

We are not tired of saying this but the moment to take a vacation in Puebla is this holiday, if you are into traditions, you cannot miss the chance.

Tourism Ministry will invest $ 5 million in attracting tourists

 

 

A propos of the inauguration of the wheel of fortune for observation called “Star of Puebla”, an structure erected with the purpose of providing visitors and locals an astounding view of the beautiful City of Angels; the successful ending for the Taekwondo World Championship on Sunday and many other touristic projects and events to come for Puebla such as the cable railway and the Cathedral-Paseo Bravo Corridor, just around the corner, we talk about the many efforts regarding tourism in the city.

Seeing as tourism accounts for a great part of the city´s and the country´s economy, taking care of it by constantly looking for quality and innovative products to offer visitors from Mexico and the world is one of the administration’s priorities, which has taken very seriously to the infrastructure and resources necessary to accomplish this goal.

Now, during the summer holidays, the Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) seeks to promote important state interest in which they have made ​​major investments such as the Los Fuertes and the mentioned Star of Puebla, this will represent an investment of at least 5 million, said in an interview the commissioner in charge of the office of the undersecretary of Tourism, Miguel Martinez Garcia.

He recalled that the state agency has allotted a total of 22 million pesos for the promotions of interest into the entity, however, he also explained that this summer they will use 5 million pesos so Puebla appears in trade magazines and with this and other actions, promote the arrival of more tourists.

“The media that we normally use to promote Puebla are plane magazines such as Volaris, American Air Lines, United Continental and United Airlines, as well as other publications as Unknown Mexico, to name a few,” he said.

He also commented that for this 2013 they had been working hard in promoting the State through tour operators, especially in the travel agencies which often have their own magazines, which are also shown in different parts of the world and so this may awaken the interest of foreign and local visitors in knowing our State.

No doubt there are many great things to come for Puebla, which each time gains more recognition and preference internationally as much as in the country, with an amazing tourist growth and an integral development, besides the inherently attractive fixtures that the city has to offer visitors. The “come and see for yourself what all the fuss is about” is more attractive every time, with the guarantee that it will be worth it.