Mérida, Yucatán — The Paseo de Montejo doesn’t have the capacity to absorb annual Carnaval festivities, the outgoing president of the local Tourism Business Council said.
Jorge Escalante Bolio said the flamboyant parade and musical event should not return to the Centro. It was moved to the state fairgrounds at Xmatkuil, some 14 kilometers/9 miles away, in 2014 after hotels and businesses complained that rowdy crowds hurt their business. Pedestrians and drivers were annoyed that the Centro was sliced in half, making it difficult to cross from one side of the parade to the other.
The remarks were Escalante Bolio’s parting shot as he handed the baton to the Tourism Business Council’s new president, Jaime Solís Garza.
The decision to remove the Carnival from the Yucatan capital of that site was basically due to both security and hygiene situations. “Whoever wants to put another face on this issue is wrong,” said Escalante Bolio.
Escalante Bolio also cited a danger from food stalls, which were placed too close to each other, with gas tanks amid the crowds. The roomy fairgrounds allow a controlled environment for concessionaires.
For this reason, he reiterated that the strategy is to keep Carnaval in the Xmatkuil Fairground and in no way return it to Paseo de Montejo.
On the other hand, Escalante Bolio said that whoever is elected as governor of the state and mayor of Mérida should promote the tourism sector, more specifically that which focuses on expos and conventions, because visitors stay longer when they are here for business.
He also asked the authorities to place a person qualified to promote tourism in the state and the capital of Yucatán.
“We want people not to be put out solely because of political commitment or much less that this is sentimental, but rather someone who knows the needs of tourism,” he concluded.
Source: Desde el Balcón
