Richard Zarkin of Riviera Nayarit with Rodrigo Esponda, Director for Canada of the Mexico Tourism Board
Monica Garcia, Deputy Director of the Mexican Tourism Board in Canada
Tempting (and delicious) authentic Mexican food at Frida
Sometimes Canadians just don’t get the credit for our impressive travel habits. Caribbean islands have been known to take us for granted. Certain US States shrug their shoulders and get complacent about our millions of travel dollars we spend. So it was doubly nice to be thanked by gracious hosts from Mexico and Riviera Nayarit in particular.
The venue was Frida, often touted as the most authentic Mexican restaurant in Toronto. As we enjoyed an appetizer of three ceviches with a shrimp empanada and halibut with huitlacoche rice, we learned that not only are Canadians very welcome in Mexico, the numbers are impressive.
In the past 5 years there have been 6 million Canadian visitors to the country. Canada is the number 2 market (after the domestic one) – even larger than the US – representing 24% of all visits. Our luxury hotel nights are up 27% (so much for the “cheap Canadian” image), notably from Alberta and Ontario. This year there will be 1.4 million non-stop seats from Canada to Mexico.
Riviera Nayarit starts just 10 minutes north of the airport in Puerto Vallarta, the main airport for the region, and extends some 300 kms of sunny coastline north to the border of Sinaloa state. Resort areas include Nuevo Vallarta and rapidly growing Bucerias and exclusive Punta de Mita. “We are Mexico’s Pacific treasure,” says Richard Zarkin of the local Visitors and Convention Bureau.
Attractions include 8 major golf courses, with 3 more on the way. Deep sea fishing is high on the list (for marlin, sailfish and yellowfin tuna), while adventure tourism into the local jungles is on the rise.
And of course cuisine. As visiting chef Betty Vazquez, who prepared our meal along with the Frida team, put it: “You can travel to a beautiful place but if you don’t have good food you don’t have good memories. Riviera Nyarit is full of the flavours and colours and magic wherever you go – even if it’s just a taco stand in a village.”
Such a lovely thought. One worth keeping in mind when planning your clients’ next trip to Mexico!
