Collaborative Effort to Boost Sports Tourism
The Durango state government, in partnership with the Federal Tourism Secretariat (SECTUR) and the Mexican Sports Tourism Council (COMETUD), unveiled a strategy to participate in the National Sports Tourism Strategy 2025. This initiative includes hosting four sports tournaments from August to December, projected to generate a economic impact of 60 million pesos and attract approximately 5,900 visitors.
Targeting Off-Peak Tourism Months
Elisa María Haro Ruiz, Durango’s Secretary of Tourism, explained in a press conference from SECTUR headquarters in Mexico City that these competitions are scheduled during August, October, November, and December—months traditionally considered as low tourism periods. The primary goal is to stimulate visitor arrivals during these periods.
Benefits for Young Athletes and Their Families
César Omar Cárdenas Reyes, Director of the Durango State Institute of Sports, highlighted that this strategy will provide young athletes and their families the opportunity to travel to Durango, discovering its tourism offerings beyond sports events.
Economic Impact and Film Industry
Durango has a strong tradition in cinematographic tourism, hosting 13 audiovisual productions from national and international producers like Netflix and Prime Video in 2024, generating over 300 million pesos in economic impact.
Haro Ruiz acknowledged a projected decrease in the cinematographic sector’s economic impact for 2025, expecting between 11 and 15 productions with an economic impact of 250 million pesos. The United States has also hinted at potential tariffs on foreign productions, to which Durango is preparing by enhancing its competitive advantages.
- Competitive Advantages: Durango offers free filming permits, including state police security during shootings, and incentives like cash rebates on a percentage of production expenses within the state.
- Commitment to Improvement: The secretariat is working on improving incentives for the cinematographic industry to compete with major film destinations like Colombia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.
Durango’s diverse landscapes, including deserts, forests, canyons, magical towns, and colonial architecture, make it an efficient location for film productions, allowing easy transitions between shooting sites.
Potential and Strategic Alignment
José Luis Sosa, COMETUD President, expressed his positive impression of Durango’s openness to developing a sports tourism strategy upon his recent visit. He noted the state’s first-class facilities for hosting sports events.
Marte Molina, SECTUR’s General Director of Social Destination Management, emphasized the alignment of this sports tourism strategy with diversifying tourism offerings and fostering partnerships with COMETUD to attract events to various states.
