Background on Gustavo Ponce de León Tobón
Gustavo Ponce de León Tobón is the executive director of the Asociación Poblana de Hoteles y Moteles, an organization representing hotels and motels in Puebla, Mexico. His expertise and leadership in the hospitality sector make his opinions on tourism promotion highly relevant.
Current Situation and Concerns
Puebla has been experiencing low hotel occupancy rates, averaging 60%, despite ongoing promotional campaigns and discounts. This situation has prompted the hotel industry to seek a solution by proposing the establishment of a trust using a portion of the Impuesto Sobre Hospedaje (ISH) revenue.
The ISH and its Potential
The ISH generates approximately 60 million pesos annually, which the hotel industry believes should be allocated to promote Puebla City—the hub of the state’s hospitality activity. With around 12,000 rooms in Puebla City and a total of 28,000 rooms across the state in 1,127 establishments, there’s significant potential for growth.
Current Promotion Efforts
Hotel representatives and other tourism service providers have been promoting Puebla as a destination using their own resources and occasional collaborations with business partners in other regions. However, they emphasize the need for consistent and more extensive promotional campaigns—at least four per year—to boost occupancy rates.
Proposed Trust for Tourism Promotion
Ponce de León Tobón clarified that hotel industry professionals do not wish to manage the proposed trust but instead want to contribute ideas for efficient resource allocation by the state’s Secretaría de Promoción y Desarrollo Turístico.
Leveraging Contacts from Tianguis Turístico
Puebla’s hotel representatives stress the importance of municipal and state authorities capitalizing on connections made during events like the Tianguis Turístico in Tijuana to build relationships with national and international business partners. This, they believe, will lead to increased tourism and hotel occupancy.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the current occupancy rate in Puebla? The average hotel room occupancy in Puebla is around 60%, which is concerning for the hospitality industry.
- What solution do Puebla’s hotelier’s propose? They advocate for establishing a trust using a portion of the Impuesto Sobre Hospedaje (ISH) revenue to promote Puebla City, the center of hospitality activity in the state.
- Why is consistent promotion important? The hotel industry believes that at least four promotional campaigns per year are necessary to boost occupancy rates, as other significant cities implement.
- How can authorities contribute to increased tourism? By leveraging contacts from events like Tianguis Turístico, municipal and state authorities can build relationships with business partners to attract more tourists and encourage them to stay in Puebla.
