Mexico's Ministry of Tourism and the Mexico Tourism Board are pleased to 
welcome this week, the leaders of the T20 and the WTTC, to Merida and the 
Riviera Maya for two high level events: the 4th T20 Ministers of Tourism 
Meeting and the WTTC Regional Summit of the Americas.

    Mexico's Secretary of Tourism, Gloria Guevara, emphasized that these two 
events are critical in strengthening the tourism sector as a pivotal driving 
force for the global economy.

    Secretary Guevara stressed that these meetings will benefit the image of 
Mexico at an international level, and will be an opportunity to flaunt to the 
world Mexico's rich tourism offering including the Mayan World, the Gastronomic 
Routes, the Magical Towns, world renowned beaches and archeological sites.

    The T20 meeting will be held on May 15th and 16th in Merida, Yucatan. At 
this forum, the Ministers of Tourism from the 20 most developed economies in 
the world will discuss the topic of "Tourism: an Opportunity to Generate jobs."

    This meeting will be a key part of the lead up to the G20 Leaders Summit 
which will take place in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, on June 18th and 19th. 
The objective of the T20 Meeting is to devise proposals, harnessing the tourism 
industry to fuel job creation.

    In addition to the Ministers of Tourism from the G20, visiting countries 
who will participate include: Denmark, Spain, Chile, Colombia, Cambodia, El 
Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica and Peru; as well as international organizations 
such as the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Organization 
for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), International Labor 
Organization (ILO), International Air Transport Association (IATA), the 
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), among others.

    The UNWTO recently reported that in 2011, there was a flow of 980 million 
international tourists worldwide, representing a 4 percent increase from the 
previous year. Forecasts indicate that tourism will experience sustained 
development in the short to medium terms, reaching one billion international 
visitors in 2012 and 1.8 billion by 2030.

    Mexico will also host the 1st World Tourism and Travel Council's Regional 
Summit of the Americas, from May 16th through 18th on the Riviera Maya, where 
more than 500 CEOs from international companies in the tourism industry will 
gather.

    The WTTC is comprised of leaders in the travel and tourism industry 
globally, and comprises the top executives from the world's main tourism and 
travel companies.

    The WTTC's objective is to strengthen the travel and tourism industry, 
which is responsible for generating 260 million jobs and contributes to nine 
percent of the world's GDP.

    In attendance will be: Carlos Slim Helu, President of the Carso Group; 
Michael Frenzel, CEO of TUI AG travel group; Chris Rodriguez, Chairman of 
VisitBritain; Jim Compton, Executive Vice-President of United Airlines; Joe 
Berger, President of Hilton Worldwide; Dan Hanrahan, CEO of Celebrity Cruises; 
Tom Klein, President of Sabre Holdings; and Shannon Stowell, CEO Adventure 
Travel Trade Association, amongst others.

    Additionally the T20 group of Ministers will participate.


    SOURCE: Mexico Tourism Board

    CONTACT: Jennifer Risi, +1-646-240-6297, Jennifer.risi@ogilvy.com