From the Publisher's Desk
Stretching Out of Our Comfort Zone
This is the time of year when Mazatlán opens its arms to a rush of winter-weary vacationers, some from Europe, but most from the States and Canada. With direct flights from many northern points, a long sandy beach and warm, embracing sun, we are an ideal get-away spot for a quick holiday between business meetings and planning the family´s annual dinner and Easter egg hunt in April.
Over the years the Pacific Pearl and other businesses have conducted surveys to ascertain the main draws for tourists to Mazatlán, and almost without exception it has been the beach and climate. A time to kick back, work on a tan and read a good book.
 
But we are noticing a shift in the interests of our tourists. Perhaps it´s the imminent retirement of millions of Baby Boomers who´s activism in the 1960s and 1970s has resulted in a generation of energetic globe-trotters who can lie on a beach chair for only so long. Perhaps it´s access to a universal internet which has opened, like Sesame, a world of cultural diversity that begs to be explored.
 
As a community newspaper, we answer hundreds of questions from tourists who drop by our office daily. In years past most of the enquiries concerned good restaurants, the bus route, fishing charters, the accepted price of parasailing or what a decent tip would be. We now find tourists asking about ecology tours, where they can volunteer for a few days, what lies outside Mazatlán in our charming villages, what cultural events are happening, and where do I take Spanish lessons?
 
It appears we are stretching out of our comfort zone of sun, sea and cold beer.
In response to this new era of tourism, credit must be given to the Secretary of Tourism office. It has initiated a “Pueblos Magicos” program highlighting quaint villages a day trip away from Mazatlán. The University of Sinaloa now offers Spanish lessons geared to tourists. Several ecotourism businesses have entered the arena with whale watching and birding tours. Our cultural mainstays of Carnaval, the Centro Historico and performances at the Angela Peralta Theater invite tourists to join into the Mexican lifestyle.
 
Tourism is changing. While the sultry climate and beaches of Mazatlán will always be a welcome oasis, tomorrow´s tourists will be a more sophisticated breed. We will be hard pressed to keep up with them.
Michael J. Veselik
Publisher