As I mentioned in my previous post, the majority of my travel in 2011 will be to destinations in Mexico’s altiplano, or central highlands, including the states of Jalisco, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi and Michoacán. This is a region of the country that receives fewer foreign tourists than the capital, the beach resorts or the popular backpacker destinations in the south. Although, with the recent launch of the Rutas de Mexico cultural tourism program, local officials are anticipating an increase in the number of visitors to the country’s central regions and a fifteen percent overall increase in tourism to Mexico in 2011.
Made in Mexico: Manufacturing trending away from the border regions
Interestingly, the central highlands have also become an increasingly attractive destination for manufacturing in Mexico and today the region is home to hundreds of international and domestic manufacturers. Offshore manufacturing in Mexico is hardly a new concept. Since the mid 1960′s Mexico’s maquiladora program has allowed foreign manufacturers to import duty-free the machinery, equipment, parts and raw materials necessary to assemble and manufacture products for re-export outside of Mexico, thus affording them labor and transportation cost advantages.
Manufacturing plants have traditionally been located in cities along the US-Mexico border including Tijuana, Mexicali, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa and Matamoros. However, in recent years manufacturers have been trending away from the border regions and into the interior of Mexico to cities such as Monterrey, Saltillo, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Querétaro and San Luis Potosí. Some of the benefits to operating in Mexico’s central highland region include lower labor costs, government incentive packages and lower crime rates.
The central highlands are also a more attractive travel destination than the border regions, home to several substantial expat communities and a wealth of sights and attractions, many of which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Pueblos Magicos, or Magic Towns. Yet despite all that the region has to offer, many tourists continue to bypass it heading directly for the beach resorts and ruins – though some might argue that’s part of the region’s charm.
When I first arrived in Mexico I spent several months traveling in the southern states of Oaxaca and Chiapas, two of the country’s poorest. When I arrived to the Yucatán Peninsula – an area that thrives on tourism – I could hardy believe the differences between these two regions. This year, I think it will be interesting to visit a region of Mexico where the economy is strong yet not so dependent on tourism.
Photo credit: via flickr
This post is supported by Entrada Group.
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I found your post and am currently in San Miguel de Allende w/ my husband, traveling through Mexico. Please send me an email with some great destinations in the Altiplano… we are making our way south to Guatemala and would like to find some less touristy places than this (very nice) town.
thank you.
Hi Sandra, I’d recommend Guanajuato or Querétaro, both are lovely colonial cities near San Miguel that don’t attract quite as many foreigners. As you make your way south, be sure to visit Mexico City, Puebla, Oaxaca and, depending on how much time you have, the towns and villages surrounding each. You can find additional information about many of the places I’ve visited in the archives. Hope that helps! Thanks for stopping by and have a great time in Mexico!