Natural Wealth

Mexico
Mexico
offers visitors a range of possibilities to immerse themselves in
the magic of its traditions and natural beauty. Here, there
literally is something for everyone.
Mexico is also steeped in culture, a fact reflected in its
over 2,000 archaeological sites, its charming colonial cities, several of them named UNESCO World Heritage Sites,
and its intriguing “magical towns.”
For business travelers, Mexico has a well-developed
and tested business tourism infrastructure, and provides
proven advantages as a host for international conventions
and expos.
Not to be missed is, of course, Mexican cuisine–dishes
from a combined indigenous and Spanish past, considered
among the finest gastronomic traditions in the world.
Anyone who has set foot in Mexico has surely been
seduced by its natural charms, its archaeological sites, its
mountains and beaches of unparalleled beauty. And for
anyone who has yet to visit, we invite them to explore our
fascinating country.
Country Code: to call by telephone from
outside Mexico the code is 52
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México
Official Name: The Political Constitution of 1917, current
to date, establishes the official name of Mexico as the
United Mexican States.
Country´s capital: Because of its political, economic and
social importance, and as the seat of the federal executive, legislative and judicial branches, Mexico City, also
known as the Federal District, is the country’s capital.
Language: Mexico’s official language is Spanish, but another 66 languages are spoken in various communities with
mainly indigenous residents. The most significant of these,
in terms of the number of native speakers, are Nahuatl,
Maya, Zapotec and Mixtec.
National Currency: The official currency of Mexico is the
Mexican peso. (ISO code: MXN)
Natural Wealth
The natural wealth of Mexico is one of its most important resources. Its territory, which covers 1,964,375 km2
(1,220.603 mi2) is home to forests, mountain chains, desert
areas, jungles, wetlands, swamps, lagoons, mangroves,
seas and beaches. It has one of the most diverse climates
in the world and is considered to be the fourth most mega
diverse country on earth (with between 10 and 12% of the
world’s biodiversity). It is home to more than 200 thousand
species, 12 thousand of which are endemic to the area.
Mexico currently has a system of 174 protected natural
areas that cover more than 25,384,818 hectares. They
include 34 biosphere reserves, 64 national parks, 4 natural
monuments, 26 areas for the protection of flora and fauna,
4 areas for the protection of nature and 17 sanctuaries. The
Mexican coastline is over 11 thousand km in length, and
is not only a major tourist attraction but also a source of
natural wealth. An example of this are its reefs, the most
noteworthy being the Caribbean Mesoamerican reef system, the second longest in the world, which stretches from
the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula to Honduras.
Entry Requirements
To enter Mexico, citizens of Canada, the United States
and European Community countries and some others only
need to show their official citizenship document: a current
passport. Citizens of the majority of Central American nations need to obtain a visa from the Mexican embassy or a
Mexican consulate in their country of origin.
Upon leaving the country, the visitor must pay a departure tax in Mexican pesos (MXN) or U.S. dollars (USD).
Some airlines include this tax in the airfare, so it’s necessary to confirm whether or not it has already been paid by
the customer.
For more information: www.inm.gob.mx
Holidays, 2012
Date
Celebration
January 1
New Year's Day
February 5
Day of the Constitution
Monday, February 6 th
March 21
Birth of Benito Juárez
Monday, March 19th
April 5 and 6
Holy Thursday and Friday
May 1
Labor Day
May 5
Battle of Puebla
September 16
Independence Day
October 12
Discovery of America
November 1
All Saints Day
November 2
All Souls Day
November 20
Mexican Revolution Day
December 25
Christmas
In 2012 we celebrate
Monday, November 19th
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Festivals and special events
Month
Event
Place
PGA Mayakoba Golf Classic
(February 20-26, 2012)
Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Mazatlan’s International Carnival
(February 16-21, 2012)
Mazatlan, Sinaloa
Veracruz’s Carnival (February 14-22, 2012)
Veracruz
Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival
(March 15th to 18th, 2012)
Cancun and Riviera Maya
Quetzalcoátl Ritual (March 21th 2012)
Cholula, Puebla
Cumbre Tajin Festival of Indentity
(March 17th to 21st, 2012)
Papantla, Veracruz
FOOD & WINE Festival Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo
(March 22nd to 25th 2012)
Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Guerrero
San Marcos Fair (April 14th to may 6th 2012)
Aguascalientes
Sacred Mayan Journey
(May 16th -18 th, 2012)
Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo
Whale Shark Festival (May, 2012)
Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo
Cheese and wine Festival (May, 2012)
Tequisquiapan, Queretaro
Mole Poblano Festival (May, 2012)
Puebla, Puebla
Guelaguetza (July 23th to 30th, 2012)
City of Oaxaca
International Festival of Chamber Music
San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato
August
Wine Harvest Festival
Ezequiel Montes, Querétaro
September
Chihuahua’s Internacional Festival
City of Chihuahua
International Film Festival of Morelia
Morelia, Michoacan
Cervantino International Festival
Guanajuato
Skull Festival (october-november 2012)
Aguascalientes
Day of the Dead (November 1st and 2nd, 2012)
Janitzio, Michoacan
International Sailfish Tournament (November 2012)
Manzanillo
Gourmet International Festival (November 2012)
Puerto Vallarta
Sprint Triathlon Xel-Ha (November 2012)
Riviera Maya
Mayan Riviera Jazz Festival (November 2012)
Riviera Maya
Guadalajara International Book Fair
(November -December 2012)
Guadalajara
February
March
April
May
July
October
November
For more information about sporting events:
http://www.sportravel.com.mx/
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Mexico
http://www.mexicodeporte.com/
For more information about cultural events: www.sic.gob.mx/
VAT Refund
Under the new provisions of the Tax Service System, foreign visitors who make purchases in Mexico
can claim a value added tax refund (VAT).
Concessionaires with modules for VAT refunds at
airports and seaports:
· Adamant Corporation
www.taxback.com.mx
· YVESAM Retornos Mundiales
www.yvesam.com.mx
Mexico, Guaranteed
Commission Payment
Hotels operating in Mexico make payment of commissions to domestic and international travel agents
through various payment methods as wire transfers,
checks, deposits, pre-payment, auto-payment or
deduction of commission from total rate sold, depending on the location and preference of each individual
travel agent.
Additionally, hotels register and receive reservations from travel agents through a 1-800 number, central reservation system, GDS or Internet (depending
on the technological infrastructure that the company
has available).
The
“Distintivo H”
Certification
Guarantees
Hygienic Handling
of Food and Drink
“Distintivo H” is a program of the
Mexican Tourism Department (Sectur) and Health Department. Through this program, recognition is awarded
to qualifying establishments guaranteeing and ensuring
the highest standards of hygiene and safety in the handling and preparation of food and drink served.
The objective of the program is to foster a culture of quality, hygiene and safety in the preparation and handling of
food and drink, to ensure that the products served to the
public are as healthy as possible. Its fundamental mission
is to protect Mexican and foreign tourists from food-related illnesses, and give visitors to Mexico confidence that
the food they eat will not make them
sick. For more information on the
program, visit www.sectur.gob.mx
Conventions and Congresses
Do Not Pay VAT in Mexico
Beginning on January 1, 2004, foreigners who enter
Mexico exclusively to participate in conventions,
congresses, expos or fairs, are exempt from payment of value added tax (VAT/IVA) in hotel and
related services.
For additional information about the Value Added
Tax Law and registration with the SAT, see the
following Mexican federal government websites:
www.sat.gob.mx or www.segob.gob.mx/
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