Where have all the tourists gone
By Jesús Ibarra
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Tourism, San Miguel’s most important economic activity, has been decreasing, with the summer of 2007 bringing the lowest numbers in the last two years. |
According to official information provided by DATA TUR, the database of the National Tourism Department, fewer than 20,000 tourists visited San Miguel during July 2007, occupying around 16,000 of the more than 36,000 hotel rooms available in the city. Around 80 percent of these tourists were national. The highest tourist season in San Miguel is summer, followed by Holy Week and Christmas. This year, tourism during July decreased by more than 7 percent from 2006; the same decrease is reported for Semana Santa (Holy Week or Easter). Only bed & breakfasts or hotels that are registered with Hacienda or with the National Tourism Department submit their occupancy numbers for review. The tourists who visit San Miguel and stay in unregistered lodgings, including house rentals, are not considered for the official records.