Visiting Guanajuato is always a pleasure. One of the most beautiful colonial cities in Latin America received us along with its incredible hosts. We were able to walk its streets and alleys and try its exquisite cuisine. The members of our team remembered with nostalgia our years as students, when we traveled to the city of Guanajuato in search of great stories.
Together with the Secretary of Tourism of the State of Guanajuato, the tourism promotion council of the City of Guanajuato, the Nature and Adventure Tourism Association of Guanajuato, we made the first visit to the destination for the planning of ATMEX 2022.
The objective of the trip was very clear: Find the best places and design the best experiences to carry out the event. For sure, the best part of working in the tourism industry is being able to visit incredible places, meet passionate people and enjoy the food and drinks of the region. All of this is part of our job and someone has to do it.
The scouting began in Mexico City where we met with the rest of the ATMEX team to drink a coffee and take the road to Guanajuato. We had a warm welcome from the staff of the Gran Plaza Guanajuato hotel where we met Cony Vallejo, Director of Attention to Specialized Segments of SECTUR Guanajuato, Ricardo Vázquez, Director of the Tourism Promotion Council of Guanajuato Capital and Pamela Martínez, Manager of Specialized Segments to have the first Terraza Trattoria meeting, where we had a spectacular dinner by Chef Ricardo Herbert.
The next day was demanding. In the morning we had a meeting with Raúl Jaramillo, president of ATNAG about the infinite possibilities for adventure and nature tourism experiences in the state. We met some tour operators and we started planning the Fam-trips and ATMEX adventure days.
During the day, we visited more than 8 hotels, different squares, halls and other places of interest, our hosts did not waste a second and we were able to visit a large part of the City. It was incredible to go back through the tunnels of Guanajuato, impressive works of engineering that once carried water and now they are roads, cars and pedestrians. We walk through Its alleys and passageways and it’s beautiful squares hidden in every corner of the city center.
We visited some hotels such as the Antigua 13, the Hotel de la Paz and the Hotel Índigo as well as other larger hotels such as the Hacienda San Xavier and the Hotel Misión. We were able to visit the imposing University of Guanajuato where Cony and Raúl, ex-students of the University, took us through the corridors and told us some of their stories from their student years.
We had a meal by Chef Bricio Domínguez in the company of the Secretary of Tourism of the State of Guanajuato, Juan José Álvares Brunel and other authorities from different state organizations where we were able to verify the good disposition, kindness and good will to promote adventure tourism. and nature in the state.
At the end of the day and after an excellent dinner at the Gran Casa Colorada Mission restaurant, we were able to enjoy Guanajuato at night in one of the most interesting streets of the City, Paseo de la Presa, where we were able to admire the impressive Victorian houses and take a Mezcal from Guanajuato.
After this visit, we are ready to welcome you to ATMEX with venues and events that will be unforgettable. We will be able to meet old friends, allies, new actors and with great friends who have accompanied us on this great project, all united to promote better nature and adventure tourism in Mexico.
The visit to Guanajuato left me with a strange mix between nostalgia and emotion. Nostalgia for those memories and old victories of the first times I visited the city, the Cervantino festivals, the getaways with colleagues. And the excitement of knowing what is to come and the satisfaction of knowing that we will be giving back to Guanajuato a little of what it has given to many, through jobs, new opportunities, business meetings, promotion and the means to promote more resilient and sustainable together with hundreds of allies, professionals and projects that seek better tourism.
The work of the people who make ATMEX possible, the shared efforts and wills will be reflected in this tenth anniversary.
See you in Guanajuato, where great stories are lived
