Chapala is widely identified as a place of romantic enchantment, principally thanks to famed Mexican composer Pepe Guizar. Images of enamored souls embracing on the lake’s moonlit shore come to mind in listening to his catchy ditty about the place he labels “rinconcito de amor” – a little corner of love.
Words from Pepe Guizar’s romantic song about Chapala stand out on the gateway to the town pier.
The huge tourism fair is expected to attract thousands of visitors, including tour operators, travel agents, media and entrepreneurs from around the globe. Chapala’s marketing plan will put a special spotlight on local amenities that appeal to wedding planners in search of enticing destinations for their clientele. The area offers excellent year-round weather, gorgeous landscapes, historic churches, ample lodging options and a variety of well-pointed party venues that fit the bill for up-scale nuptial celebrations.
Curiously, the mayor and key staffers apparently were not aware of the huge wedding event held last weekend on a private estate in lower La Floresta. A fleet of huge trucks carrying light and sound equipment and additional party gear were parked at the intersection of Paseo de las Brisas and Las Olas all day Friday.
Neighbors in the normally quiet subdivision and residents living as far off as Chula Vista and central Ajijic reported losing sleep as fireworks and high decibel music filled the air throughout Saturday night and well past dawn the following morning.
Local authorities are touting Chapala as an idyllic spot where lovebirds will flock for luxury nuptial celebrations.
Promoting the area as a utopia for tying the knot is only one angle of the administration’s strategy to expand and diversify the tourism market. Another new target group in the government’s sights is the growing generation of national and foreign retirees. The concept is to promote package deals for tour groups that might encompass a 48-hour itinerary to visit points of interest related to history and nature, enjoy gallery and restaurant hopping and free time for shopping sprees.
Degollado explains that the general thrust is to allure more visitors who have the leisure time and economic means for overnight or longer stays. The overall goal is to attract greater investment in the hospitality and entertainments sectors, which in turn will generate new employment opportunities for the local populace.
Meanwhile, the city’s tourism office is preparing to set up a WhatsApp group to facilitate arranging group bookings at local hotels, bed-and-breakfast places, rental properties and dining spots. The government registry currently shows 25 hotels, 21 guest homes, seven apartment complexes and 155 restaurants with bar services licensed to do business, giving them eligibility to sign on to the hottest communication application.