The disappearance of 43 students of the Ayotzinapa Teachers’ College coupled with student protests and marches have caused Mexican port of Acapulco to lose its tourism appeal.
This was confirmed by Erick Santiago, director of the "Speak Well of Aca" programme, who acknowledged that due to the marches and protests, over 14,000 hotel reservations had already been cancelled for the long weekend in November which is usually the time when Mexicans head to the beach. Acapulco hotel occupancy rates are currently at 20%, well short of the 85% expected for this time of the year.
"Civil society is moving from understanding to being fed up. It is impossible for this situation to not affect us all. We believe that expressions of violence are not the best or the feasible means of seeking justice."
In an interview with Radio Fórmula, he declared that they sympathize with and share the pain of the parents, friends and relatives of the missing students "but we cannot agree with those little outbreaks of violence that have occurred."
Students and teachers of the State Organization of Workers of Guerrero (CETEG) broke into the Congress building and later the international airport was blocked for three hours, which caused three flights to be delayed. Then the target of the enraged students was the headquarters of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in Chilpancingo.
For Fernando Vargas Lozano, former president of the Employers’ Confederation of the Mexican Republic (COPARMEX) - Acapulco, the port needs to recover its "social stability". He noted that since 2011 the destination has not regained its hotel occupancy levels, while investments are being lost and businesses are closing in Chilpancingo.
"Acapulco is in a very delicate state of economic downturn, as seen in hotel jobs; there is tourism recovery in a few months, but natural disasters, the political issues etc., the instability prior to the departure of the Governor (Angel Aguirre) also have an impact."
Former president of Coparmex Acapulco said the state of Guerrero can only emerge from the economic, social and political crisis if the authorities and the society work together to eliminate impunity and ensure justice.
"The first goal is to achieve social stability, to create an environment conducive to economic development and investment, to attract tourists, to promote investment from other parts of the country, and especially to enable people to leave and return to their homes, confident that they can do so without any problem."