Fiesta Amigos, Mazatlan’s largest travel trade event, returns after 4-year hiatus

After a four-year hiatus, the largest trade event in Mazatlan, Mexico, “Fiesta Amigos,” is back.

Held to foster business between hotels, DMCs, tour operators and airlines, to announce new projects, and to celebrate Mazatlan’s new attractions, the four-day event, happening this October, expects to welcome 250 participants from Mexico, the United States and Canada.

The local Convention Centre will accommodate 540 business meetings between buyers and sellers which will set the foundations of a successful 2025-26 season.

The event, the 27th edition, will also include the unveiling of new attractions, details about the returning flights with Delta from Minneapolis and Los Angeles, which were suspended during the pandemic.

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“We are thrilled to welcome Fiesta Amigos back after a four-year hiatus. This year’s event is particularly exciting as it coincides with the launch of the new direct flight from Los Angeles to Mazatlán with Alaska Airlines,” said Edna Gutierrez, director of marketing and promotion for the Mazatlan Tourism Board. “This connectivity opens up even more opportunities for our partners and buyers, allowing us to showcase the incredible growth and new attractions Mazatlán has to offer. We look forward to fostering meaningful business relationships and celebrating our vibrant destination together!”

Mazatlan is an important destination for the North American market with direct flights from the U.S. from Phoenix, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Houston.

From Canada there are direct flights from Vancouver, Kelowna, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal.

The Gala Dinner “Fiesta Amigos de Mazatlán” will take place at the Grand Aquarium Mazatlan of the Sea of Cortés on Oct. 30.

This is the final event of Fiesta Amigos where all participants, guests, media and authorities come together for a gran celebration.

The venue is the largest aquarium in North America, the only one in the world dedicated to the natural diversity of the Sea of Cortés.

Mazatlan by the numbers

According to the State’s Ministry of Tourism:

From January to Augst of 2024 Mazatlan had already received a record number of visitors by air and sea of 1,558,211 compared to 1,422,927 in 2023.

In 2023, a total of 128 cruises visited the port city bringing a total of 343,822 passengers, an increase from the 212,216  who arrived the previous year.

Since 2019, to the end of 2024, there was an increase of 49 per cent of hotel rooms from 9,921 to 15,150.

From January to August of this year, the total spending by international visitor was $725 million USD with an average spend of $1,126 USD per person per visit in 2023 during a 5-night average stay.

The Convention Centre saw an increase of events, 350 the year before to over 400 events.

During the 2024-25 winter season there will be an increase of 10 per cent in air seat availability from Canada and a 16.5 per cent increase from the U.S. compared to the 2023-24 season