Mexico's missing students impacts Acapulco tourism
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Workers on a beach in Acapulco. (David Agren)
A nightclub in Acapulco once crowded with people, now sits practically empty during a holiday weekend. (David Agren)
Workers on a beach in Acapulco. (David Agren)
Over the recent Revolution Day long weekend, when many were celebrating the start of the Mexican Revolution of 1910, nightclubs attracted hardly anyone – easily evident by the empty dance floor, idle waiters and absence of a line at the door. (David Agren)
Workers on an Acapulco beach. (David Agren)
The ongoing protests over the missing 43 students are producing pain for the tourism sector, which generates an estimated 80 percent of all economic activity in Guerrero state – home to both Acapulco and the teacher trainees’ school in Ayotzinapa, which attracts students from some of Mexico’s most marginalized and impoverished municipalities. (David Agren)
Acapulco put Mexico on the map with a mix of sun, sand and celebrities. It endures as one of the best-known brands in the tourism business – while Guerrero state remained relatively unknown. (David Agren)
Hotel occupation reached just 50 percent over the long weekend, according to Acapulco mayor Luis Walton – down from 70 percent the previous year. (David Agren)
Hard hit Acapulco business owners and employees are calling for calm, but some express sympathy for the students and their families. (David Agren)
The scandalous stories generated in Guerrero are but the latest hard luck for Acapulco, which has slid in stature over the past 25 years – going from jetsetter playground to a city associated with crime and calamities. (David Agren)