TAFI brings Mexico to members

With a consulate in Mumbai, which also issues visas for Indian nationals, Mexico is keen on promoting tourism between the two countries apart from trade and investment focusing on Maharashtra and South India. The air connectivity may still feel like a hurdle, despite easy visas and vegetarian food. Will the Indian market respond favourably?

Hazel Jain

With a plan to offer something different and uniquely crafted for its members, the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) Western region organised yet another destination event – this time focusing on Mexico. It brought together a holistic picture by including the Consul General of Mexico and a Mexico DMC – Trip to Mexico – in the event.

Adolfo Garcia Estrada, Consul General of Mexico, Consulate of Mexico in Mumbai, showcased Mexico to the members. They recently opened a consulate in Mumbai that also issues visas for Indian nationals.

“We have our embassy in New Delhi for many decades, but Mexico decided to open a Consulate General in Mumbai (Nariman Point) to promote trade, tourism and investment focusing on Maharashtra and South India,” he said.

The turnaround time for visas is not more than 10 working days. However, Indian tourists can enter Mexico with a valid USA, UK, Canada, Schengen, or Japan visa.

“While there is no direct flight between the two countries, we do have convenient connections through major hubs like Europe, USA, Dubai, and Istanbul, making it a convenient direct flight from these gateways to both Mexico city and Cancun,” the CG said.

He stressed on the similarities of Indian and Mexican culture. “Vegetarian food is widely available in Mexico. In fact, Mexican food has a huge component of vegetarian dishes. So, Indian clients are well catered for. We receive huge interest from individuals and corporates. We would love to keep our communications with travel agents open,” he added.

Pruthvi Khetani, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Global Destinations, which represents Cancun-based Trip to Mexico DMC in India for the last one year, sponsored the TAFI event.

“Our focus area is FIT, luxury, bespoke travel. Currently, travel between India and Mexico is at a nascent stage. There is a lot of interest in Mexico as a destination and a lot of Indians already have valid visas, so they don’t need to apply for visa,” Khetani said.

“We have clients visiting Mexico and not travelling to USA at all, so there is a huge scope for Mexico as a standalone destination. We also see a lot of honeymooners and small families booking Mexico. It will surely work since Indians love exploring new destinations,” he added.

Jay Kantawala, Chairman, Western Region, TAFI, said, “Most people will view Mexico as an add-on trip to the USA because its easy to fly from there. Like the CG said, it is mostly the Indian visitors who are going to drop their kids or have friends and family in the US and visit Mexico. It makes for a great trip for 10-15 days. We should see more traction to Mexico from India in the coming years.”

The Mexican-themed knowledge sharing and networking event exemplified ongoing commitment of TAFI to value its members.

Following the triumphs of the inaugural ‘Tourism Stakeholders Meet’ in February and the TAFI-Spanish networking event in April, this event provided another platform for learning and connection. The initiative proved a resounding success, solidifying TAFI WI’s dedication to equipping travel professionals with valuable destination knowledge.