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Mayor’s Office Press Release

March 28, 2022 — Mayor Sylvester Turner, Houston Initial Corp., and the Bigger Houston Partnership will lead an financial enhancement mission to Mexico from March 28 to April 1, with stops in Monterrey and Mexico Town.

The delegation is joined by strategic partners, Houston Airport Program and United Airlines, as section of an intense method to strengthen Houston’s place as the leading town for global trade, tourism, business enterprise, and leisure vacation from Mexico.

As aspect of the activations, the delegation and strategic partners will be conference with the Mexican secretary of tourism, Gov. Samuel Alejandro Garcia Sepúlveda of Nuevo León, Mayor Donaldo Colosio Riojas of Monterrey, vice-minister of overseas affairs, Roberto Velasco, as perfectly as major tour/travel operators and assembly pros.

Users of the delegation also will be participating in the signing of a Memorandum of Comprehension or MOU to improve existing ties among the Condition of Nuevo León and town of Houston.

“Houston persistently ranks amid the best marketplaces for international providers searching to create or strengthen ties in the U.S. With an lively port, a talented and numerous workforce, and continued enhancement in sectors this sort of as healthcare, daily life sciences, and technological know-how, the City is a hub for innovation and advancement. We glance ahead to strengthening our ties with Mexico and emphasizing Houston’s global place as a prime location for business and business,” Mayor Turner reported.

Serving as Houston’s largest trade companion, Mexico performs an significant job in the city’s economic climate. In parts this kind of as producing and food goods, both equally Mexico and Texas have established these types of an economic focus in individuals sectors that quite a few Mexico-based organizations have been led to open services in the Lone Star State, in accordance to The Texas Financial Development Company.

“We are privileged to dwell in a destination exactly where citizens from all throughout the world populate the city. As we appear to sustainably maximize the selection of readers from Mexico to Houston, the influx of new concepts and influence will only increase the amazing tapestry of cultures that already exists here,” Houston 1st Corp. President and CEO Michael Heckman said.

Mexico also is Houston’s premier market place for intercontinental visitation. According to a 2020 Vacation Marketing Insights Inc. report, Houston gained an estimated 3.4 million worldwide travelers, with Mexico accounting for 70 % of these readers. The report also indicated that Mexican people contributed $913 million USD in full direct investing whilst checking out Houston. (source: Vacation Markets Insights Inc. July 2020).

“Houston Airports’ by now-robust romantic relationship with Mexico grew even more powerful in the course of the pandemic,” Director of Houston Airports Mario Diaz said. “Today we have much more flights to Mexico than in 2019 and Bush Airport carries on to supply far more flights to Mexico than any other airport in the U.S. Houston is a single of the main markets in the U.S. by the amount of Mexican destinations served and the quantity of Mexican readers received for each 12 months. This economic enhancement mission will nurture our strategic partnership with Mexico that is very important for our airports and our town.”

Investigation by Expedia Global Exploration reveals that Houston ranked #1 among U.S. metropolitan areas booked during the initial quarter in 2021. Improved competition in the market place, on the other hand, has influenced searches for 2022 and developing model consciousness for Houston in Mexico will be key to driving constant interest back again to pre-covid levels.

“With additional than 70 years of assistance to the southeast Texas region, United is proud to be Houston’s hometown airline,” United Airlines Senior Vice President of Throughout the world Profits Doreen Burse claimed. “As the country’s gateway to Latin The us and Houston’s biggest provider to Mexico, serving the market for around 5 a long time, we are honored to have performed a crucial purpose in arranging travel for the city’s trade mission to Mexico – encouraging to join Houston to the globe, and the planet to Houston.”

Houston Week  
Strengthening Houston’s position as a top place for small business, travel and tourism will be the development of a multi-town industry activation identified as “Houston 7 days.” The inaugural party incorporates a myriad of diplomatic and general public relations attempts, organization improvement, company and travel trade conferences, as perfectly as social activations ahead of culminating into an experiential evening occasion that showcases the very best of Houston.

Hola Houston 
The hallmark of Houston 7 days will be “Hola Houston” a dynamic sensory and culinary experience curated to reintroduce and excite attendees about all issues Houston.

Having area inside Zanq on March 29 in the Valle Oriente area in San Pedro Garza García in Nuevo León, and later on that 7 days on March 31 at Centro Cultural Estacion Indianilla in Mexico City, invited guests will have an prospect to have interaction with some of Houston’s most legendary artists, designers, mixologists, and James Beard award-winning chefs. This dynamic showcase incorporates:

Culinary 

• Chef Hugo Ortega: Proprietor and govt chef of 4 of Houston’s top dining establishments, which includes Backstreet Café, URBE, and Caracol. He has been named Most effective Chef: Southwest by the prestigious James Beard Foundation.
• Chef Ruben Ortega: Pastry chef for the H-Town Cafe Team. His decadent creations at Xochi in Houston gained him a spot as a 2022 semifinalist for Exceptional Pastry Chef by the James Beard Basis.
• Chef Kiran Verma: Regarded as the “godmother of Indian good eating,” Chef Kiran’s restaurant is known for serving up Indian hospitality with French sophistication and American informality.
• Chef Chris Williams: Earning many accolades for his Southern-model cuisine, Chef Chris carries on to use influences from across the globe to curate his menu at Lucille’s.
• Mixologist Chris Morrisis a four-time countrywide finalist of esteemed cocktail competitions and attained a lot of regional awards. His creative interpretation of the classic paloma at Chef Nikki Tran’s Viet-Cajun cafe Kau Ba is the best example of Houston’s blended culture.

Entertainment

• Demola the Violinist: A native Lagosian turned Houstonian is an artist, songwriter, producer and renowned violinist who brings together Afrobeats, pop, hip-hop and Reggae into fascinating fusion handles. His performances have been showcased through the 2021 State of the Metropolis in Houston and James Beard Awards method.

Art + Style

• Magpies and Peacocks: Situated in the coronary heart of Houston, this is the only nonprofit American style household committed to the collection and sustainable reuse of write-up-client outfits, scrap textiles, and extras diverted from landfills.
• David Maldonado: Regarded as @capdavjon on Instagram, David is a Houston-based mostly multi-disciplinary artist who celebrates the vivid tales of his local community by way of general public art. His eye-catching items can be viewed in neighborhoods and big buildings all through the town.

Following the debut of Houston Week, Houston Initially Corp. will deploy a countrywide marketing and branding campaign in Mexico that will be showcased in publications these kinds of as Forbes, Robb Report, GQ, Vouge, Conde Nast, Reforma, Food & Wine, Everyday living & Style and Expedia, among many others.

“Our marketing campaign innovative, ‘Vibra Worldwide Que Inspira’ provides a unified brand proposition for tourism, economic enhancement, expense attraction, talent attraction and high quality of daily life that celebrates the authenticity and enchantment of our terrific metropolis,” adds Mr. Heckman.

Afterwards this year, Houston also will prepare to start its initial U.S.-Mexico Journey Fest, a weekend celebration hosted within the city’s George R. Brown Conference Heart on Oct. 28-30. The celebration will welcome more than 35 locations from Mexico and the U.S. and approximately 20,000 readers who are wanting for their up coming holiday vacation.