The former celebrity hot spot is undergoing a major renaissance.

Acapulco, Mexico, is reclaiming its place in the limelight. A celebrity hot spot in the 1960s – when Brigitte Bardot, Elvis Presley and Elizabeth Taylor ranked among the destination’s many famed sun seekers – Acapulco is, today, undergoing a major renaissance.

Already, the destination attracts five million visitors annually, and between 2005 and 2006, more than $171 million were invested in the area’s tourism infrastructure by private investors and developers. The record-breaking investments will result in new hotel and spa openings, and a new exhibition and convention center that will also include a performing arts center.

“Acapulco is already a renowned tourism destination, but much of the goal behind the new surge in investment dollars is to introduce a new generation of travelers to Acapulco,” says Jesus Radilla, general manager of the Acapulco Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB). “A lot of the expansion is taking place in the Diamante area, which is where we had the most land to develop.”

The Diamante resort and residential development is found to the north, between the airport and Acapulco Bay, in the Puerto Marques area. Among the area’s existing properties are the Las Brisas Hotel, the Camino Real Diamante, the Quinta Real Acapulco and the Gran Mayan Acapulco. The latter is soon to become allied with the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts brand, enabling the property to be booked through Wyndham reservation channels. On the horizon is a new project from the Banyan Tree Group, featuring Asian-style cabanas built along the craggy Cabeza de Leon and Vertigo, a restaurant accessible by cable car.

Other upscale resort projects currently under development in the Diamante zone include the all-suite Mansion Imperial hotel, with 334 guest accommodations at an investment of $125 million. In addition, the Villas Imperial will offer 900 villas or 2,000 guest rooms at a price of more than $85 million; the Palace Imperial is slated to feature 360 suites for time-share sales at an investment of $85 million. Acapulco resorts currently encompass 18,000 hotel rooms; this total is projected to increase by nearly 3,000 within the next two years. 

“While Acapulco still retains much of its glamour, it now has a much broader appeal among business, incentive and leisure travelers,” says Radilla. “But the destination is still attracting celebrities, many of whom arrive by private jet and stay in the Diamante area.”

Currently, Acapulco’s leisure travel business comprises mainly younger families and older couples – chiefly Baby Boomers. The latter, Radilla says, are attracted by the destination’s many culinary options, which go beyond Mexican cooking to encompass a wide variety of restaurants, including Japanese, Italian and vegetarian.

However, Radilla says that what the destination now needs to target are travelers in between those two stages of life.  “Travelers in the 30s and 40s really need to know Acapulco,” he says. “We’re aiming to attract that market to the new Acapulco, while we’re also targeting many promotions and advertising efforts to business and incentive travelers, primarily from the U.S.”

The destination’s major means of generating more traffic from the business and incentive travel market is through the construction of the Diamante area’s new master-planned project, Mundo Imperial, which will be home to Expo Imperial and Imperial Forum, Acapulco’s new exhibition and convention center.

The venue’s exhibit and meeting space will total more than 360,000 square feet, and the Imperial Forum will be a 4,800-seat performing arts center.  Mundo Imperial will also include Casa Imperial, a resort complex with 879 rooms, and Fiesta Imperial, a 210,000-square-foot plaza featuring restaurants, lounges, nightclubs and cultural venues. The complex is projected to open in November.

“The new center will serve to enhance Acapulco and confirm its reputation as a world-class destination,” says Radilla. “We don’t think Mundo Imperial will compete with the existing convention center, because it is located in a different area. Mundo Imperial will utilize hotels in the Diamante area, while the existing convention center will continue to utilize hotels in the Golden zone, the destination’s main tourism corridor.”

A $2 million renovation of the existing Acapulco Convention Center, the largest conference facility in Latin America, includes upgraded technological equipment, as well as enhancements to its terraces and principal entrance.

“Acapulco is already a highly regarded vacation destination, yet we are committed to continuing to improve our tourism services,” say Mary Bertha Medina Cortes, president of the Acapulco CVB. “With the addition of more luxurious hotel offerings, and increased leisure, entertainment and convention developments designed to revitalize the city, we hope that visitors from all over the world will discover the new Acapulco.”

Puerto Paraiso plaza, scheduled to debut in the coming year, is one of the new entertainment features designed to bring more travelers to the destination. The multi-use complex will consist of 12 movie theaters, an ice-skating rink, designer stores, nightclubs and restaurants. A 685,000-square-foot La Isla Shopping Village, this entertainment center will also boast high-end shops and restaurants, along the movie theaters and an interactive aquarium.

Adding some balance to these cultural and commercial facilities will be new eco-tourism offering. Within the next two years, the Mexican government plans to begin development of the “Tourism Corridor,” which will traverse the coastal region between the resort destinations and Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo. 

According to Radilla, the route will feature a new, modern road between the two destinations, construction of which is slated for completion within the next three years.  “Mexico really has such diversity in its tourism offerings, as each of the country’s destinations has a rich variety of services and experiences,” Radilla says.  “So the Tourism Corridor will help the entire region to gain more attention.”

Yet, the Tourism Corridor is not the only new development that will give visitors more reason to visit Acapulco and take them into the surrounding region.  The newly launched Jaguar Route highlights the history and attractions of the state of Guerrero.  Announced in March by the secretary of tourism of Guerrero, in coordination with the Acapulco and Taxco CVB at Tianguis Turistico in Acapulco, the city also serves as the route’s central point.  Visitors are encouraged to take advantage of not only its beaches and shopping facilities, but also cultural venues such as the San Diego Fort, Diego Rivera’s Wall and the Mask Museum, and eco-activities including the sea turtle program at Tres Palos Lagoon. 

The Jaguar Route starts in Taxco de Alarcon, where visitors can purchase silver crafts or visit the rock formations and underground river of Cacahuamilpa’s Caves, the largest network of caves in Latin America.  The next stop is Cuauhtémoc, a small town in La Montana, where some streets and houses are made of ivory.  Further along the route is Iguala, where the Mexican national flag was born.  The archaeological zone of Xochilapa La Organera, a ceremonial center of the Mezcala culture, is also located here along the Basin of Balsas River. 

Nearby in the capital city of Chilpancingo, representations of the Jaguar’s Dance and El Porrazo Dance can be found. Tehuacalco, a recently discovered archaeological zone that includes a ball court, residential space and holy temple is also found on the route. 

“The new Jaguar Route is akin to the identity of Guerrero itself,” says Radilla.  “Its roots are based on the culture and traditions of Guerrero, while showcasing the region’s natural beauty.”

For agents who want to learn more about Acapulco specifically, the Acapulco CVB offers the online Acapulco Academy on its official website. The complimentary, three-tiered educational program includes a study course with a full-color course guide, detailed maps and selling tips, along with online lessons and quizzes.  The course work grows travel professionals’ knowledge of the destination’s golf offerings, eco-adventure, archaeological sites, dining and resorts.

Upon successful completion of the course, agents have the opportunity to join in a fully escorted fam trip and enroll in a bonus points program, which was launched in January.  The new rewards program allows agents to earn points on every Acapulco booking they make, either with a tour operator or directly with an area resort.  Points are earned on the total package value and agents can redeem accumulated points toward travel rewards.

Graduates also earn continuing education credits from The Travel Institute, a color diploma, window sticker and lapel pin.  They get access to an online bulletin board and chat room exclusively for Acapulco specialists, and receive a quarterly newsletter.  Moreover, graduates can also get consumer leads via the online database of Acapulco Experts that travelers can search on the Acapulco CVB website.

“Acapulco Academy really gives agents an instructive catalog of all there is in Acapulco,” Radilla says.  “We really want agents to know about the new Acapulco.”