Haggling and Bargaining - Shopping in International Markets

gomexico.about.com
 By Kathleen Crislip


Bargaining and haggling while shopping are not ventures that come naturally to US citizens -- we go to the store, we look at the prices, we buy if we know the price is right and we want the thing. The more daring may ask a salesperson if there's a better deal to be had, but for the most part, we're trained to assume the marked price is probably the price unless shopping for certain big ticket items.

Not so in much international shopping. In international markets and bazaars, prices often aren't marked to begin with, or may just be a starting point for a conversation with the seller in which the seller will try to get the most money possible (of course) for his wares, and you may just be trying to buy the thing, period.

Yeah, not so fast, amigo.

Shopping for souvenirs, like pottery in Mexico or didgeridoos in Australia, operates on the same principle that shopping at home does -- you find what you like, you find the best price. The kicker, though, is that you can have some real fun doing it while you meet some local folks and get a lesson in bargaining and courtesy. Sometimes, that means a transaction of much lengthier duration than you may be used to.

Get a few tips from some veteran shoppers, and have some fun!

Southwest officially enters Mexico market with Los Cabos flight

Mexico News Daily | Sunday, August 10, 2014

Southwest Airlines began operating flights into Mexico today following its purchase in 2011 of Air Tran. The first flight by Southwest, the main discount airline in the United States, landed in Los Cabos, marking its official entry in the Mexican market.

The route had been operated by Air Tran. Its new owner is in the process of phasing out the Air Tran brand. It will cease to exist as of November 2 following a gradual transition.

Southwest Airlines will be going head to head against competitors such as Volaris, operating nine of 21 routes between the U.S. and Mexico. Javier Romo, an analyst with Sigmun Research, said at the time that Southwest didn’t represent a threat to Mexican airlines.

“What it’s doing is increasing the number of passengers in Mexico.”

In June it began offering fares up to 11% lower than rivals, and permitting two carr-on bags rather than just one. It was also offering flight changes with no additional charges.

Last year about 1 million passengers traveled from the U.S. to Los Cabos.

Source: El Financiero (sp)

- See more at: http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/southwest-officially-enters-mexico-market-los-cabos-flight/#sthash.qSh9xWaj.dpuf

Mexico earns $1.44 bn from international tourism in January

globalpost.com

Agencia EFE March 12, 2014 

 

 

Mexico City, Mar 12 (EFE).- Mexico earned $1.44 billion from international tourism in January, up 17.4 percent from the same month in 2013, when the figure came in at $1.22 billion, the Tourism Secretariat said.

Tourists staying more than 24 hours in the country spent an average of $542 in January, a figure that was up 3.1 percent from the $525 spent in January 2013, the secretariat said in a statement, citing Bank of Mexico data.

Average spending by tourists who did not stay in the country and entered via the border or arrived on a cruise ship totaled $42, up 7.4 percent from the $39 spent in the same month last year.

Foreign tourist arrivals totaled 6.6 million in January, of whom 2.3 million visitors stayed in Mexico more than 24 hours and the remaining 4.3 million tourists were on day trips, the secretariat said.

International tourism generated $13.8 billion in 2013, when 23.7 million travelers and 54 million day-trippers visited Mexico.

Mexico starred at tourism fair

Monday, 10 March 2014

THE NEWS

Mexico’s time in the global tourism spotlight came to an end on Sunday with the closing of the International Tourism Fair (ITB) in Berlin.

Upon the closing of the event, organizers said that $9 billion worth of business deals were made at the fair, a record for the tourism promotion event.

The ITB’s success was largely a product of the large number of exhibitors. Some 10,000 tourism industry companies from 189 countries gave their proposals to more than 114,000 industry professionals and 60,000 members of the general public during the five-day event — a higher turnout than expected.

“The exhibitors and visitors at the ITB in Berlin this year take home with them the spirit of euphoria that was felt during these last five days,” said ITB Director Christian Göke, adding that this year’s fair was centered around issues such as sustainable growth and making reservations via wireless devices.

In recent years, German citizens have had more vacation money due to a stable job market, a rise in collective agreements to regulate salary levels and positive economic growth forecasts. This is one of the reasons that this year’s fair was so important for Mexico, which is trying to diversify its tourist market from its heavy independence on U.S. visitors.

U.S. tourists made up 55 percent of all international visitors to Mexico in 2012, a number which has been steadily rising in recent years. German tourists represented 1.6 percent, a number that Mexican officials and industry professionals are trying to increase.

Mexico’s Ambassador to Germany, Patricia Espinosa Castellanos, said that the fair was an overall success, adding that there is mutual interest from both countries to continue strengthening their relations.

She mentioned that President Enrique Peña Nieto has already held several meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and that there are conversations being held in preparation for Peña Nieto’s first official visit to Germany.