Mexico City, Mexico - Mexico Secretary of Tourism Gloria Guevara Manzo recently met in London with executives from airlines and leading travel companies in the United Kingdom, who indicated that their frequency of travel to Mexico is set to increase.

British airline Virgin Atlantic confirmed that from April 2013, it will increase it's number of flights on its London-Cancun route by 50 percent. The British company considers this one of the most successful routes to Mexico.

The airline is also evaluating opening new flights to other Mexican tourist destinations.

Johan Lundgre, Deputy Chief Executive of TUI Travel, confirmed that the first Dreamliner 787 will reach Cancun next year, increasing the presence of their travel group in Mexico. TUI is the world’s leading travel group, currently operating in 180 countries and servicing more than 30 million clients.

Important agreements were also established with TUI to generate a route to the Pacific.

Secretary Guevara also met in London with executives from the International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM,) to review the results of the global luxury tourism congress which was held in Riviera Maya from October 1st through the 3rd this year.

The director of the ILTM, Alison Gilmore, said that the event attracted more than 300 buyers and exhibitors, all of which expressed a high degree of satisfaction with Riviera Maya and confirmed that the forum will again be held in Mexico.

Gilmore stated that the forum was the most successful to date and it is anticipated that the next edition will double the number of attendees.

In London, Secretary Guevara Manzo also participated in a panel organized by Visit Britain, the tourism office of the United Kingdom. The head Britain's tourism board, Christopher Rodriguez, spoke of Mexico as a unique tourist destination which offers a variety of tourism sectors, from culture, nature, and gastronomy, to luxury, sun, and sand.

Also participating in the meeting were: Yves Hallaux Dutilli, of the Mexican Chamber of Commerce; Cathy Matos, Managing Director of Mexican Tours; Mark Stacey, Director of Cox & Kings Travel; Tony Plumm, of Special Holliday; as well as executives from Veloso Tour LTD, Solliman Travel, LATA, and Steamond Travel.

Accompanied by Felix Gonzalez Canto, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tourism; the Senator of Nayarit, Martha Elena Garcia, a member of the Tourism Commission; Rodolfo Lopez-Negrete, Chief Operating Officer of the Mexico Tourism Board, Secretary Guevara also held meetings with April Hutchinson of TTG Luxury, Paul Potrykus of Rosewood Hotels, and Diarmuid Buckley of Langham Hotels - highlighting the major investment opportunities that Mexico has to offer within the tourism sector.

Guevara Manzo said that tourism is on the rise in Mexico, noting that in 2011 the country reached a record figure of 191.5 million domestic and international visitors and, according to projections, this year is expecting more than 200 million visitors.

While in London, Secretary Guevara also participated in the Ministers’ Summit of the World Tourism Organization, held during World Travel Market 2012. In this symposium, she spoke of increasing the number of worldwide tourists through the facilitation of easing migration procedures.

The tourism secretary noted that the current Mexican administration has advanced such actions as accepting a US visa for entry into Mexico by international visitors. She also pointed out the streamlining of visas for citizens of Brazil, Russia, and China, who can now obtain the document in 24 hours.

Mexico has also launched the Global Entry Program for trusted travelers between the United States and Mexico.

During the Ministers’ Summit, Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, highlighted the work of President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa's administration in promotion of Mexico tourism.

Rifai stated that he was the first to sign the Golden Book, a distinction that was awarded to Mexico for inserting into the national agenda concrete actions in favor of tourism.

The theme of The Ministers’ Summit of the World Tourism Organization was "Open Borders and Open Skies: Breaking Down Barrier to Travel," and it was attended by the Secretaries of Tourism of Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Africa, and the UK.

Also attending were business leaders from Etihad, Travel Port, Tui Travel PLC, and Ethiopian Airlines, as well as representatives of international organizations such as the International Air Transport Association and the World Travel & Tourism Council.