Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - As we near the end of 2011, Mexico’s declared "Year of Tourism," it is safe to say it is ending on a positive note. In addition to seeing increasing numbers of tourists arriving to Mexico, a plethora of investments, acknowledgments and awards, Mexico has also been successful hosts of some large international events including the 2011 Pan-American Games held in Guadalajara and the 2011 Adventure Travel World Summit in Chiapas.

To keep the momentum going in 2012, Mexico has been designated the host country for the G-20 Summit and also the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) first Regional Summit.

The WTTC, the global authority for tourism, is made up of the Chairs, Presidents and Chief Executives of the world’s leading private sector Travel & Tourism businesses. These specialists bring knowledge to guide government policy and decision-making, raising awareness of the importance of the industry.

The first Regional Summit (including North, Central, South America and the Caribbean) will be hosted in May 2012 in Cancun by the Mexican Ministry of Tourism. It will directly follow the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s T-20 Minister’s Meeting that will be taking place in Merida.

David Scowsill, President & CEO of WTTC said: "Mexico is the ideal host for our first regional Summit... Mexico leads the way in recognizing the enormous contribution Travel & Tourism makes to the economy, employment and export income. President Calderón has a strong commitment to tourism which is underlined by the declaration of 2011 as the ‘Year of Tourism’ and by being the first to join WTTC’s and UNWTO’s joint Global Leaders for Tourism Campaign, which highlights the importance of tourism to global growth and development..."

Following the 2012 WTTC’s Region Summit in May, Mexico has been selected to host the 5th G-20 Summit. The G-20 Summits began in 2008 in response to world financial crisis, bringing together the Head of States of world economies to discuss the global financial market and strengthen international cooperation.

Chosen as the 2012 chair and host, Mexico believes the forum can better represent developing countries in both vision and policy. Under the leadership of President Felipe Calderón, Mexico will seek to expand the scope of the G-20's development focus.

President Felipe Calderón hand selected Los Cabos in Baja California Sur as the official city to assemble the G20 Summit. The destination’s first-class hotel and airport infrastructure were noted as two important factors in the decision.

"Los Cabos is extremely proud and honored to be selected as the official host city for the G-20 Summit, as this is an incredible opportunity for our destination as well as for the country of Mexico," says Gonzalo Franyutti, President of the Los Cabos Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Los Cabos has the exclusive appeal, a contemporary tourism infrastructure and the safety record required to host an event of this global caliber. As a haven for VIPs throughout the world, Los Cabos is truly the ‘Window to the World’ for Mexico. We look forward to welcoming the G-20 delegates and attendees to our destination."