A first for Puebla

The Mexican state of Puebla is hoping to capitalize on its city of Puebla being the first non-beach destination to host Mexico’s annual tourism show of Tianguis in the show’s 38-year history. “We’ve been very honoured to have you here and hope this is the first of many visits to our state.”Puebla governor Rafael Moreno Valle told Tianguis delegates Wednesday. Moreno Valle cited a host of attractions for visitors to the state, including pre-Columbian archeological sites, Spanish colonial architecture and what he praised as a sound tourism infrastructure, and noted that last year the New York Times ranked Puebla as one of 2012’s 45 must-see destinations. He also said violence rates in Puebla are well below those in most American cities and many other cities elsewhere that see large numbers of visitors. Next year’s Tianguis will be held in Cancun and 2015 will see the show return to Acapulco.