The second largest city in Mexico, Guadalajara, has an urban, tourist, hotel, industrial and business structure, which have positioned it as one of the cities with the greatest development in the country. The phrase enunciated by the arches of Guadalajara "a pleasant stay is a guarantee of return", is nothing more than the letter of introduction of a city that is characterized by receiving thousands of tourists and businessmen during the year, due to the quality of life, hospitality, its architecture and the expansion of the automotive and IT industry.
The increase in business and the great conventions that are taking place in the city have made the hotels in Guadalajara have a high rate of accommodation during the week. Most of the city's industrial parks are located along the Peripheral Ring at the southern and eastern ends.
Guadalajara has a large information technology industry, as well as electronic component manufacturers, Cemex, Tequila Suaza, Hershey de México and Flextronics, which is complemented by the commercial demand generated by the Expo Guadalajara convention center that hosts 120 events a year.
Tourists visiting the city enjoy traditional flavors such as tamales, sopes, enchiladas and the famous tortas ahogadas, as well as cosmopolitan dishes. They visit the historical and cultural attractions, such as museums, libraries, theaters, galleries and entertainment venues, as Guadalajara is the most traditional city in the Aztec country. One of the biggest cultural attractions of the city is the celebration of the Guadalajara International Film Festival, which in 2007 had 66,000 visitors.
There are also, on the west side of the city, ancient ruins, centennial distilleries, the colonial town of Tequila and the "living operational landscape" of blue agave fields, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 2006, a fact that was beneficial for the area in terms of the budget designated for research and conservation, in addition to promoting the attractiveness of the region.
Another aspect that stands out in the city is the growth and urban development that has been presented due to the high number of constructions in the metropolitan area, as well as the high-scale residential projects that are in execution or that have been completed in recent months.
However, the construction market in Guadalajara is oriented towards the development of mixed projects that combine components such as offices, residences and hotels, of which it is expected to have many in the near future. An example of this mixed program is the JVC4 Center, which is supported by a new 45,500-seat stadium for the professional football team Chivas.
Because Guadalajara has also been selected as the venue for the 2011 Pan American Games, the renovation, adaptation and construction of a large-scale sports venue complex that includes the Gymnastic Complex and the Velodrome has begun, in addition to the construction of the Pan American Village, which will house the thousands of professional athletes.
On the other hand, the occupancy of the hotels in the city remains relatively stable, despite the increase in the hotel offer due to the opening in 2006 of the Camino Real de Guadalajara Expo and the Fiesta Americana Grand Guadalajara Country Club in 2007. The new market offering includes a 157-room Hampton Inn, a 100-room Holiday Inn Express and an NH Hotel with another 100 rooms.
