Guadalajara, which is the second biggest Mexican city, is continuing in its rapid development. The city is sometimes called Mexico"s Silicon Valley as there are numerous IT companies. The city also witnesses expansion in other businesses, for example in the automotive industry. In fact Guadalajara is considered the most business-friendly Latin American city. Its hotels are doing very well. They host business travelers as well as leisure tourists during the year.
Guadalajara is also a popular MICE (meeting, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) destination. Thousands of people visit various events that take place at the city’s convention centre - Expo Guadalajara. Among the famous events belongs the Guadalajara International Book Festival. Last year the festival managed to attract over 18,000 publishers and professionals. Many visitors are brought to the city Guadalajara International Film Festival. Last year there were 66,000 participants.
Tourists could be lured in here also by various sights. Among the popular ones belong Teatro Degollado, the Hospicio Cabanas (which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Catedral Metropolitana and the Teatro Diana. The historic downtown of the city features galleries, museums, libraries as well as theaters.
Various new projects are taking place in the city. For example the above mentioned Expo Guadalajara is undergoing an expansion that will increase its meeting space. There will be a new business center and more parking space. There is also the construction of the Centro JVC, which will include a 45,500-seat soccer stadium, offices, a theater, a museum and also a university campus.
The city will also be the host of the 2011 Pan American Games, and that will bring thousands of sport fans in here. Guadalajara is getting ready for the event and they are going to prepare number of venues for the games. Also the airport is taking steps to be equipped for the increased number of travelers. They will invest 12 million USD in the airport expansion.
