MIPCOM and MIP TV organizer Reed Midem have announced the launch of MIP Cancun in November. Market is all set to draw leading Latin-American TV buyers. Coming this Nov. 19-21, acquisition execs from some 40 regional channels along with around 40 distributors of international programming, will come to JW Marriott in the resort town of Cancun, will focus on scripted and unscripted content, including fiction, formats, factual and kids entertainment.

According to the event organizers, Spanish-speaking viewers are one of the fastest growing audiences of the entertainment industry and Mexico is the world’s leading producing nation of Spanish-language content. MIP Cancun meets a growing demand for international companies looking to do business with their counterparts in Latin America explained the organizers.

Even Mexico was the MIPCOM’s country of honor earlier this month in Cannes, France.

The retail sales in Mexico rose more than analysts expected in August. Accelerated job creation and a rebound in consumer confidence helped bolster spending.

A jump of 4.4 percent sales rose from the earlier year, the fastest in five months. The statistic agency of Mexico reported this rise on their website. According to median estimate of expert analysts saw an increase of 2.7 percent. This was the second consecutive month in which sales growth has beaten economist forecasts by experts.

Mexican economy is gaining steam which is relevant with the jump the sales. The growth had stumped even the expert economists’ forecasts in seven of the past nine quarters, according to PNC Financial Services Group and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Recovering from the lowest level in almost four years in January after Mexico introduced new taxes on sugary drinks and junk food and raised the sales tax in some states, the consumer confidence rose to the highest in a year last month.

According to Bill Adams, senior international economist at PNC in Pittsburgh, said in a note to clients, “Mexico’s economy is back, the real estate market dislocation of 2012-2013 is behind us, North American manufacturing is performing well, and Mexico’s unemployment rate fell in the latest September release.”

In September only, the economy generated 156,400 payroll jobs, beating the 118,000 forecast by analysts surveyed by experts. The gain was more than twice as big as the August increase.

The economy is regaining momentum as the gross domestic product expanded 1 percent in the second quarter from the previous three-month period, surpassing estimates of a 0.8 percent increase. The economy grew at an annualized rate of 4.2 percent in April through June.

Another expert, Alberto Ramos, chief Latin America economist at Goldman Sachs, said in a report, “The July-August retail sales figure supports our view that after regaining momentum during the second quarter, the Mexican economy is likely to improve further in the second half of the year.”

To further jazz up the consumption gains, the path is to create stronger job creation and faster credit growth, according to Ramos. Wage growth has been sluggish over the past year and “significant slack” remains in the jobs market, Ramos further added.

Though all is not good, there is weakness too in some measures of consumer spending. Same-store sales tracked by a trade group called Antad, which represents supermarkets and department stores, fell 2.1 percent in September from last year, missing analysts’ estimate of a slight increase.

Last month’s same-store sales at Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB, the nation’s largest retailer, slid 2.7 percent and shares hit a six-month low Oct. 20 after its third-quarter profit missed analyst estimates.

Ramos further stated, “Mexico’s statistics agency changed the base year in its retail survey to 2008 from 2003, leading to substantial revisions to prior data.”

Playa del Carmen’s La Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue) in the heart of the tourist destination south of Cancun, is all set to get the newbuild, 314-room Hyatt Playa del Carmen. Though an opening date has yet to be determined but the gates should be open sometime in mid-2015.

Cancun is a city in south eastern Mexico, located on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It is a major world-renowned tourist destination. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, and is one of the easternmost points in Mexico. Cancún is located just north of Mexico’s Caribbean coast resort band known as the Riviera Maya. The island tourist zone is actually a part of the world’s second-longest coral reef and a perfect place to get the new kid on the block – Hyatt.

The hotel spokesperson informed further that presently they don’t have a specific date to share but they are targeting for next spring. They are taking reservations for July 1 and going forward, but when a more specific spring date is available, they will open reservations for the earlier dates.

The urban beach hotel property will not be an all-inclusive but will offer two restaurants and three bars/lounges located along the Paseo, a large, open-air corridor that will connect the entrance of the hotel to Playa Mamitas beach. Other facilities will include the Spa at Hyatt Playa del Carmen, a fitness centre, events space and a business centre.

In Cancun, Hyatt currently has the all-inclusive Hyatt Zilara Cancun; the Hyatt Ziva Cancun is slated to open in December 2015.

Mexican cuisine is famous around the globe. It has become a global sensation but its basic staples still remain to be the native foods such as corn, beans and chili peppers, beef, pork, chicken, goat and sheep and cheese and various herbs and lots of spices. Mexican cuisine is as complex as any of the great cuisines in the world, such as those of India, China, France, Italy and Turkey.

Travel blogger Ryan Gargiulo of ‘Pause the Moment’ who had recently spent a year as an ex-pat in Playa del Carmen, in an interview shared his experience of the best spots to eat in this bohemian Mexican city on the Caribbean Sea. Situated on the edge of the turquoise blue waters of the Caribbean, Playa del Carmen is truly a destination that can’t be missed when traveling to the Riviera Maya.

From street side vendors to the best in Mexican and international cuisines, everything is under cover. Playa has some absolute gems on offer.

Let’s start the gastronomic journey…

If you’re looking for an authentic Mexican restaurant in Playa del Carmen, look no further than La Coronela. They serve authentic and delicious Mexican food in town and it’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. “Some of my favorite dishes include the fajitas, burritos (chicken/steak/arrachera), the house salad with grilled chicken and the tortilla soup. Oh, and don’t forget to order a side of Guacamole. It’s to die for,” said Ryan Gargiulo.

Oh Lala is another food stop that you should consider along with Bio Natural. It’s the place where you can look for healthy food in Playa like fresh salads, falafel, quinoa, cous cous, tofu, vegan lasagne, veggie pitas and a whole lot more.

If healthy food is not your pick then what about mouth watering deep dish pizza? Look no further than Don Chendo. That’s right, folks, yummy pizza right at Mexico. You can also try a Jamaican jerk chicken joint, Ferron. Burritos, guacamole and tacos have become world famous. You can find the greatest burritos and tacos in Playa del Carmen at every small street food stall. Don’t forget to try the traditional Mexican dessert and hit up one of the many churro stands in town.

Savoury or sweet whatever your taste buds may ask for, each street of Mexico has a perfect answer to it. So what are you waiting for? Yummy days are waiting…

Located 42 miles south of Cancun, Playa del Carmen is one of the most popular vacation destinations in Mexico. With an abundance of natural beauty, interesting water sports, a fabulous art scene, nearby Mayan ruins, fantastic restaurants and a rollicking nightlife, it’s easy to see why.

Playa del Carmen has been attracting tourists from around the world, varying from honeymooning couples to families but now it seems that the popularity of this breathtakingly beautiful beachfront village is soaring so high it has even got the aliens intrigued! So much so that they even came visiting!

On May 29, just after sunset, an unusual dark alien object was noticed in the sky over Playa del Carmen in Quintana Roo, Mexico. As the sun was setting, the witness almost lost visual contact with the object. He rushed home to fetch his Yukon pro 5×45 night vision monocular and Angel Eye digital video recorder and managed to record approximately five minutes of video of the black UFO before the batteries died. He then uploaded slightly a 2-minute clipping of this video to YouTube, showing the strange object moving across the dark sky.

The witness describes the UFO as being “black, no lights and silent” and states that it did not fit into anything that he could explain or identify.

Throughout history, most UFO sightings have been difficult to prove and easily dismissed as hoaxes or simple misunderstandings. About this one, we will just have to wait and watch.