Holy Week tourism. (New Business).

Mexicans appear to be doing their best to make up for the ongoing drop in foreign tourist visits to their country, if this spring's Holy Week holiday period is any indication.

During the period, vacation hotspots Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta and Veracruz saw 100% hotel occupation rates, according to the National Hotel and Motel Association (ANHM). Meanwhile, upscale destinations Cancun, Huatulco and Ixtapa reported hotel occupation rates of between 85 and 90%.

Still, foreign tourist visits were down some 7.5% in the first 10 weeks of the year, and unless that trend turns around, Mexico will likely miss out on 2 million foreign tourist visits that it receives in a normal year, according to the ANHM.

The world economic slowdown and the effects of Sept. 11 led to 1.5 million fewer foreign tourist visits than normal in 2001, said the hotel organization.

Domestic tourists currently represent 80% of hotel occupancy in Mexico, and are responsible for 86% of tourism spending.