'I love both places' she says
IAN STALKER
Marianne Volio brings a Latin American’s insights into a popular Latin American tourism destination, although not the one she grew up in.
The Costa Rica native runs Cancun tour company Tica en Cancun (Tica in Cancun), with Tica the term Costa Ricans commonly use to refer to a female compatriot.
“I love both places [Costa Rica and Mexico] but since I studied tourism in Mexico in Mexico I decided to focus on [the Yucatan Peninsula states of] Yucatan and Quintana Roo,” says Volio, whose tourism studies were in Cancun and who has lived in that destination for seven years.
“I have the experience in the area and give the best trips,” she confidently adds. “My knowledge of Cancun and the area is 100%. I have been in all the places.”
For example, Tica en Cancun can send people to sprawling coastal biosphere Sian Ka’an, which she says doesn’t generally see large numbers of tourists but which is home to the likes of free-roaming dolphins, rather than the domesticated ones that can be seen in some parts of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Volio primarily works with Latin American clients but is happy to work with other people and will design tours according to specific interests and can also create itineraries that combine Mexican and Costa Rican destinations if asked.
She and her coworkers speak English.
Volio says her seven years in Cancun have given her a deep knowledge of both itself and the surrounding region, adding some who haven’t visited Cancun may not be familiar with a part of the world that many may simply associate with spring breakers.
“It’s a paradise, ” she says of Cancun. “The weather is perfect and there are infinite activities. It’s not just parties.”
Meanwhile, Volio says she can introduce those who aren’t familiar with Mexican cuisine to it during Cancun vacations, adding she’s confident they will enjoy it.
“Mexican cuisine is the best,” she states. “I love my country and the food but I think Mexican food is the best.”
Volio can be reached by emailing [email protected].
