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Mexico has changed one of its most notorious prisons into a vacation area. The former prison islands in the Pacific Ocean got a makeover to attract tourists.
The president of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, opened the Islas Marias Tourist Center last Friday evening. The country hopes that the islands will become an environmental attraction and a place for people who love history.
The president said, “This is tourism for excursions, to explore, to live with nature.” He believes that the location is “extraordinary.”
Villas for guests to stay in, a restaurant and a cafe have been built. The island renovations also include an arch named after Nelson Mandela. Mandela was in prison for 18 years in South Africa, but then became president of the country.
The Mexican government says that Nelson Mandela is an important person in history. He showed that it’s possible to make change, even in prison.
Islas Marias, the former prison islands, are about 100 km from the coast of Mexico. A prison was built on the islands in 1905 and closed down by the current president in 2019.
The government has announced tourist packages to the islands. Ferries will take people to the main island starting this week.
Tourism in Mexico has increased a lot since the end of the coronavirus pandemic. International tourism increased by around 50% in 2022, compared to last year.
Vocabulary
- Notorious – famous or well-known for a bad reason or quality
- Prison – a place where people are kept as punishment for a crime they did; a building filled with criminals
- Former – previous; past; ex-; before; in the past
- Makeover – a new or improved appearance/look after making changes; remodel; transformation
- Attract – to cause something to come toward something else; to pull or draw someone or something towards them
- Environmental – related to the natural world, the place we live, the area around us, nature
- Attraction – something that people can go to for interest or enjoyment; activity; feature
- Excursion – a short journey or trip, usually for pleasure
- Location – an area; a place; a fixed place or position in space; where something is
- Extraordinary – very unusual or surprising; not ordinary; great
- Villa – a luxurious house, usually in the countryside or by the sea, used as a holiday home
- Renovation – to upgrade; to make better; to make modern; rebuild
- Arch – a curved part of a structure that is over an opening; a structure consisting of a curved top on two supports (there are many famous arches in Europe)
- Named after – to give something/someone the same name as a different thing
- Show – to prove something or make the truth or existence of something known; confirm; demonstrate; validate
- Coast – the land along the edge of the sea or an ocean; where land meets water
- Announce – share information openly; to tell the public; to make a statement; to report
- Ferry – a boat that carries passengers and vehicles
- Pandemic – when a disease or sickness goes all over the country or world
Quiz
Discussion Questions
- What was the original purpose of the Islas Marias and how has it been transformed into a vacation area?
- What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of changing former prisons to tourist destinations?
- What impact did the coronavirus pandemic have on tourism and when/how will it change?
Original Story
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