Arriba Retirees

Mexico is renowned for its vivid culture, passionate people, fiery chillies and potent tequila but few people would contemplate the notion of retiring there.

Not according to the Mexican Government, which is running a campaign in the UK to promote the country as a destination for Britain’s elderly to spend their twilight years.

At first thought, the idea seems way off target – the thought of retirees attempting to adorn the majestic beaches of Cancun in their swimsuits does not work on so many levels.

However following news this week that fewer Brits want to retire in the UK than all other major European countries, the Mexican Government could be onto something.

A report by Aon, the global HR consulting group, has found that nearly six in 10 Britons (57%) would like to retire overseas.

View the report here http://img.en25.com/Web/AON/EEBB-Report.pdf

This is more than Germany (46%), Ireland (49%), Switzerland (53%) and the Netherlands (61%).

A startling 87% of Spanish and 81% of French citizens would prefer to retire at home.

As for the Mexican Government – despite claiming to be the number one destination for retirees globally – it seems they will have a battle on their hands to attract British and European retirees.

This is for two reasons.

Firstly, the country doesn’t register on the radar of those who would look to retire abroad – the top five destinations for Europeans are Spain, France, USA, Italy and Australasia.

Secondly, the promotional video that accompanies Mexico’s ambitions of becoming a magnet to UK retirees is more ‘Come and Invest in Mexico‘ and would be better suited as a carrot to dangle in front of governments or multinationals when seeking Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

You can view the video here in case you are a) Considering retiring in Mexico or b) Building a new factory in Guadalajara.