Rural fair aims to win back Mexican tourists

As part of an attempt to win back its share of the lucrative tourist market, Oaxaca in southern Mexico is hosting the seventh annual rural tourism fair, which showcases options for travellers exploring the countryside.

The state has suffered six months of protests and conflicts with federal police, prompting the Foreign Office to warn against "all but essential travel to Oaxaca City".

But organisers of the Rural Tourism Fair hope that its exhibits of tours and community visits to the state's often neglected rural areas will encourage international travellers to come flooding back.

Hosted by local travel providers, community leaders, academics and local media, visitors can find out about burgeoning eco-tourist options in Oaxaca such as hikes to fincas, where coffee is grown, visits to native weavers and mezcal (a type of tequila) factories and mushroom tours.

Over the weekend, the city finally saw signs of the conflict ending as federal police left its central square after a seven week occupation.

The protests began earlier this year with a strike over teachers' pay but the row escalated, leading to at least nine deaths, as leftist groups demanded the resignation of state governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz, who was accused of corruption.