Cinco de cada 100 personas que cuentan con tarjeta de crédito presenta algún atraso en sus pagos, según indican cifras del Banco de México (Banxico). Ante ello, debes tener presente que sanear tu situación financiera en caso de que sufras algún imprevisto es una tarea a la que debes dar prioridad.

Tomar este tipo de créditos para salir de un apuro financiero puede ser un grave error, pues sólo incurrirás en una deuda mayor bajo condiciones que pueden ser muchos menos favorecedoras que aquellas de tu crédito inicial.

La Comisión Nacional para la Protección y Defensa de los usuarios de Servicios Financieros (Condusef) explica que si una empresa te ofrece el crédito y no se identifica con claridad, o solamente aparece un número telefónico, hay un alto grado de probabilidad de que se trate de un fraude.

"En algunos casos cuando la gente acude algunos de esos oferentes informales de crédito, antes de otorgar el crédito, solicitan que el interesado pague una determinada cantidad para ‘iniciar la investigación' o como ‘anticipo', en espera de que después sea entregado el crédito. Esa situación no siempre ocurre, lo que eventualmente propiciaría un fraude entre particulares", señala el organismo en un comunicado.

También hay entidades que utilizan indebidamente contratos de crédito sin el número de registro ante Consusef, o aplican dos o más comisiones por un mismo concepto, lo que contraviene las disposiciones legales y dificulta pagar el crédito.

Si tus problemas se convierten en una 'bola de nieve', lo mejor es que busques la reestructura de tu deuda, y puedes hacerlo mediante una negociación directa con tus acreedores o con la contratación de una reparadora de crédito. En este punto debes ser muy cuidadoso, porque también existen ofertas ‘pirata' en el mercado.

"El primer paso para reparar los líos financieros es iniciar con un nuevo presupuesto que brinde margen para empezar a pagar los compromisos pendientes; si eso se logra, el resto ya es una cuestión de disciplina o en todo caso de asesorarse de profesionales que puedan apoyar en la elaboración de un plan de pagos y la negociación de la reestructura con los acreedores", señala Juan Pablo Zorrilla, director de la reparadora de crédito Resuelve tu deuda.

Ten en cuenta que si tus problemas surgen a raíz de un malentendido o un mal cobro de tu banco o de alguna tienda departamental, puedes acudir a organismos como la Condusef o Profeco (Procuraduría Federal del Consumidor) donde puedes recibir orientación e incluso apoyo legal de manera gratuita.

Debes poner atención, porque también existen despachos que ofrecen resolver problemas con los bancos o incluso el Infonavit. Ante esto, la Condusef advierte que evites caer en este tipo de trampas, pues el proceso para resolver inquietudes ante instituciones financieras es gratuito.

La Condusef cuenta con facultades legales que le permiten llevar a cabo tanto acciones preventivas (asesorías técnicas y jurídicas, así como educación financiera) y correctivas (quejas).

* Cuenta con 36 oficinas de atención a nivel nacional, que brindan un servicio estandarizado e integral en cada una de ellas.

* Tiene un Centro de Atención Telefónica (CAT), que en un horario de 8:00 a 18:00 horas, te proporciona una atención personal ante cualquier duda, aclaración o consulta que puedas tener. Marca al 01800 999 80 80 en el interior del país o al 53 400 999 en la Ciudad de México.

* Cuenta con una página de internet, (www.condusef.gob.mx) con diversa información, estudios, análisis y datos relevantes sobre los principales productos y servicios financieros que operan en el mercado mexicano. Asimismo, cuenta con diversas herramientas automatizadas para consultar.

La ansiada entrega de documentos por parte de Facebook ante la Comisión de Valores e Intercambio (SEC, por sus siglas en inglés) revelarán cuándo intenta obtener en el mercado accionario, qué piensa hacer con el dinero y detalles sobre el desempeño de la empresa y sus proyecciones de crecimiento a futuro.

Por lo general, las acciones comienzan a intercambiarse de tres a cuatro meses después de la entrega de documentos a los reguladores.

Inversionistas y observadores de ofertas públicas están anticipando una especie de giro: tal vez una disposición por los 800 millones de usuarios de Facebook, una empresa que asegura que todo está conectado con las relaciones personales para entrar en acción.

While not everyone might have connected all these brands to the same parent company, certainly regular visitors to the Caribbean and Mexico would notice the rapid pace of their expansion. Secrets now has nine locations including the enormous Silversands Resort, chic new Secrets Huatulco (exterior plaza below) and Secrets Marquis los Cabos, which is a renovation and rebrand of an iconic Los Cabos property.

Or maybe it’s not so unbelievable. The first, Sunscape, is actually a spiffed-up re-introduction of the very first brand the company ever tested, but temporarily was "sleeping." The real newcomer, vibrant and contemporary Now Resorts & Spas, is going to bring the same upscale-chic spin to family-friendly all-inclusives that Secrets brought to couples-only. And the last, Gems of Cap Cana (below), is actually a collection of four new-build hotels.

"New brands are born — and this is very important for us — out of our continuous quest to expand AMResorts offerings to meet the needs of guests who appreciate the brand standards the company maintains, but are looking for a slightly new experience based on where they are in life at the moment," says Alex Zozaya, president of AMResorts. "For example, Now Resorts & Spas was designed to offer singles, couples and families a hip, fresh and dynamic Unlimited-Luxury experience with contemporary restaurant, amenities and in-resort entertainment and children’s activities."

As for the brand standards that have proven so popular at a time when many other hotel groups are struggling, there’s a common theme: AMResorts offers the all-inclusive experience cleaned up, grown up, restyled and tailored for people who don’t typically like the all-inclusive experience. They’ve even trademarked it, by other names. There’s Unlimited Luxury (at Dreams (Dreams Villamagna Nuevo Vallarta suite below), Secrets and Now), Endless Privileges (at Zoetry) and now, Unlimited Fun (at the reinvented Sunscape).

If you’re the sort of traveler who’s uncomfortable with loud, boozy, big-box places, who doesn’t like to wear a cheesy plastic bracelet, and who cringes when approached by “entertainment staff,” then AMResorts is your solution. There are no sideshows, no aggressive drinking games, no bracelets. Whether you’re floating in the Thalasso pool at Zoetry Paraiso la Bonita or marveling in the fact that your (sparkling white, oceanview) living room at Dreams is larger than your living room at home (at least, for many city-dwellers), you will be free to have your all-inclusive cake and eat it in peace, too.

Want a complete Travel Quote including airfare, special hotel rates and FREE upgrades? Contact our Travel Specialist today! AMResorts continues to aggressively expand its presence in Mexico and as the very vocal 50,000 fans on the brands’ Facebook pages reinforce, Secrets and Dreams have a strong enough following to draw customers, regardless of a slump in Mexico tourism. Two new builds, Secrets Vallarta Bay and Now Amber Puerto Vallarta, are opening in April 2012. Additionally, Zozaya is optimistic about the November 2011 debut of the new Sunscape in the Pacific-side beach town of Ixtapa (Family Suite below). "The oceanfront Sunscape Dorado Pacifico Ixtapa is set on Playa del Palmar, which has received the Mexican government’s distinction for its clean beaches. We know that this is a perfect location for our guests," he says.

Outside Mexico, projects in the pipeline include the $400 million Gems of Cap Cana, in one of the Dominican Republic’s most luxurious resort destinations; and the company’s first Central American project, Dreams Costa Rica. To learn more, visit AMResorts.com.

KB Home, the Los Angeles-based homebuilder that targets first-time buyers, this week reported a decline in quarterly profit and gross margins weaker than the company forecast earlier. At the same time, the Los Angeles-based builder said net orders increased 38 percent in the fourth quarter from the same three months last year.

Federal Reserve officials reiterated at a meeting this month that they will keep their benchmark interest rate near zero until at least mid-2013. The central bank in September decided to reinvest maturing housing debt into new mortgage-backed securities instead of Treasuries.

Sales of new U.S. homes rose in November to a seven-month high, adding to evidence of stabilization in the housing market. Purchases of single-family properties increased 1.6 percent to a 315,000 annual pace, figures from the Commerce Department showed today in Washington. The gain pushed the number of new homes on the market to a record low.

“All of the housing numbers have looked a lot better recently,” said Mark Vitner, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities LLC in Charlotte, North Carolina. “Things aren’t getting any worse now and that’s an improvement.”

The November pace matched the median of 73 economists’ projections in a Bloomberg News survey. Estimates ranged from 298,000 to 350,000. The government revised October demand to a 310,000 rate from a previously reported 307,000.

Stocks held gains after the report, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index climbing 0.4 percent to 1,258.71 at 10:14 a.m. in New York. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.01 percent from 1.95 percent late yesterday.

Separate figures today showed personal spending rose less than forecast and an increase in orders for big-ticket items. Purchases rose 0.1 percent for a second month, according to the Commerce Department. Incomes also grew 0.1 percent, the weakest in three months, after a 0.4 percent rise in October.

Factory Orders - Orders for durable goods jumped 3.8 percent in November, led by a surge in bookings for aircraft, the agency also said. Demand for business equipment dropped 1.2 percent in November, the most since January.

The increase in new-home purchases was paced by a 12.9 percent jump in the South and a 7.5 percent gain in the Midwest Demand plunged 26.3 percent in the Northeast to the lowest on record. Sales slumped 16.9 percent in the West.

The median price of a new house purchased last month fell 2.5 percent from November 2010 to $214,100, the cheapest in a year, today’s report showed.

The supply of homes at the current sales rate dropped to 6 months’ worth, the lowest since March 2006, from 6.2 months in October. There were 158,000 new houses on the market at the end of last month, the fewest since record-keeping began in 1963.

Weakest Year - Still, 2011 may surpass last year as the weakest ever for new-home sales. Demand is on pace to reach 304,000 this year, less than the 323,000 in 2010 that was the lowest since data- keeping began, according to Bloomberg calculations.

Sales of previously owned homes, which make up about 94 percent of the market, rose 4 percent to a 4.42 million annual pace, the most since January, the National Association of Realtors said this week. The group revised down figures going back to 2007 by an average 14 percent, putting them more in line with other measures of demand.

New-home sales, which are tabulated when contracts are signed, have lost their ability to forecast the broader market as demand shifts to previously owned houses. Purchases of existing houses are calculated when a deal closes about a month or two later.

Builders increased work on new projects last month. Housing starts rose 9.3 percent to a 685,000 rate in November, the fastest pace since April 2010, Commerce Department data show. That compares with last year’s tally of 587,000, the second- fewest on record after 2009’s record low of 554,000.

Purchases climbed 4 percent to a 4.42 million annual pace, the most since January, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday in Washington. The group revised down figures going back to 2007 by an average 14 percent, putting them more in line with other measures of demand.

Housing, which helped trigger the 18-month recession that began in December 2007 as subprime borrowers defaulted, may be steadying as builder confidence improves and construction picks up. The National Association of Realtors revisions also reduced the number of unsold houses on the market, pushing inventory last month to the lowest level in six years and indicating there may be less pressure on property values in coming years even as more foreclosures loom.

The median estimate of 71 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News called for a 5.05 million pace in November existing home sales. Forecasts ranged from 4.38 million to 5.25 million, a wider-than-usual range because some took into account assumptions for the benchmark revisions and others didn't. October's reading was revised down to a 4.25 million rate from a previous estimate of 4.97 million, reflecting the NAR's benchmark updates.

Total purchases were revised to 4.19 million for 2010, down 15 percent from a prior estimate of 4.91 million. Sales were trimmed by 16 percent for 2009, by 16 percent for 2008 and by 11 percent for 2007.

"Before the revisions, things were bad, now they are even worse," Lawrence Yun, the group's chief economist, said in a news conference Wednesday as the figures were released.

Figures from other trackers of home sales showed a slower pace of purchases compared with the association, prompting the agents' group to revisit their data. CoreLogic Inc., a real estate analytics company, released a report in February showing that 3.3 million existing homes were sold in 2010, less than the 4.91 million initially tallied by NAR.

CoreLogic, based in Santa Ana, monitors sales figures through property records at local courthouses, while NAR follows sales through the multiple-listing services used by real estate agents. The property-deed records contain "huge statistical noise," said Yun, making CoreLogic's numbers too low.

NAR tallies in recent years were overstated because the consolidation of multiple listing services caused distortions in the data, according to Yun. He said overestimates of direct sales by owners and home builders' use of the listing services to sell new homes also helped inflate the data.

There were comparable downward revisions to inventory, and median prices were little changed from prior estimates, the report showed. That suggests the decline in property values from the 2006 peak has done less to spur demand, said Michelle Meyer, a senior U.S. economist at Bank of America Corp. in New York.

The Outside Sales Support Network was founded in 1990. Today our travel Association is has over 80 Chapters with over 8000 members and 160 Allied Supplier Members.

The "Members Only" section of this site is designed to help your home based travel agency with over 6500 pages with in depth information that is guaranteed to help your travel agency prosper.

The OSSN Website is designed for easy navigation in both the Members Only and Non-Member sections of OSSN.com. OSSN provides multiple search links on a variety of topics and references to help you become a better travel agent and keep you informed.

The "Members Only" section of this website is updated every day to keep our travel agent members informed with current information and new opportunities that will help keep members on the cutting edge in the travel industry.

Join OSSN today and enjoy the benefits of membership

Be a part of high level industry dialogue as keynote panel discussions include industry supplier leaders,Travel
Weekly executives and travel agents in interactive dialogue.

Take advantage of the tradeshow booths, supplier training sessions and concurrent seminars to build relationships and connect face-to-face with more than 200 domestic and international suppliers.

Receive accredited CLIA training and Travel Institute Destination Specialist Training.
Attend and qualify to receive prize giveaways.

Why Exhibit? This blockbuster event gives suppliers a unique opportunity to meet face-to-face with ideal customers and prospects. Reserve your exhibit space today and we’ll provide over 1,500 travel agents on the exhibit floor to learn about your brand, new products and services. By taking advantage of the opportunity to become an exhibitor, you will receive the following benefits:

Direct, face-to-face access to qualified decision makers
All-inclusive booth packages
Company listing in the official show guide and website
Access to a broad menu of additional Sponsorships and Media Products that drive traffic and deliver ROI

EBITDA(2) increased by 10.00% to Ps.621.29 million

Total passenger traffic was up 2.89%

Total revenues increased by 7.07% due to increases of 5.38% in aeronautical revenues, 9.34% in non-aeronautical revenues and 9.39% in construction services revenues

Commercial revenues per passenger increased by 8.26% to Ps.66.22

Operating profit rose by 10.69%

EBITDA margin increased to 56.76% from 55.25% in 2Q10

(1) Unless otherwise stated, all financial figures discussed in this announcement are unaudited, prepared in accordance with Mexican Financial Reporting Standards (MFRS) and represent comparisons between the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2011, and the equivalent three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2010. Results are expressed in nominal pesos. Tables state figures in thousands of pesos, unless otherwise noted. Passenger figures exclude transit and general aviation passengers. Commercial revenues include revenues from non-permanent ground transportation and parking lots. All U.S. dollar figures are calculated at the exchange rate of US$1 = Ps. 11.7230.

(2) EBITDA means net income before: provision for taxes, deferred taxes, profit sharing, non-ordinary items, comprehensive financing cost and depreciation and amortization. EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to net income, as an indicator of our operating performance or as an alternative to cash flow as an indicator of liquidity. Our management believes that EBITDA provides a useful measure of our performance that is widely used by investors and analysts to evaluate our performance and compare it with other companies. EBITDA is not defined under U.S. GAAP or MFRS and may be calculated differently by different companies.

Passenger Traffic

For the second quarter of 2011, total passenger traffic increased year-over-year by 2.89%. Domestic passenger traffic rose 5.73% while international passenger traffic increased 0.90%.

The 0.90% increase in international passenger traffic resulted mainly from an increase of 1.18% in international traffic at the Cancun airport.

The 5.73% increase in domestic passenger traffic was due to increases of 8.44%, 13.77%, 20.73% and 12.20% in domestic traffic at Cancun, Villahermosa, Huatulco and Merida, respectively. These increases were partially offset by the 18.44%, 22.51%, 9.78% and 5.91% declines in passenger traffic at Oaxaca, Minatitlan, Tapachula and Veracruz.

Passenger traffic for 1H11 increased 0.69% compared to 1H10, reflecting increases of 1.48% in domestic passenger traffic and 0.23% in international passenger traffic.

Table I: Domestic Passengers (in thousands)
Airport 2Q10 2Q11 % Change 1H10 1H11 % Change
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Cancun 854.3 926.4 8.44 1,545.7 1,624.3 5.09
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Cozumel 9.3 9.3 - 20.4 19.8 (2.94)
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Huatulco 84.4 101.9 20.73 159.7 178.0 11.46
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Merida 258.1 289.6 12.20 508.2 531.5 4.58
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Minatitlan 34.2 26.5 (22.51) 65.2 50.5 (22.55)
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Oaxaca 100.3 81.8 (18.44) 205.7 151.8 (26.20)
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Tapachula 45.0 40.6 (9.78) 90.8 77.1 (15.09)
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Veracruz 211.6 199.1 (5.91) 394.4 373.4 (5.32)
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Villahermosa 168.5 191.7 13.77 332.8 365.6 9.86
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
TOTAL 1,765.7 1,866.9 5.73 3,322.9 3,372.0 1.48
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Note: Passenger figures exclude transit and general aviation passengers.

Table II: International Passengers (in thousands)
Airport 2Q10 2Q11 % Change 1H10 1H11 % Change
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Cancun 2,330.9 2,358.3 1.18 5,204.0 5,220.2 0.31
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Cozumel 109.0 102.7 (5.78) 245.4 246.4 0.41
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Huatulco 10.6 10.5 (0.94) 53.6 48.6 (9.33)
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Merida 23.1 20.1 (12.99) 49.5 47.5 (4.04)
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Minatitlan 1.4 1.1 (21.43) 2.7 2.1 (22.22)
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Oaxaca 11.7 10.9 (6.84) 27.0 23.7 (12.22)
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Tapachula 1.1 2.2 100.00 2.1 4.1 95.24
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Veracruz 18.2 23.2 27.47 35.2 41.4 17.61
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Villahermosa 11.8 11.5 (2.54) 24.2 22.6 (6.61)
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
TOTAL 2,517.8 2,540.5 0.90 5,643.7 5,656.6 0.23
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Note: Passenger figures exclude transit and general aviation passengers.

Table III: Total Passengers (in thousands)
Airport 2Q10 2Q11 % Change 1H10 1H11 % Change
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Cancun 3,185.2 3,284.7 3.12 6,749.7 6,844.5 1.40
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Cozumel 118.3 112.0 (5.33) 265.8 266.2 0.15
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Huatulco 95.0 112.4 18.32 213.3 226.6 6.24
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Merida 281.2 309.7 10.14 557.7 579.0 3.82
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Minatitlan 35.6 27.6 (22.47) 67.9 52.6 (22.53)
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Oaxaca 112.0 92.7 (17.23) 232.7 175.5 (24.58)
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Tapachula 46.1 42.8 (7.16) 92.9 81.2 (12.59)
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Veracruz 229.8 222.3 (3.26) 429.6 414.8 (3.45)
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Villahermosa 180.3 203.2 12.70 357.0 388.2 8.74
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
TOTAL 4,283.5 4,407.4 2.89 8,966.6 9,028.6 0.69
------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Note: Passenger figures exclude transit and general aviation passengers.

Consolidated Results for 2Q11

Total revenues for 2Q11 increased year-over-year by 7.07% to Ps.1,094.61 million. This was mainly due to increases of:

5.38% in revenues from aeronautical services, principally as a result of the 2.89% rise in passenger traffic;

9.34% in revenues from non-aeronautical services, reflecting the 10.53% increase in commercial revenues detailed below; and

9.39% increase in revenues from construction services as a result of improvements to its concessioned assets.

ASUR classifies commercial revenues as those derived from the following activities: duty-free stores, car rentals, retail operations, banking and currency exchange services, advertising, teleservices, non-permanent ground transportation, food and beverage, and parking lot fees.

Commercial revenues increased by 10.53% year-over-year during the quarter, principally due to higher passenger traffic. There were increases in revenues in the following activities:

22.31% in retail operations;

15.58% in parking lot fees;

12.62% in ground transportation;

12.09% in duty-free stores;

3.59% in other revenues;

1.88% in food and beverage;

1.54% in advertising; and

1.33% in banking and currency exchange services.

These increases were partially offset by revenue declines of:

53.34% in teleservices; and

2.64% in car rentals.

Rodríguez, mencionó durante la presentación de la encuesta Perspectivas de la Mipymes en América Latina, que la sequía de crédito es una barrera al crecimiento económico y mejoramiento de la productividad de la Mipymes.

Dicha encuesta de Visa incluyó mil 340 entrevistas en Brasil, Chile, Costa Rica, Perú y México. Sólo 3% de las Mipymes en México tienen un crédito

“We are going to debunk many myths, and make sure general market agencies follow the Hispanic audience,” Seneca Mudd, IAB’s Director for Industry Initiatives told Portada. “This is no longer a niche issue; this is a general-market issue,” said Mudd, a former Yahoo executive about the upcoming event, whose agenda has not yet been released to the public. The IAB is the trade association for digital communications, a sector estimated at over $25 billion.

Sponsored by Telemundo, Terra, ImpreMedia and Univision, the appropriately labeled Clicko-de-Mayo event is expected to gather in one place some of the biggest names in media buying and planning, as well as CMO’s of Fortune 100 companies in the categories of consumer packaged goods, automotive, electronics, travel, tourism and retail. These agencies, explains Mudd, traditionally put their multicultural strategy and budgets in a corner, but “this doesn’t make sense any more,” says Mudd, an MBA graduate from the Harvard Business School.

“We know the AHAA agencies very well,” says Mudd, who is fluent in Spanish. “So our goal this time is to reach Madison Avenue and educate them on the U.S. Hispanic market opportunity.” Although the names and agencies attending the event are being kept confidential, Mudd assured Portada they include representatives from the nation’s leading agencies.

Though Hispanic --and digital spend overall-- still don’t match the time spent by consumers in media, Mudd sees some major trends in the digital advertising space: Geo location-based marketing, where marketers offer consumers a special product or service offer based on their location; an increase in short-messaging (text, Twitter, etc. as users move away from traditional email) and the so-called cross-screen interaction, which allows marketers to send messages to consumers across multiple screens with the same time window.

Asked about the main message he hopes to send during Clicko-de-Mayo, Mudd didn’t hesitate to state: “The Hispanic consumer has a greater appetite and a larger wallet than you might think... and it is one market you’ll ignore at your own peril.”

Kids under 18 have accounted for a significant portion of Hispanic growth, and a large chunk of them are 5 and under: In California and Texas alone 90% of new births can claim Latino heritage. I like to call them the "Dora Generation," after the popular Nickelodeon cartoon character Dora the Explorer.

Dora's original audience is now composed of tweens, and they represent an even more crucial market for brands. Not only are they much more digitally savvy and media saturated than any generation that came before, this group is also much more likely to be multicultural. They were also raised with stories and trends that were more likely to draw from diversity: like Dora, of course. The Dora phenomenon, like this Census itself, signals an important threshold for the growing Latino influence in the mainstream.

What The Dora Generation Can Teach Business

• Kids marketing and multicultural marketing have become one, as most kids come from a multicultural background, especially Latino. Brands should tap into the unique experiences of these kids growing up in two worlds as fodder for product innovation; a new Dora might be next in line.
• Rethink your marketing strategies when speaking to moms. Ask yourself whether your brand is incorporating Latina cultural insights into your product development given that Latinas are the main growth pillar in the mommy segment.
• Dora is a smart girl and she knows there's money to be made by knowing other languages, especially in this tougher inter-connected global economy. This presents some product opportunities in the creation of bilingual educational toys for the kids, as well as language and cultural products for adults.
• Think of ways of incorporating Latin culture into the mainstream to engage both your Latino customers as well as mainstream audiences.
• For the media industry, Dora's success is a wake-up call to create more properties that are culturally rich and diverse, especially to reach U.S. born young Latinos -- many of them original Dora Generation kids -- looking to both connect with their culture and share it with their peers.
• Go green. Generation Dora has been raised to respect the environment and its inhabitants. Brands should expect to continue this engagement by coming up with cool and inspiring ways to tap into respect and curiosity for our planet. The growing Dora tweens will also challenge companies in the next generation of green marketing.
• Dora and her friends like to visit Latin America and the world. While the Census points a strong multicultural picture in the U.S., the global kids market is even stronger and growing faster. Companies should rethink how they approach international markets, and how these markets can also serve as product innovation fodder for what we promote back at home.

But perhaps most important, a focus on los amigos:

While the Census numbers fueled by the Dora Generation present a market that is growing, the Latino community and its children still face strong social obstacles including poverty and lack of access to education. As companies and brands engage Latino families, they must find ways of giving back and promote the full development of Latino kids. They represent the future of the Latino community and our nation. It is only by investing in Latino kids that the true power of Generation Dora will be felt and we can all enthusiastically say "Vámonos."

Follow Roberto Ramos on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MrRobertoRamos

Just days after the U.S. Census revealed that the population of Hispanics living in the United States has exceeded 50 million people, Publicar, S.A., the largest directory publisher in Latin America and Virginia-based YaSabe, Inc., announced today a deal to provide local search for U.S. Hispanics at PaginasAmarillas.com. Users that come to PaginasAmarillas.com from the United States can search for products and services in Spanish or English and find local businesses that offer what they need. As part of the deal, YaSabe will operate the U.S. website and offer local businesses and National brands an assortment of digital advertising products and services.

YaSabe will also sell pan-regional advertising to global brands interested in reaching consumers in Latin America and the United States.