Local Organizing Committee - World Association for Public Opinion Research

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Dear friends and colleagues of WAPOR,

We are very pleased and excited that the 2026 WAPOR Annual Conference will be held in Mexico City.

As members of the local organizing committee, we are very proud to welcome the WAPOR community, and we extend a warm welcome and offer some points for your consideration that we hope will be helpful.

We wish that WAPOR has a very interesting and productive annual congress, but we also hope that each participant has a wonderful personal experience, taking the opportunity to stroll through the streets of this beautiful city, dine in its restaurants, visit its museums and other sites of interest, and meet its people.

In the past, Mexico City has hosted various WAPOR members for local and regional events and conferences, but this is the first time it will host the Annual Conference.

From October 26 to 29, 2026, the event will take place in what is often called “the heart of Mexico”, in the city center. The venue, the Barceló Hotel, is conveniently located for exploring and enjoying Mexico City. The hotel is situated on Paseo de la Reforma Avenue, one of the city’s most important, beautiful, and popular tourist destinations, as well as one of the safest streets. It is also a space where various expressions of Mexican public opinion and culture take place, such as demonstrations and political protests, civic actions, sporting celebrations, military parades, and the Day of the Dead parade, which will take place on Saturday, November 1, immediately following the WAPOR conference.

From the Barceló Hotel, many of the city’s attractions can be reached on foot or with short Metrobús rides along Paseo de la Reforma. The city’s Historic Center is within walking distance to the east of the hotel via Avenida Juárez. The local committee has prepared a list of points of interest, but let us anticipate that on this walk to the Historic Center you’ll see the Alameda Central, with Diego Rivera’s mural, “A Sunday Stroll in the Alameda,” at one end, and the Palace of Fine Arts at the other, as well as various other points of interest in between.

At the corner of Juárez Avenue and Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas stands the Torre Latinoamericana, one of the first skyscrapers in Latin America, built in the 1950s. Surrounding it are countless buildings from the viceregal era, including churches and palaces, such as the Post Office building, the Palace of Mining, and the MUNAL (on Tacuba Street), as well as the Valparaíso Palace, also known as the Iturbide Palace, on Madero Street, among others. The entire area is a delight of colonial architecture. Madero, a pedestrian street formerly known as Plateros due to the presence of that guild and renamed in honor of the initiator of the 1910 Mexican Revolution, leads directly to the Zócalo, the main square, with the National Palace, the City Government building, and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Behind the cathedral lies the archaeological zone and museum of the Templo Mayor, a site that will give you a very good understanding of the life and culture of the Mexica or Aztec people, the original inhabitants of what used to be an island in the middle of a lake. The founding of Tenochtitlán, the Mexica city upon which Mexico City was built, dates back to 1325, so last year marked its 700th anniversary.

Mexico City is the second city in the world with the most museums, and many of them are located right in the city center. Besides the MUNAL (National Museum of Art), already mentioned, consider visiting the Franz Mayer Museum, framed by old churches on the north side of the Alameda Central park. A Google search will yield a list of at least 50 museums to consider in this area alone. Throughout the area, there are restaurants worth exploring, whether you’re looking to sample Mexican, Spanish, or other cuisines. The committee has compiled its own list of museums and restaurants for you to check out.

Even closer to the Barceló, you’ll find the Monument to the Revolution, which was intended to be the legislative palace but was never completed precisely due to the outbreak of the Revolution in 1910. Nearby is also the Ciudadela, the site of the Ten Tragic Days of 1913 during the Revolution, and further along is the San Juan Market, one of the most interesting in the city—and there are quite a few. For most of the city’s inhabitants it may not mean much, but for WAPOR it is very significant to know that the first editions of the International Journal of Attitude and Opinion Research, later the IJPOR, which today serves as WAPOR’s scientific journal, were made at number 1Donato Guerra Street, just 300 meters from the Barceló Hotel.

Walking or taking the double-decker Metrobús along Paseo de la Reforma westward can also be a great experience. It’s one of the city’s most important business districts, and the roundabouts of the Angel of Independence and Diana the Huntress, among others, are of particular interest as you head towards Chapultepec Forest. There, the cultural offerings are extensive, from visiting Chapultepec Castle, where one of the most important battles of the Mexican-American War was fought in 1947, and where Maximilian of Habsburg lived in the 1860s. Today, the Castle is a magnificent stop with excellent panoramic views and a chance to learn a bit about 19th-century Mexican history. Furthermore, the surrounding area boasts a significant number of museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Tamayo Museum, and, a little further on, the renowned and probably most visited National Museum of Anthropology, a major symbol of national pride. This museum houses an important collection of artifacts from pre-Hispanic cultures such as Teotihuacan, Toltec, Maya, and Mexica (or Aztec), among others. The committee suggests a guided night tour for WAPOR participants. (If you are interested in visiting Teotihuacan, the archaeological site about 60 km from the city, the hotel offers several tour options). Also along Reforma Avenue, you can see (or attend) the National Auditorium, one of the city’s largest concert and performance venues.

Near the Auditorium is the Polanco district, an area that blends residential neighborhoods with luxury hotels and shops, especially along Avenida Masaryk, as well as high-quality restaurants and several museums worth visiting, such as the Soumaya Museum, a private collection of the Carlos Slim family. If you’re interested in seeing Polanco’s residential architecture, you might also enjoy a walk through the Roma-Condesa area, where early 20th-century architecture from the Porfiriato era is combined with Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles. We suggest the area near Plaza Río de Janeiro in Roma, and the area around Parque México in Condesa, one of the trendiest neighborhoods in the city right now.

Everything mentioned so far is relatively close to, and even within walking distance of, the conference venue. However, if you’re interested in other areas south of the city, such as Coyoacán, San Ángel, Ciudad Universitaria, and/or Xochimilco, they’re well worth visiting, though you should allow a little extra travel time. Uber is generally safe and reliable. In Coyoacán, you’ll find Frida Kahlo’s house, and it’s typical to stroll through the Jardín Centenario, where you’ll find a church, bookstores, ice cream shops, restaurants, a market, and other attractions. Diego Rivera’s studio is located in San Ángel Inn, right across from the restaurant of the same name, in an area where many of the streets are still cobblestone and where every week there is a Saturday Bazaar on San Jacinto’s park, with artists and painters showing their work.

Safety

One of the concerns any WAPOR participant who is planning a trip to Mexico City is safety.

The metropolitan area encompassing Mexico City has just over 21 million inhabitants, considering the entire conurbation that extends beyond the city limits, which itself has a population of 9 million. Like any megalópolis, Mexico City faces challenges such as security, transportation, urban planning, pollution, traffic, and overpopulation, to name a few. It’s also important to remember that Mexico City is located in a seismic zone, and that earthquake alarms may sound at any time, prompting evacuations. Instructions for evacuation are usually very clear in each building or location, with clearly marked evacuation zones. The most important thing in such situations is to remain calm and follow the instructions.

To these problems, we should add the perception that news reports about insecurity and organized crime in Mexico may generate, which are generally based on stories that don’t take place in Mexico City, but in some other part of the country. It’s likely that these news reports influence the current perception of Mexico as a whole and of the capital city, but as a local committee, we believe that the area where the conference will be held is quite safe. The local committee has prepared a list of emergency phone numbers for different situations that you can consult and keep in mind.

The central area of Mexico City is quite safe and usually has a continuous police presence. With the FIFA World Cup this summer and Formula 1 in October, both the city and federal governments are placing special emphasis on security so that visitors from other countries feel comfortable and can fully enjoy themselves. We believe that, fortunately, this also applies to WAPOR, which, while not an event with the same tourist and economic impact as a World Cup or a Formula 1 race, brings together distinguished visitors from various countries. As mentioned earlier, the conference coincides with the Day of the Dead festivities, so in addition to extra security, there will be a plethora of entertainment options and cultural expressions.

Our general recommendation is that each participant feels confident while taking the usual precautions, avoiding potentially riskier areas, and, if they wish, consulting with the local committee about any particular interests they may have. Again, for any emergency, consult the contact list.

Transportation

From the airport to the hotel and back, taxis are the best option, either one of the airport companies or a taxi you request through the hotel. Uber can go to the airport, but there have been some restrictions on airport pickups. For the rest of your stay, Uber is a good option. Taxis on the street are generally safe but have an estigma.

The double-decker Metrobús along Paseo de la Reforma, especially from the hotel towards Chapultepec, is a very good option. You can buy a card at the stations and load it with some money. Each trip costs only 6 pesos, and, unlike other public transportation, it’s usually less crowded, so using it can be a tourist experience in itself. The card is also useful for other city means of transportation. Ecobici bikes are also available in the city center and along Reforma, and they work with the CDMX transportation card or by downloading the app to your phone. Unless there is a need or some interest in experiencing it, we suggest using the Metro only during off-peak hours, as it is one of the most overcrowded forms of transport in the City.

Health or medical emergencies

The emergency numbers includes some information related to health emergencies as well. If you have any questions about medical services, please contact the local committee.

Safety

Transportation

Health or medical emergencies

Other topics