MEXICO, September 29 (RIA Novosti) - Mexico's government will pour billions of dollars into a resort to be built on the country's Pacific coast, set to be the largest sea resort in the world, President Felipe Calderon said.

"The national fund for tourism development has adopted a program of building a new tourist center on the Pacific Coast at a cost of $6.1 billion," the president said in a speech to mark World Tourism Day on Saturday.

The president called on local and foreign investors to participate in the construction of the resort, which is likely to be built in the vicinity of either Ixtapa or Huatulco, both already popular tourist destinations.

The resort is intended to outshine the Cancun resort on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Tourism is a major contributor to the Mexican economy, creating jobs for 2.2 million people and bringing over $7 billion in revenue in the first half of 2008. Within the period, a total of $11.5 million foreigners visited the country, 5% more than in the first half of last year.