The governors of the Mexican states of Yucatán, Aguascalientes, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Durango, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Quintana Roo and Tamaulipas have signed a joint marketing pact. Called “Tourism as the Engine of Prosperity,” the new agreement will see the states work together with the aim of promoting a sustainable tourism culture.
The ministry of tourism in each partner state will work to implement the agreement in accordance with the specific strengths of their destination. Work will be carried out under 30 lines of action across six axes: Investment Alliances; Connections with the Outside; Tourist and Hospitality Culture: Boosting Sustainable Tourism; Link with Research, Science and Technology; and Strengthening of the Social Fabric.
The alliance is also aimed to improve communication among the member states.
The new agreement is the latest initiative by local tourism boards and the private sector in Mexico to continue promoting the destination following the end of the national Mexico Tourism Board. The Ministry of Tourism of the State of Yucatán has also signed partnership agreements with Baja California, Oaxaca, Guanajuato and others to promote each other; for example, Baja California Sur coordinated media interviews and meetings with local trade in Tijuana and San Diego, while the State of Yucatán did similar work for the city of Tijuana in Merida, Yucatán. Additionally, the Ministry of Tourism of the State of Yucatán has retained a local marketing firm on a project basis and hired a full-time public relations agency for the first time in order to maintain its positioning in front of the U.S. and Canadian media.
Other regional tourism boards have been working with consulate representatives to handle promotions in the United States, and many boards, such as those for Los Cabos and Acapulco, have partnered with private sector entities to promote their respective destinations. Los Cabos also recently launched its own promotional office in Los Angeles, which the Los Cabos Tourism Board says is the first of its kind for a Mexican travel destination.
On the national level, this summer Mexico established a Tourism Diplomacy Council, which will work to promote the country via its embassies and consulates, as well as make recommendations on the planning, design and implementation of international promotion strategies. The council is comprised of Mexico’s diplomatic staff abroad, 28 business executives and other national tourism experts.
Work is also continuing on the Yucatan Tourist Train, the project that received the funding that formerly went to the Mexico Tourism Board. Environmental impact studies on the route of the train began in July.
As part of the most recent announcement of the “Tourism as the Engine of Prosperity” agreement, the State of Yucatán noted that tourism remains the third most important economic activity in Mexico, continuing to generate more than 7.5 million jobs nationwide. Locally, Merida’s International Airport has reported an increase of 13 percent in arrivals over the first eight months of 2019 as compared to the previous year.
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