After serving as CEO of the Mexico Tourism Board for just a few months-albeit with a lengthy résumé as an executive within Mexico's tourism ministry under his belt-Hector Flores Santana has already firmly taken the reins to capitalize on the many positives his country has to offer.
"One of our primary goals for the U.S. and worldwide is to strengthen the image of Mexico as a top tourist destination for any and all travelers by emphasizing the diversity, quantity and uniqueness of our offerings, in addition to showing the world that Mexico is a warm and welcoming country," said Flores Santana.
"The American [positive] perception of Mexico has reached a 10-year high according to a recently published Gallup poll. Visiting Mexico is a very easy trip from most of the country and offers a lot of value and variety for travelers."
He noted that within the past year alone, airlines worldwide have added more than 2.4 million new seats on direct flights to Mexico-and that number is growing.
"Air travel from the U.S. is getting easier and less expensive for travelers thanks to the Bilateral Air Services Agreement," he said. "This provides travelers more flexibility and options in bookings and destinations, and lowers costs to make travel to Mexico more accessible than ever."
Since December 2016, there have been 40 new routes from the U.S. to Mexico alone by airlines such as Aeromexico, American, Interjet, Southwest, Virgin America and Volaris from such destinations as Detroit, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Oakland, New York/JFK, Houston, Seattle, San Francisco, Milwaukee and Denver.
All of which will help the Mexican tourism sector's ambitious goal of reaching 50 million international visitors by 2021.
"The U.S. remains Mexico's most important market," Flores Santana said. "In 2016 alone, Mexico had 9.6 million visitors who traveled to Mexico [via air], which was an increase of 12.1 percent over 2015. In 2017, we're seeing an increase of 10.9 percent in the first four months of the year."
How is the MTB working to sustain that growth?
"We're committed to a global strategy focused on developing new research, digital and technology platforms, as well as personalized marketing efforts to fuel tourism product development, diversification and overall industry growth," he said. "We feel personalized marketing is the key to reaching today's travelers. You have to understand what drives [visitors], from thinking to planning and finally boarding the plane to visit."
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It's critical to lead travelers to buying by engaging them in a genuine way through the content they interact with, which is going more mobile.
"By understanding what they need, we can communicate what they want in a more direct and genuine way through an easy to reach vehicle they use on a daily basis," said Flores Santana.
He added that, when it comes to American travelers, their goal is to explore more of Mexico beyond the popular destinations.
"In order to do that we have to understand why Americans travel and what they are looking for," he said. "The Mexico Tourism Board has done research into America's key motivators for travel to Mexico so we can better target our campaigns and communications."
The MTB's tourism development strategy includes a focus on developing expanded products and personalized marketing campaigns with a focus on areas including luxury, weddings and romance, diving, biodiversity and nature, culture, gastronomy, high-profile events, sports and adventure and programs for audience segments such as millennials, LGBTQ and retirees.
"Mexico offers something for everyone," said Flores Santana, "from adventure travelers in Chiapas, architecture fans in San Miguel de Allende, beach dwellers in Playa del Carmen, art or sports lovers in Mexico City and much more. Travelers can go from wine tasting to the beach within a day in Baja California and Baja California Sur or visit cenotes and Maya archaeological sites in the same trip to Tulum."
Within country's diverse offerings, there are a few key areas the tourism board will be focusing on in the immediate future.
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"A major focus for 2017 is Mexico's rich, mega-biodiversity products to diversify the tourism offering for today's savvy traveler seeking multiple experiences during a visit," said Flores Santana.
A second focus, the Mundo Maya, was announced during the 2017 Tianguis Turístico in Acapulco. The campaign is aimed at promoting this unique culture and history, while increasing connectivity to six states: Campeche, Yucatan, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Oaxaca.
Last but not least, there is a renewed focus on Mexico's gastronomy, already declared a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
"This is the second most common reason why travelers visit Mexico," said Flores Santana in closing. "We seek to promote Mexican gastronomy internationally as a World Gastronomic Destination by emphasizing its millenary roots, which are still alive in its endemic products, in the preparation of its traditional cuisine and in its fusion with contemporary Mexican cuisine."
As foreign demand continues to contribute to the strength of Mexican travel, the Mexico Tourism Board and its new CEO are betting on targeted policies and focused insights to keep that growth steady going forward.
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