MERIDA, Mexico - With flashing colorful lights, a multimedia presentation on video screens, an appearance and speech by Rolando Zapata Bello, governor of the state of Yucatan, and an energetic rendition of a traditional Mayan dance by a children’s troupe, the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) kicked off its 2014 Destination Expo here in this northern city in the Yucatan Peninsula.

The goal? Educate the more than 200 travel agents here on the lesser-known city of Merida as a destination that not only offers beautiful beaches, but incredible cultural tourism coupled with ancient ruins, a bevy of museums and a gastronome’s delight.

“Merida isn’t a household name, no, but we chose Merida because it was off the beaten path,” Zane Kerby, ASTA president and CEO, told TravelPulse.com this morning. “It’s not a Cancun. The point is to send the agents home with a great story to tell.”

Kerby extolled the virtues of ASTA in his opening remarks today at the Hyatt Regency Merida, noting that an aggressive ASTA promotion that included an online ad campaign by Google has resulted in an increase to 13 percent of travelers using a travel agent to book their trip and a more than 51 percent increase in the number of monthly visitors to ASTA’s travelsense.org website.

“The promotions we’re doing are important to the agency community,” Kerby told TravelPulse after his speech, noting that the Google ad campaign resulted in more than 1 million impressions on such websites as the New York Times, Washington Post and ESPN, among others. “We’re doing whatever we can to drive that number up. We have to get the right kind of messaging to the right people at the right time.”

Kerby also made sure the attendees knew of ASTA’s prominent role as a travel lobbyist, telling the crowded ballroom that “if it wasn’t for ASTA,” agents would have been subjected to $182 million in fees and taxes last year.

By way of example, he then relayed the story – without identifying the company – of a travel agency being fined $95,000 in January by the Department of Transportation.

The agency was WK Travel Inc., also known as One Travel, which failed to disclose codeshare agreements when booking flights. That is, the agency identified only the name of the airline marketing the flight, not the name of the airline actually operating the flight, a violation of DOT rules.

Kerby made certain to mention the agency was not an ASTA member.

Also speaking at this morning’s general session were Gov. Zapata Bello, who said “Tourism is the fabric with which we frame the concept of our land. The governor pleaded with the attendees to experience as much of Merida as they could before leaving.

“You cannot find it online, you cannot appreciate it online, you have to live it, you have to feel it,” he said of Merida.

ASTA is hoping to work with Secretary of Mexico Tourism Claudia Ruiz Massieu and Saul Ancona, Secretary of Tourism of the State of Yucatan, to increase tourism here.

“We look forward to reaping the rewards of having a trained, energized and motivated cadre of North American travel professionals that will showcase the wonders and value that the Yucatan offers,” Ancona said.

“Travel,” Kerby said in closing remarks, “is better when you use a travel agent.”

Kerby also announced that the 2015 location for the ASTA Destination Expo would be Marrakesh, Morrocco.