Mexico Aims High for More Big-ticket European Travelers, Destinations

Around 90 percent of European tourists coming to Mexico swing by destinations in the state of Quintana Roo, in the Mexican Caribbean, thus making Italy “a very interesting market” that has been steadily on the rise in recent years, local tourist authorities stated.

Most European sunbathers stay in the Mayan Riviera, while a lower percentage goes to the Cancun hotel area, the same sources indicated.

Regardless of the fact that the Visitors & Conventions Office (OVC is the acronym in Spanish) has no intentions of “making huge promotional actions this year,” the flak taken from local travel sectors coupled with suggestions by the Federal Government have prompted the OVC to turn eyes on Europe and beef up that market.

The Mayan Riviera, where scores of European trekkers continue flocking to, has stepped up promotional efforts and is now reaching out to other markets as well, especially drawing a bead on honeymooners from the Old World.

Martin Ruiz Cuevas, director of the Mayan Riviera Promotional Trusteeship, explained the publicity strategy is mostly aimed at underscoring such values as nature, the environment, adventure tourism, the Mayan culture and archeological ruins.

As far as Cancun in concerned and following a prolonged promotional drought in Europe, the destination is now basking in the limelight of an “aggressive blitz” that even counts on the participation of a major European airline.

These promotions come on the heels of negotiations conducted by the Cancun delegation within the framework of the recently concluded 2004 International Tourism Fair in Madrid.

The $450,000 promotional fund will count on the hands-on participation of the Cancun OVC, the Tourist Promotion Council of Mexico and Spain-based airline Air Europa that will join hands to target the Spanish, Italian, French and British markets.