Agents See Strong Sales in 2012 for Mexico
Despite persistent concerns about drug-related violence, Mexico expects a record-breaking number of visitors in 2012. Visits from the U.S. at the end of 2011 were up substantially over 2010. This year, an aggressive marketing campaign, increased interest in Mexico’s Mayan archaeological zones and strong value are expected to drive those numbers even higher.
The optimistic outlook for Mexico is shared by U.S. travel agents, travel suppliers and, unsurprisingly, Mexico’s tourism officials.
Interestingly, the optimism is undiminished by a detailed new Travel Warning for Mexico, issued by the U.S. State Department on Feb. 8, replacing an April 2011 Travel Advisory. The warning shed new light on the much-publicized safety and security issues in the country.
For the first time, it specifically states that “no advisories exist” for top tourist destinations on the Caribbean coast, such as Cancun and the Riviera Maya; and on the Pacific, such as Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta.
That’s a welcome step in clarifying the overall security picture in Mexico, said Becky Jones, owner of Becky Jones Travel in San Antonio, Texas.
Mexico’s tourism officials are also putting a positive spin on the Feb. 8 warning. “The Mexico Tourism Board has long advocated for travel advisories which abide by three key tenets: context, clarity and specificity,” said Rodolfo Lopez-Negrete, chief operating officer.
Convenient airlift to Mexico is also another key selling point for agents. Expanded air service is also validation that Mexico travel sales are healthy. And new airlines are entering the market, such as Virgin America, which launched service between San Francisco and Puerto Vallarta.
Mexico’s cultural tourism is squarely in the spotlight this year, due to the connection between the Mayan calendar and 2012. The ancient Maya believed that a 5,000-year “long count” comes to an end in December 2012, and that’s making ruins and other Mayan sacred sites among this year’s hottest destinations.
