When Mexico dissolved its tourism board more than two years ago, it was unclear how the country would move forward in promoting inbound tourism. Now, more than two years later, Visit Mexico has relaunched as a private enterprise with Mexico-based company Braintivity at the helm.
Described in a recent press release as a “privately funded tourism marketing agency,” the new Visit Mexico also awarded the exclusive rights to promote, manage and market Mexico to the U.S. audience to a new company called Visit Mexico USA.
Formally launched on June 17, 2021, Visit Mexico USA was founded by Alvaro Vitolo, Gary K. Levi and Kent M. Swig. With an office in New York City, this represents the first international outpost of Visit Mexico, which directly oversees not only Visit Mexico USA, but also a similar entity launching soon in Canada.
“It’s a massively unique structure in the world, where the enterprise of tourism for a country has now been given over to a private organization with the idea that they will promote and help generate all of the business that the ministry of tourism used to do,” Swig said.
Here, Swig gives more details on the newly launched Visit Mexico USA and its upcoming initiatives.
Now that Visit Mexico is privately owned, what are some of the major differences we can expect to see from the way things previously operated?
We’re going to be revamping and reorganizing the webpage, which … will have a great amount of detail and cutting-edge technology to promote Mexico.
One thing that we’re doing is dividing Mexico into different segments [to highlight] things that have never been marketed before. For example, when someone thinks of Egypt, the first thing that comes to mind typically are the pyramids. Well, Mexico has a great deal of pyramids, and Mayan, Aztec and Incan ruins. So, one of the things we’re doing is targeting all the high schools throughout the U.S. and talking about the intellectual, architectural and cultural aspects of the pyramids and the ruins. We can go to high schools and talk to them about setting up travel to Mexico [as a class]. That’s a vertical marketing [initiative] that hasn’t been done before.
We want to maximize the fishing and golfing industries, weddings and spring break, and set up programs with students to come down for international soccer leagues and training with major soccer players. We are re-examining the entire way that Mexico is being marketed to the U.S. We will be dissecting all of the component parts of the U.S. market so they can be properly marketed and help promote all that Mexico can offer.
Do you have any in-country initiatives planned for Mexico?
We’re going in with programs, for free, to help digitize all the businesses throughout Mexico. What will the results be? Well, for one, all of these businesses will be able to book and do business [digitally] with both the Mexican population and international visitors. That will pump the business up in Mexico significantly. We are estimating anywhere from a 2-6% annual increase in GNP (Gross National Product) for the country. How is it good for us? We’re going to be able to work for them for free, but some of the businesses will be able to get us advertising dollars, which we will put to use in promoting Mexico. We are taking the best of the public process and combining it with what we think is the best of the private process to benefit the Mexican population.
Kent M. Swig, a founder of the U.S. branch of Visit Mexico
Credit: 2021 Visit Mexico USAWhat are some of the benefits of the privatization of Visit Mexico?
Because we are private, we have the ability to move quickly, to adjust, to try new ideas and things that have not been done before, because we don’t have this thick bureaucracy to go through. One of the things we’ve done with Visit Mexico USA is we’ve put together a very powerful team. We picked the best branding person, the best marketing person ... and we have one of the best public relations people around. We’ve built a team of top executives to create and implement the various marketing and promotional ideas that we come up with. It’s the best of private enterprise working in harmony with public benefit. As far as I know, this is the first program of its kind. It’s a very unique experiment, and we’ve already seen results.
Because we are private, we have the ability to move quickly, to adjust, to try new ideas and things that have not been done before, because we don’t have this thick bureaucracy to go through.
What are some of the unique projects or marketing efforts that travel advisors and their clients can expect to see in the coming years?
We [want to] have a nationwide program to market to, promote and service the disabled population. No one has ever really had a countrywide program to benefit and welcome this population.
This isn’t about a mandated law ... this is sensitivity training: how to help people and [understand] what issues they confront, and have a national program geared toward a certain part of the population that’s not really catered to.
The tourism industry, through Visit Mexico, is sensitizing and educating all hotels, restaurants, transportation, boating, etc. about what the needs are for various disabilities, whether it’s a hearing impairment, sight impairment [or someone who is] wheelchair bound. Whatever it is, we’re going to be sensitive to it and make sure that we maximize the opportunity for travelers to have a great time.
Does Visit Mexico USA have any plans to work with travel advisors?
Travel agents are our direct clients. They are the bread and butter of the industry, so we’re going to help promote them; we’re going to find different ways they can make money and we’re going to suggest that commissions be maintained. That’s our advocacy. We’re here to help protect and promote travel advisors because that’s the lifeblood of the tourism industry for Mexico and other places.
We just met with the head of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), and we’re putting together educational programs. No stone will be left unturned.
The Details
Visit Mexico
