For years, Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit has been a strong brand in the country’s travel scene, especially among travelers seeking luxury and nature-based vacations. Now, tourism officials in this Pacific Coast state are hoping to increase its appeal by expanding marketing and promotional efforts to include more regions within the state.
To get the inside scoop on how this new approach will play out, we spoke with Juan Enrique Suarez del Real Tostado, Nayarit’s minister of tourism.
How would you describe Nayarit's overall strategy for building tourism, and how has it changed in recent months?
Our current campaign aims to include the diverse tourism offerings found across the state in its travel and tourism infrastructure, as well as provide all regions of Nayarit with the benefits of welcoming local, national and international visitors.
This achievement is a direct result of the policies of Governor Miguel Angel Navarro Quintero and his administration; they share a commitment to explore alternatives to mass tourism and to develop the state’s sustainable rural tourism, ecological tourism and theme-based routes tourism offerings.
What regions are you promoting now?
Travel and tourism campaigns in Nayarit have expanded to include colonial towns of the Sierra Madre, communities of the indigenous Huichol people, the ecological areas of Islas Marias and Marietas, and the 150 miles of beaches found along the Riviera Nayarit coast.
How was the decision made to start promoting beyond the Riviera Nayarit region? Will you still be using the Riviera Nayarit designation moving forward?
As the Ministry of Tourism of the state of Nayarit, our focus is the state. Riviera Nayarit continues to be an important part of our tourism offerings, and we are still taking part in the Bay of Banderas co-op campaign that features Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta in media buys with trade partners in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
What types of new travelers do you hope to attract as you showcase more of what the state has to offer?
We are interested in targeting travelers who want to go beyond the resort life or cruise port call and experience what we have to offer historically and culturally. Visits to our Magical Towns can easily be day trips — as well as our ecological destinations.
We are interested in targeting travelers who want to go beyond the resort life or cruise port call and experience what we have to offer historically and culturally.
Are there specific destinations in the state that you think will become especially popular in the coming months and years?
We are pushing our Magical Towns, specifically Jala.
Jala is a Magical Town within the state of Nayarit.
Credit: 2023 Nayarit Secretary of TourismWhat plans or strategies are in place to attract niche markets?
The opening of Islas Marias in March really opened up the possibility of attracting adventure and ecotourism travelers. In addition, it opens up northern destinations such as San Blas and its pier, which could in the future be another call on Mexico’s Pacific Coast.
Travel advisors are key to the new vision of Nayarit as a tourism destination. Since most of our destinations are new to the consumer, it will be advisors and the media who will bring them up as possible destinations.
What kind of infrastructure improvements will help the state to prepare for more visitors?
Nayarit’s infrastructure has also seen a number of initiatives as part of this plan, including new roads to access remote communities statewide; enhancements in maritime access to San Blas; and expansion and transformation of the airport at Tepic into the international Riviera Nayarit Airport. A tourism school has also been created to train future tourism leaders.
In addition, we announced a new Magical Towns corridor in the southern part of Nayarit, creating a new tourism route across Jala, Ixtlan del Rio, Ahuacatlan, Compostela and Amatlan de Canas. This will bring travelers to five of Nayarit’s Magical Towns and foster the opportunity for new businesses to emerge, from dining options, entertainment venues and museums to transportation services, healthcare facilities and beyond. Tourism encourages new developments that both visitors and residents can avail themselves of year-round.
In what ways do tourism officials collaborate with local communities to ensure their involvement and to help them benefit from tourism development?
The state government has focused on providing small business training to residents, providing training of an international standard to tour operators, hoteliers, police, taxi drivers and DMCs — making tourism a valuable asset, especially to smaller communities.
How are you working with travel advisors to help them sell more Nayarit?
Travel advisors are key to the new vision of Nayarit as a tourism destination. Since most of our destinations are new to the consumer, it will be advisors and the media who will bring them up as possible destinations. We currently have a strong media campaign with trade partners, and this year, we will be doing virtual and on-site educational seminars as well as fam trips. Members of our team are more than willing to come to your offices to introduce you to all we have to offer. Our email is [email protected].
