Mexico’s Mystifying Tourism Move Leaves Competitors Ready to Pounce
Photo Credit: Visitors are shown on the beach in Cancún, Mexico. The country has disbanded its tourism board and announced a slew of new strategies for bringing visitors to the country. Unsplash / Andrés Medina
Skift Take
Mexico's new government has priorities for tourism, but that doesn't include a tourist board. Will other destinations seize the opportunity?
The question has bounced through the travel industry for months now: What is Mexico doing?
News that the new administration of Andrés Manuel López Obrador planned to disband the Mexico Tourism Board, shift promotional duties to embassies, and redirect money to build a train that visits some popular tourist areas has been out since late last year.
“Everybody’s got their eye on it," said Bill Geist, CEO of DMOproz, a consulting firm in Wisconsin that caters to destination marketing organizations. "It’s one thing to cut a budget, but to eliminate it is just…it’s a head scratcher."
There have been few details about what will happen moving forward, even as international offices shutter and continued security concerns make the need for a cohesive communications strategy more acute.
Tour operators and hoteliers in Mexico are fearing for future business, especially as they see a leveling off or decline in bookings this year, and planning ways to take their own action.
