Meagan Drillinger
Governors from nine of Mexico's states have agreed to join forces in an effort to strengthen tourism to each individual state.
The agreement, "Tourism as the Engine of Prosperity," was signed by the governors of Aguascalientes, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Durango, Guanajuato, Queretaro, Quintana Roo, Tamaulipas and Yucatan in a marketing pact that will be used by the ministries of tourism of each partner state.
The agreement comes as a direct response to the dismantling of CPTM late last year. Tourism generates more than 7.5 million jobs across the country and continues to be the third most important driver of the economy in the country.
"With the signing of this momentous agreement, we seek to lay the foundations to build a solid and successful tourist endeavor, which will create the conditions for all families in Mexico to achieve a better quality of life," Michelle Fridman, minister of tourism for the state of Yucatan, said in a statement.
According to the agreement, these states will carry out work under 30 lines of action that are framed across six areas, including Investment Alliances, Connections with the Outside, Tourist and Hospitality Culture, Boosting Sustainable Tourism, Link with Research, Science and Technology, and Strengthening of the Social Fabric. The initiative was also designed to facilitate communication among the signing parties, and to facilitate group support of strategies and tourism campaigns of the alliance's individual entities. Some of the states in the agreement have also signed partnership agreements to help promote each other. Yucatan, Baja California Sur, and Guanajuato have committed to helping each other promote their own campaigns.
"I am delighted to see this type of
collaboration between and amongst the participating states and hopeful that
more will join in," said Zachary Rabinor, CEO of Journey Mexico. "I'm
confident that there are obvious synergies between many destinations and some
less clear, but compelling opportunities that have arisen, especially considering
the ever-growing lift that is connecting destinations that were previously more
challenging to combine logistically. We're keen to bring private sector
cooperation to this excellent model of collaboration."
Connecting destinations is one way that states can work together as part of the cause to promote Mexico tourism in the absence of the CPTM. Many states have opportunities to combine itineraries for a fuller experience. Quintana Roo and Yucatan, for example, have been doing this for years with the addition of Chichen Itza or a weekend in Merida to round out a vacation at the beach. But there are other possibilities to combine destinations, especially with the current alliance.
San Miguel de Allende in the state of Guanajuato, for example, sits just an hour from the border with the state of Queretaro. The capital, Queretaro, is another prime example of a beautiful colonial Mexican city, and one that has flown under the radar making it still an undiscovered gem. Combining Guanajuato with Queretaro would be an easy add-on, and would enrich a trip to Mexico's colonial heartland.
Like San Miguel de Allende, Queretaro is a Unesco World Heritage City, and just happens to be the place where Mexico's independence movement began. Queretaro was once one of the most important cities under Spanish rule, and was built from the riches made in the silver mines around the city, resulting in fabulous baroque buildings, like the Teatro de la Republic. In fact, the theater was were members of the congress that followed the Mexican Revolution first drafted the Mexican Constitution. Today the city exists as a stroll through Mexico's history, with narrow alleys, candy and crafts shops, street carts serving local snacks, leafy plazas, and a growing number of high-end hotels and restaurants. It's a quick trip over from San Miguel de Allende, but will feel like another world away because it has yet to become as world renowned (read: less touristy).
With these new alliances springing up between states in Mexico, it will be easier than ever to gain insight and information on what other destinations are available to your clients, and can help to make a trip to Mexico that much more diverse.