Mexico presents the digital strategy for the containment of the tourism sector

This noon, the Secretary of Tourism of Mexico, Miguel Torruco Marqués, led a video conference in which State Tourism Secretaries and the leaders of the CNET, Concanaco-Servytur and of Chambers, Associations and tourism companies participated, to establish the digital strategy that It will be implemented to contain the COVID-19 crisis in the country's tourism sector.

The owner of the Sectur explained that we are facing a global pandemic whose economic damages will be incalculable, and in which the tourism industry is being one of the most vulnerable.

Therefore, he made a call to unity to all the participants and to work hand in hand, today more than ever, to get ahead, "as we Mexicans have shown in the difficult times that have come our way," he said.

He immediately specified that the Ministry of Tourism in his charge, through the VisitMexico platform and in conjunction with the Crisis Committee of the Council for Tourism Diplomacy - formed together with the Ministry of Foreign Relations -, the Union of Tourism Secretaries of Mexico (Asetur), Concanaco-Servytur and the National Tourist Business Council (CNET), designed a digital strategy for the country's tourism sector, to be carried out during this health contingency.

"Let us remember that 58 percent of purchases made worldwide, are currently carried out through networks," he said.

He explained that a team of Mexican experts in different areas, aligned with international experts, was previously formed to carry out a thorough diagnosis of the situation and, based on this, design this strategy, with the support of Apco Worldwide Services for the development and message monitoring.

And he pointed out that this strategy has already been socialized with the main leaders of the tourism sector in Mexico, listening to their recommendations and feedback, in order to adjust it and have a solid and clear vision of its development.

Secretary Torruco Marqués recalled that in Mexico we have already lived, suffered and survived natural disasters and epidemics, such as that of influenza AH1N1, which in 2009 mainly impacted our country and from which it took us 32 months to recover in terms of the international market.

"In these times of health crisis, it is of utmost importance that as a country we send a message of unity and empathy to the world, and from today we focus on being ready for when the recovery phase begins," he assured.

For this reason, he added, three communication phases of this digital strategy were designed, each with its own message: Immediate, Intermediate and Recovery.

The Immediate phase carries the message: "See you soon", and aims to help contain the crisis and subtly continue with Mexico's position, saying that we will meet again to make our visitors fall in love.

The Intermediate phase, of empathy, has the motto: "The journey is within us." In this regard, the head of Sectur commented that the crisis stage varies in each nation, so there is a gap regarding how the contingency is being lived in our country and in the strategic or priority markets for tourism. However, this allows that in some of the strategic markets we can already generate support with respect, ethics and warmth, without trying to take advantage of the situation to generate sales at this time.

Third is the Recovery phase, with the slogan: "Mexico needs you." On this point, he pointed out that after a process of distancing and isolation, different audiences will look for a way out, so that Mexico will be prepared for that moment with the best strategy "Hard sell and call to action" ("Hard sale and call to the action ”), to attract our strategic markets, which will be strongly competed by other destinations.

"In turn, we will focus on our national market, by guiding new experiences from all our destinations, for which three hundred million pesos will be invested by the Communication Council, in order to ensure that the messages of the Destinations permeate every Mexican home, ”said Torruco Marqués.

He added that, in general, three campaigns were designed to distribute the three messages: one international, one national and the other online accompaniment.

The international will consist of three phases, adapting the general messages of each phase to 16 strategic markets: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Australia, China, Japan and South Korea; as well as eight strategic audiences: youth, families, couples, businesses, the luxury market, LGBT, inclusive and Baby Boomers.

The national one will also have three phases, whose messages will focus on the domestic market and on members of the national tourism industry. "In this campaign, the participation of states and municipalities will be key, and we will have to be very aware of the national situation to transmit the appropriate messages in these moments of crisis for the country and companies," said Torruco Marqués.

For its part, the accompaniment will be continuous through VisitMexico's digital platforms and those of companies and cameras that have joined this initiative, where expert voices from the country will give encouragement, information, entertainment and vision to the entire community. .

"A diverse content grid will be created to provide accompaniment to people in their homes and so that Mexico continues to be present in the top of mind of international travelers," he said.

He added that this comprehensive strategy considers all the tourist segments of Mexico, as well as all its regions, providing opportunities for the 32 states to build a narrative with a strategic line of communication and thus take advantage of the multiplication of their resources destined for promoting your state or municipality.

In addition, he explained that these contents will be distributed by an ambitious digital strategy based on Big Data, Social Listening, and market precision, through first-generation software, which will seek to ensure that each content reaches the right person and thus does not disperse efforts. .

"We hope to have more than 600 million strategic impressions, taking advantage of the disposition of the private initiative that has been added to achieve an organic impact that will be unprecedented in Mexico," said the head of Sectur.

And he assured that this strategy, which has public and private financing to achieve a greater scope, is undoubtedly the most ambitious digital strategy currently being generated. "Always honest, respectful, ethical, but at the same time visionary and precise, with the aim that our tourism industry has an immediate recovery, once the conditions of the crisis allow it," she assured.

In addition, the secretary Torruco Marqués pointed out to the participants in the videoconference that, in addition to this strategy, “in the following months from the federal Tourism Secretariat we will be working on concrete solutions to mitigate the devastation that this unprecedented crisis will cause to the country. But together we will get ahead. And count on Sectur to develop the necessary programs that allow us to recover from this situation in the shortest possible time. ”

For his part, Braulio Arsuaga Losada, president of the National Tourist Business Council (CNET), stressed that Mexican tourism is going through one of the worst moments in its history, but he trusted that, together, private initiative and the Ministry of Tourism will reactivate this industry that is recognized inside and outside the country for the quality of its services, the warmth of its people and the diversity of its destinations.

"Initiatives like the one presented today are valuable tools that constitute the backbone of a strategy that will undoubtedly reposition tourism and accelerate the recovery of a sector that today contributes almost nine percent of GDP," he said.

In turn, Luis Humberto Araiza, president of the Union of Secretaries of Tourism of Mexico (Asetur), stated that Visit Mexico has made an inclusive effort with the states, to promote Mexican destinations using cutting-edge technologies that correctly aligned can be valuable for promotion on digital platforms.

Luis Barrios, President and CEO of Hoteles City Express and President of the Crisis Committee of the Council for Tourism Diplomacy, pointed out that through this work we have the great opportunity to unite the efforts of the Ministry of Tourism and those of the private sector in communication and recovery of tourism in Mexico.

"The national hotel sector considers this major effort essential to compete with foreign destinations that serve the same natural markets: North America, Europe and Latin America," said the manager.

In his speech, Lourdes Berho, CEO of the Alchemia agency and president of the Communication Committee of the Tourist Diplomacy Council, expressed that the tourist vocation of Mexico had gained to be among the top ten countries receiving international travelers thanks to the development and growth of its touristic offer.

"The development of markets and marketing efforts, both in the country and in its destinations and tourist products, made it become a crucial engine for the cultural, social and economic development of our country, but today it is experiencing an unequaled crisis", recognized.

Finally, Marcos Achar, president of VisitMexico, commented that the secretary Torruco Marqués asked him that, in addition to a message of unity, this digital strategy should have as its axis the families of the sector, the millions of workers who live in this industry and they are having their worst time in years.

And he specified that the Mexican experts who contributed their knowledge in their professional environments for the design of this strategy are: Carlos González, from VisitMexico, in the Strategy Coordination; Judith Arenas, of Apco Worldwide, in the Response Strategy and Head of the H1N1 Strategy; Lourdes Berho, in the Consolidation of messages; Pedro Quinzaños, CEO of Virket, in Digital Strategy; Roberto Tatemura, from Hiwire, in Digital Intelligence; and Federico Quinzaños, CEO of Materiamist, in Content Production.