Mazatlán Announces Multimillion-Dollar Marketing Campaign

ACAPULCO, Mex. (April 26, 2010) – From the floor of the 2010 Tianguis Turistico, Mazatlán today announced a landmark investment in tourism marketing for 2010. The resort city on Mexico’s Pacific Coast will spend $10.3 million USD (125 million pesos) this year to market the destination throughout Mexico and North America. This milestone investment represents a 30 percent spike in funding for tourism marketing over the previous year.

This historic initiative represents a joint effort by state, local and federal entities. Among the members of this public/private partnership: Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism; Mexican Council for the Promotion of Tourism; State of Sinaloa; Mazatlán Tourism Trust; Mazatlán International Center; and Mazatlán hoteliers and tour operators.

Approximately 60 percent of the funds ($6.2 million USD / 76 million pesos) will be spent on marketing the destination in the U.S. and Canada, with the remaining $4.1 million (50 million pesos) focused on cultivating audiences within Mexico.

“Our 2010 marketing campaign demonstrates an unprecedented commitment to make the wonders of our city known to the traveling public,” says Carlos Berdegue, vice president, Mazatlán Hotel Association and Tourism Board. “Visitation to Mazatlán has increased every year for seven consecutive years. We are proud to work with our partners at the national, state and local levels on initiatives that will take the destination’s marketing to a whole new level for even greater returns.” The 2010 campaign shines a light on the destination’s eclectic appeal. With the headline, “There is Nothing Like Mazatlán,” ads feature colorful images of golden beaches at sunset, rich cultural and historical sights, lively restaurants and nightlife, world-class sport fishing and natural wonders. The campaign targets group and leisure travelers and the travel trades, including travel agents; meetings and corporate travel planners; and niche audiences, such as vacationers interested in culinary arts, golf, sport fishing, weddings and honeymoons, eco travel and outdoor recreation.

Among the target markets are: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, Denver, Phoenix, Seattle, Portland and Minneapolis/St. Paul in the U.S.; the Mexican markets of Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Durango, Torreon, Leon, Culiacan, Tijuana, Chihuahua and Hermosillo; and in Western Canada, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg.

“Canada is very important to us,” Berdegue notes. “Mazatlán has welcomed between 120,000 – 130,000 Canadian visitors every year for the past five years, in addition to the 1,500 Canadians who make our beautiful city their winter home.”

One focus of the campaign is outreach to meetings and group trades in conjunction with the recent opening of the $61 million (743 million pesos) Mazatlán International Center. The new 25-acre convention center complex made its debut in late 2009 in the heart of the city’s Tourism Corridor, situated in the new Marina Mazatlán area, a few minutes from the beachfront resorts of the Golden Zone. With nearly 154,000 square feet of flexible indoor/outdoor meeting and exhibition space, the Mazatlán International Center will open the door for citywide conventions and help to position Mazatlán as one of Mexico’s top meetings destinations. To encourage bookings, the destination will launch an online advertising campaign on the Internet’s top meetings and conventions networks, beginning in June. With additional advertising dollars, Mazatlán is significantly bolstering its online presence. For 2010, the destination has allocated $5.8 million USD (71 million pesos) to online advertising, while continuing to spend $2.5 million USD (31 million pesos) on traditional print media. Target online outlets include search engines Google and Yahoo!; booking portals Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity and BookIt; TripAdvisor; and the Web sites of North American leisure travel and travel trade media. Online advertising has already begun and will continue throughout the summer and fall to encourage travel during the peak winter season.

“More and more people are getting their news and information online today,” Berdegue explains. “Mazatlán’s move to aggressive online advertising reflects our decision to leverage the power of the Internet to spread the word about our vibrant destination.” He adds that print media advertising will continue, with four-color ads to appear beginning in May in major travel trade media. Last year, Mazatlán’s public relations campaign was honored with the prestigious HSMAI Gold Adrian Award from the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International. The destination’s North American-based 2010 PR program builds on past successes to increase awareness of Mazatlán as a culturally rich yet affordable and safe destination for U.S. and Canadian travelers. Mirroring the advertising campaign, PR tactics spotlight the destination’s history, culture, beaches, ecological wonders, outdoor recreation, cuisine and special events. Outreach includes emphasis on meetings and convention trades, travel trades as well as online and print media. The program also calls for group and individual familiarization trips during the winter, spring and fall – allowing journalists experience Mazatlán first-hand and then tell their readers about the destination’s many charms.

In Mexico, Mazatlán has allocated funds to strategic markets throughout the country. The yearround program includes advertising and public relations campaigns with print, broadcast and online media. Efforts support the destination's heightened focus on special events. Already this year, Mazatlán has hosted the Canadian PGA Tour; the annual Mazatlán Carnival, the world’s third-largest Mardi Gras celebration; and International Motorcycle Week, which brought more than 300,000 visitors to the city. Upcoming 2010 highlights comprise a full calendar of events, including international golf and fishing tournaments; marathons; cultural festivals; and Fiesta Amigos, the popular annual festival honoring Mazatlán’s travel partners.

For more information on Mazatlán, visit www.gomazatlán.com.

About Mazatlán

Mazatlán is located on Mexico’s Pacific Coast at the foot of the Sierra Madre Mountains. As Mexico’s second largest coastal city, Mazatlán has nearly 600,000 inhabitants. The city is divided into two main areas: Old Mazatlán and Zona Dorada or Golden Zone, with a seven-mile coastal road between the two. Mazatlán has an international sport-fishing reputation. Sites of interest include: the Angela Peralta Theater, Archeological Museum, Republic Plaza, Ocean Museum, Botanic Garden, San Jose Chapel and the world’s second-tallest lighthouse. Transportation is available via the local “pulmonías” or four-person open-air vehicles that have become a symbol of the city. Visit Mazatlán on the World Wide Web at www.gomazatlán.com.

-Mazatlan Hotel and Tourists Businesses Association