When the Mexico Tourism Board retained advertising giant Ogilvy to improve the country’s image and address faltering tourism, it was a sign than the country had finally come to grips with the gravity of the problem. After all, the Swine Flu scare is still in the recesses of the minds of many prospective travelers to the country, the US economic crisis is still taking a toll on the ability of Americans, Canadians and those from further abroad to visit the country, and of course there’s the continuous barrage of media reports about drug wars and violence in Mexico.
It doesn’t matter that the issues of safety and violence are by and large concerns restricted to Mexican cities bordering the United States. Tourism has been adversely impacted at beach resorts from the south at Cancun, over to Huatulco on the Pacific, up to Puerto Vallarta in the north, and everywhere in between; as well as at meccas of culture such as Oaxaca and San Cristóbal de las Casas and Palenque in Chiapas.
The Oaxaca Launch of Mexico Today: A Program for Marca País – Imagen de México
June, 2011, marks the kick-off to Mexico Today, a program for the Mexico Tourism Board’s Marca País – Imagen de México. On behalf of the Board, Ogilvy has hired 16 contributing writers and 8 community managers to write and to blog the positives in and of Mexico with a view to stimulating both tourism and investment. The writers and their managers converge on Oaxaca for a weekend conference beginning June 23, along with Ogilvy experts in promotion and marketing, as well as representatives of the Mexico Tourism Board. The meetings are intended as both training sessions and to mark the launch of the program.
The contributing writers and managers are being paid to write and publish short articles and be active on social networks. However, it’s been stressed that these bloggers will not be employed as government mouthpieces. In fact the Ogilvy material notes the obligation of the writers to be factual, honest and verifiable; the writing of course may include personal experiences and opinion.
The Oaxaca Conference Includes Showcasing the City and Central Valleys to Ogilvy & the Writers
In addition to training the writers and their managers as to the nuts and bolts of Mexico Today, the weekend is intended to provide everyone in attendance with an understanding of Oaxaca’s historical background and contemporary cultural significance. In this regard participants will have an opportunity to:
- marvel at the state’s cultural diversity through watching a Guelaguetza, a performance celebrating Oaxaca’s indigenous cultures including foods, languages, dance, dress and music
- learn about Oaxaca’s pre-Hispanic Mixtec and Zapotec ruins by being guided through Mitla or Monte Albán
- understand the region’s gastronomic greatness through dining at renowned Casa Oaxaca and small roadside restaurants, equally important within the context of the history and development of Oaxacan cuisine
- visit 16th century Dominican churches such as Santa Domingo and Tlacochahuaya
- wonder at sites of natural beauty such as one of the largest trees in the world at Santa María el Tule and the bubbling springs and petrified “waterfalls” at Hierve el Agua.
Mexico Today anticipates having a significant impact on improving the country’s image, tourism and investment. One cannot think of a better venue than Oaxaca for kick-starting such an ambitious project.
Alvin Starkman - Alvin Starkman runs Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast. He is a paid contributing writer for Mexico Today (http://www.mexicotoday.org).
