Canadian travel trade anticipating upcoming Mexico roadshows

One former and one current travel agent say they are eagerly awaiting upcoming Mexico roadshows in Quebec and Ontario, events they say will help fill a void left by the closure of Mexico Tourism Board offices.

The Mexican government closed all tourism board offices over 5 years ago, announcing that it would turn over tourism promotion to Mexican diplomatic missions, a role critics said those missions were ill-equipped to handle.

Mexico remains hugely popular with Canadians but many in the travel industry say it has a lower profile in this country at a time when there is strong competition for Canadian tourist dollars.

The upcoming roadshows will visit Montreal on Sept. 10, Ottawa on Sept. 11 and Toronto on Sept.  12 and are being organized by Cesar Castañeda, whose tourism resume includes tenures as tourism board office director in both Montreal and Toronto.

Among show participants will be Mexico City, Cancun Shuttle, Viajes de Gala, Delta Hoteles by Marriott Riviera Nayarit, Hoteles Presidente, Quintana Roo, and Cozumel.

Stephen Pickford, former long-time owner of the Montreal-area Aladdin Travel agency and who remains a keen observer of the travel industry, thanks to his role as cohost of syndicated radio show Travel World Radio Show, says he has no doubt the shows will be useful.

“I definitely think that traveling roadshows are of great value to the travel agency community as it allows them to learn about destinations and suppliers, and make the necessary contacts by which to better serve their clients,” he states. “I would often use the services of the Mexico Tourist Board — and commend the assistance of (former Montreal director) Manuel Montelongo in that regard — to find out more about particular regions and to be in touch with regional marketing entities on the ground in Mexico.

“With the lack of a government tourism board, the efforts undertaken by the private sector are even more vital as a means by which to effectively promote a country with a diverse array of product that caters to a wide swath of the tourism market.”

Ethel Hansen Davey of Toronto’s Uniglobe Enterprise agency, also welcomed the upcoming events, saying they will help participants better understand Mexico, “not just the resort areas, but the country, the culture, the customs, etc.”

Agents can always better serve their clients by being very knowledgeable about a destination and roadshows are an invaluable “educational tool,” says Hansen Davey, a frequent visitor to Mexico.

The Montreal show will be at the city’s InterContinental Hotel, The Lord Elgin Hotel will host the Ottawa show and The Toronto Hilton will be the venue for the Toronto show.

Those wanting further information can email Castañeda at [email protected]