“Mexico is a destination that caters to everyone," Thierry Munoz Ledo, the Consul General of Mexico to Toronto said in his opening remarks at the Mexico Roadshow, which took place on 12SEP in at the Toronto Hilton. Open Jaw was in attendance, along with about 50 other travel trade professionals. Munoz Ledo said he hoped that these roadshows would strengthen the relationship between Mexico and Canada, and that it would help Mexican stakeholders to better understand the Canadian market.
The Canadian market is important for Mexico not just for its tourism numbers (2.4 million in 2023 alone), but also for its foreign investment, which according to a 2023 Forbes study was estimated at $36.1 million USD. “Mexico is a natural and strategic market for Canadian investors” he said.
Why the roadshow?
"After five years of little presence since the closure of the Mexico Tourism Board we decided to take the promotion role in hand and organized a road show for Mexican destinations in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto.” said Cesar Castaneda Vazquez de Mercado, Director General of Torreya Consulting, who organized the event, featuring hotels, resorts, tour providers, destinations and transportation.
Delta Hotels, one of about a dozen exhibitors on hand, launched their first all-inclusive in the Riviera Nayarit back in 2021, said Carlos Eguiarte, Tour and Travel Manager for Delta. Marriott took over this Riviera Nayarit property in 2021, and they are currently in Phase 2 of 3 in developing the resort, adding 96 rooms to the existing 270.
Nestled in the mountains, this resort features an Aqua Park and 12 pools. While it's not on the water, guests can travel in a private van to their Tonati Beach Club, located just 10 minutes away.
Other hotels promoting their Mexican properties included Grupo Presidente, who have 24 hotels in Mexico, including the Hyatt, Kimpton, El Ciela and Presidente Intercontinental brands. Melania Mora Flores, the Corporate International Tour & Travel Sales Manager, was most excited about the introduction of their Glamping program, Viatura Unseen Escapes, an “innovative glamping concept that embraces nature, self-connection and sustainability.” Its Omum San Miguel de Allende property features 15 African inspired tents and private culinary experiences., while the Hacienda Xtojil Vitura location is housed in a hacienda estate, surrounded by sisal plantations.
Veronica Williams of Sensation, a Mexican company with 200 hotels in Mexico, took the opportunity to speak about their newest resort, located not in Mexico, but in Punta Cana. Live AQUA, which boasts 347 rooms, is pet friendly, and features a jacuzzi on every terrace.
With seven properties in Mexico, Alsol Hotels Director of Sales Mercedes Alcantar celebrated the 10th anniversary of their All Ritmo property, located just 30 minutes from the Cancun airport. While this property is all inclusive, their Grand Matlali Riviera Nayarit offers guests all-inclusive meals, there is an option to just “Bed and breakfast” it.
“We offer just breakfast as there are so many great restaurants and culinary options available in the area,” explained Alcantar. Their Puerto Vallarta location is Four Diamond and offers luxury suites and residences. It welcomes pets, and even has a special area for showering dogs. They have long terms guests stay from Canada, up to three months, and thus offer a special price per month. Alsol also has two hotels in Mexico City.
Wyndham Resorts’ Valerie Ward, the Business Development Manager Canada, emphasized the Italian owned and operated Viva chain as the “most inclusive.” Their two properties, Viva Azteca and Viva Maya, are located a ten-minute beach walk from each other in Playa del Carmen. Guests of Azteca have access to all of Viva Maya amenities, which includes water sports, trapeze, and paintball. Ward encouraged travel advisors to sell Azteca to their clients as the Maya property looks to undergo a major renovation in 2025.
Tour companies were also in attendance, promoting their unique offerings for travel advisors to recommend to their clients visiting Mexico.
Coming2 was founded in 1977 and is the DMC for ACV in Mexico. They also own SolTour and SolBus, as well as EMOS and Embat (e-transportation). They pride themselves on having a solution for every problem, and pay 10% for transfers, and 15% on excursions (paid from Canada). Their excursions are 100% refundable up to three days prior to the tour date. They offer back-office support and provide guests with a WhatsApp number for a local representative for ease of finding assistance.
De Gala Tours Key Account Manager for the Americas Clotilde Houzelle started her presentation with the company’s motto, “We don’t sell trips, we design experiences.” De Gala prides itself on showing off the cultural heritage of Mexico and maintaining sustainable practices. They work in close cooperation with Mexican supplier, to manage “basically everything” said Houzelle.
In addition, there were specific destinations within Mexico showing off their locations. Isela Valenquela of the Cozumel Association of Hotels was enthusiastic in her description of the largest island in the Mexican Caribbean. Cozumel offersbthe second largest reef in the world (after Australia), with water visibility of 200 feet. Sixty percent of the island is protected. They expect to have 60 events and festivals in 2024, including the Carnival, which has run for 150 years.
The Mexican Caribbean on the whole enjoys a frequent ranking of one of the best destinations in the world, according to Promotion Manager Lizeth Perez Marin. “There are 12 paradises full of experiences,” said Marin. These “paradises” include Cancun, Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and others.
“The first thing I want to say about Mexico City is that it is safe”, said Marco Mendoza, representing his hometown and this city of 22 million people. Even though the city is large, you’re never lost, according to Mendoza, because Mexico City hosts the biggest Wi-Fi connection in the world, with 34,000 free public Wi-Fi connectors. There are two airports – the downtown AICM, and AITA, situated just 30 minutes away. There are more than 60,000 hotels rooms across 784 hotels in the city, allowing guests to choose their level of accommodation, including 100 five-star hotels.
Flying into Mexico and making one’s way to the resort or hotel can seem tricky, as taxis and car shares (Ubers) are not allowed to pick up at the Cancun airport (although they are allowed to drop off). Enter Cancun Shuttle and the recently launched Tulum Shuttle at that new airport. Unlike their competitors, Cancun Shuttle charges by the mile, instead of zone. They offer a 10% travel agency commission, and rides are available 24/7. Founder Edgar Tapla advised the advisors to book their clients’ transfer transportation in advance, to avoid excessive costs trying to find a ride when they land.
