After the swine flu outbreak in Mexico, Mexican the Mexican government recently launched an estimated $92 million public relations campaign to promote and reactivate tourism.

Some of the vacation destinations that were badly affected by Mexico´s health contingency from influenza and economic downturn include Cancun and Riviera Maya, which are one of the leading headquarters for expos and conventions.

Therefore a coordinated effort between the federal government, ministries of tourism, the Mexico Convention Bureau and private industry, including hotels and convention centers, the goal of “Vive Mexico” is to encourage tourism to and within the country by reassuring the public that Mexico is not only a safe place to travel, but also a unique, vibrant and value-added destination.

At the campaign announcement late last month, Mexican President Felipe Calderon called upon the country’s businesses, citizens and public figures to go beyond the call of duty in assisting with the effort.

He also has encouraged Mexican resorts to help stimulate travel by offering special packages, deals and discounts that will be promoted on the campaign’s Web site, and citizens have been asked to act as ambassadors to help spread the word about the beauty and vibrancy of Mexican destinations.

The effort couldn’t come soon enough for a country so dependent on tourism to support its economy. According to Patricia Farias Barlow, president of Farias Global Expos, although only 98 people died from influenza virus in a country of more than 100 million turned out to be less threatening than originally thought, the news coverage of the outbreak was extremely damaging to the country.

Hotel occupation decreased an average of 50 percent in most of Mexico, with related businesses strongly impacted, Farias said. Unfortunately, the convention industry didn’t escape the ripple effects of the scare, she added.

Since then, the Mexico Tourism Board has made a concerted effort to promote and inform the international event industry about the situation at all industry events and has held strategic meetings to help boost confidence in people planning meetings and events in Mexico, Farias said.

Ultimately, getting the message out far and wide that Mexico is a safe place to visit will be key to luring tourists and business travelers back to the destination, she added.

Source: Trade Show Week/ www.tradeshoweek.com