Sefotur, businessmen, and chefs held more than 25 conferences, negotiations, and interviews with 140 media outlets and 510 companies in seven cities on the European continent.
These actions are intended to position Yucatán in the European market and attract investment to continue the state’s economic and tourism recovery. In addition, Governor Mauricio Vila arranged a work tour for the Secretaría de Fomento Turístico (Sefotur) in several European countries.
The committee, led by the head of the agency, Michelle Fridman Hirsch, held more than 25 negotiations, gastronomic exhibits, interviews, and presentations on the flavors, colors, and sites of Yucatán, with more than 140 media outlets and 510 companies in seven cities that are important markets for attracting visitors to the state.
Frankfurt, Germany; London, United Kingdom; Italy, France, and both Madrid and Palma de Mallorca, Spain, welcomed these activities, which represent a window of opportunity to ensure the recovery of tourism and the attraction of investments to the territory, which is already shown in its main indicators, said the official.
Yucatán’s promotion of its assets and campaigns’ priority is its reactivation, which is why they are approaching airlines, wholesale agencies, experiences firms, and circuit creators. From fairs and professionalization about the state’s perspective, which is positioned as one of the few in the country that focuses its commercial efforts on this continent through relationships with strategic partners.
It was noted that this is essential to obtain editorial content and invitations to formal media, such as newspapers, magazines, television, and audiovisual programs, which generate massive content, such as newsletters and color notes, about the tourist attractions of the area.
In Palma de Mallorca, meetings were held with America’s most important European corporate investors. All the economic, tourism, availability, incentive, and connectivity advantages were presented to them through Mexico City and Cancun to increase direct foreign investment in the state.
There were also approaches with several hotel chains, tour providers, and transportation companies so that, through associations with Yucatecan brands, new opportunities to increase investments, jobs, capital flows, and outflows can be generated to improve the “producto interno bruto” or gross domestic product through this essential sector for the Península.
The average European traveler in Latin America stays between 12 and 21 days, in addition to the fact that the exchange rate favors higher daily spending per overnight stay, which is essential for Yucatán.
In addition, bonds were strengthened with the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE), Embassies, and Consulates of the nations visited, with agenda follow-up meetings in the federal agency’s offices, focused on giving continuity to the agreements of all the meetings.
Fridman Hirsch thanked the businessmen and businesswomen representing Pisté, Valladolid, and Mérida. In addition, business partners; chefs and gastronomic ambassadors, Vidal Elías from the restaurant Micaela Mar y Leña, and Pedro Evia, from Ku’uk, and the diplomatic figures of the Republic in the countries included in the tour, such as Carmen Villanueva Bracho, Josefa González-Blanco, María de Los Ángeles Arriola Aguirre, Carlos García de Alva, and Blanca Jiménez Cisneros.
The secretary took the opportunity to invite several of the world’s most important chefs to join the Sabores de Yucatán Festival within the framework of 50 Best Latin American Restaurants. Next November, Yucatan will once again showcase its cultural, natural, historical, architectural, and gastronomic riches, but above all, the warmth of its people and the quality of its infrastructure and services.