The Consejo de Promoción Turística de México (CPTM), also referred to in English as the Mexico Tourism Board, was a Mexican government agency responsible for promoting Mexico as an international tourism destination.[1][2][3][4] Established in 1999, the organization coordinated national and international tourism marketing campaigns in collaboration with the Secretariat of Tourism (Secretaría de Turismo, SECTUR), state tourism authorities, and private‑sector stakeholders.[5][6][7]
The CPTM served as Mexico’s principal institution for international tourism promotion for nearly two decades, managing global advertising campaigns and international marketing initiatives. It managed global advertising campaigns, operated tourism promotion offices in key foreign markets, and developed branding initiatives such as the Visit Mexico campaign.[8] The agency also supported international tourism trade events and industry promotion activities, including Mexico’s annual Tianguis Turístico tourism fair and initiatives aimed at expanding the country’s meetings and conventions sector.[9]
The agency operated until 2018, when it was dissolved as part of a restructuring of federal tourism promotion policy.[10] Administrative liquidation continued into 2019.[11] Following its closure, tourism promotion efforts became more decentralized and were increasingly carried out by regional tourism boards and private‑sector initiatives.
History
Government involvement in tourism promotion in Mexico dates to the early twentieth century, when federal authorities began coordinating efforts to develop the tourism sector.
- In 1928, the Comisión Pro-Turismo (CPT) was established within the Ministry of the Interior to study and recommend measures for developing a national tourism industry.[12][13]
- In 1929, the agency evolved into the Comisión Pro-Turismo Mixta (CMPT), formalized through a presidential decree published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación.[14]
- In 1933, a Department of Tourism was created within the Secretariat of National Economy, incorporating both public- and private-sector participation.[12]
- In 1973, the National Trust Fund for Tourism Development (Fondo Nacional de Fomento al Turismo, FONATUR) was created to attract investment in tourism infrastructure.[15]
- In 1975, the Secretariat of Tourism (Secretaría de Turismo, SECTUR) was established as the federal authority for tourism policy.[16]
- Also in 1975, the first Acapulco International Hotel and Travel Agency Fair—later known as Tianguis Turístico—was held.[17][18][19]
Establishment of the CPTM
The CPTM was established in October 1999 to consolidate national tourism promotion efforts. The organization worked in coordination with federal and state governments as well as private‑sector tourism stakeholders. Efforts included managing international marketing campaigns and coordinating promotional activities abroad. The agency maintained representation in key international markets and worked through Mexico’s diplomatic network, including embassies and consulates, to promote tourism to the country.[20]
Operations
During its operation, the CPTM maintained international offices and coordinated large‑scale marketing campaigns that promoted Mexico’s tourism destinations worldwide. The agency also developed initiatives to increase Mexico’s international visibility as a tourist destination.[21] These efforts included initiatives such as the “Visit Mexico” branding campaign[22], the “Live it to Believe it” campaign[23], the "A World of Its Own" campaign[24], and participation in international meetings industry forums.
The CPTM maintained a specialized division focused on promoting Mexico as a destination for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE). The program worked with international industry organizations and event planners to attract major conventions and business events to Mexico and promote national industry events such as Tianguis Turístico.[25] Prominent figures in the meetings industry included tourism executive Eduardo Chaillo[26][27], who played a key role in promoting Mexico’s meetings industry internationally, and Lourdes Berho[28][29][30] who focused on strategic marketing and increasing foreign tourist expenditure before the organization's closure.
Directors General
The Director General served as the chief executive of the CPTM and was responsible for implementing the organization’s national and international tourism promotion strategy in coordination with the Secretariat of Tourism.
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Dissolution
In 2018, during the presidential transition following the election of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the incoming administration announced plans to dissolve the CPTM as part of broader government restructuring and budget policy changes.[50][51] The policy prompted debate among tourism industry stakeholders.[52][53] Some supported the shift toward reduced public expenditure and greater private-sector involvement,[54][55] while others expressed concern about the loss of a centralized national marketing strategy.[56][57][58][59][60]
Aftermath and legacy
Following the closure of the CPTM, tourism promotion activities in Mexico became more decentralized. Private‑sector organizations and regional tourism boards assumed greater responsibility for international marketing efforts.[61][62]
Entities created or expanded after the dissolution included regional initiatives such as Fideicomiso de Turismo de Los Cabos (FIPROTUR) and the San Miguel de Allende Tourism Board. Private initiatives such as Visit Mexico USA also emerged to continue international promotion efforts associated with the former Visit Mexico campaign.[63][64][65][22]
The Secretaría de Turismo (SECTUR) continues to serve as the primary federal authority responsible for tourism policy in Mexico.[66] Certain international promotional activities have also been coordinated through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE) via Mexico’s diplomatic missions abroad.[67][68]
References
"Meeting News: Tianguis Turistico Mexico 2024" [Meeting News: Tianguis Turistico]. MDC - The Event Planner's Magazine Hermosillo Sabe. March/April 2024 (148). Orange Communications: 114–115. March 15, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2026 – via ISSU. Berger, Dina (2006). The Development of Mexico's Tourism Industry: Pyramids by Day, Martinis by Night. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 1-4039-6635-4. Brenner, L. and A. Aguilar 2002: Luxury Tourism and Regional Economic Development in Mexico. Professional Geographer 54 (4), pp. 500–520
Vargas Montesano, Yasmine (August 31, 2016). "Llamado a la Unidad" [A call to Unity]. MDC - The Meeting Planner's Magazine (116). Orange Communications: 116–117. Retrieved April 15, 2026 – via ISSUU. Vargas, Yasmine; Mancada, Juan Luis (August 31, 2016). "La Nueva Era Del Congreso de Congresos" [The New Era of the Congress of Congresses]. MDC - The Meeting Planner's Magazine (116): 130–131. Retrieved April 15, 2026 – via ISSUU. "Nombramientos" [Appointments]. La Crónica de Hoy. December 7, 2006. Retrieved April 13, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
See also
- Secretariat of Tourism (Mexico)
- Tourism in Mexico
- Eduardo Chaillo
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