Mexico Tourism Board
Mexican government agency
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Mexico Tourism Board (Spanish: Consejo de Promoción Turística de México (CPTM)) 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]
- Mexico City, Mexico
| Consejo de Promocion Turistica de Mexico | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1999 |
| Dissolved | 2019 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Mexico |
| Headquarters |
|
Parent agency | Secretariat of Tourism (SECTUR) |
The agency operated until 2018, when it was dissolved as part of a restructuring of federal tourism promotion policy.[8] Administrative liquidation continued into 2019.[9] Following its closure, tourism promotion efforts became more decentralized and were increasingly carried out by regional tourism boards and private‑sector initiatives.
History
Early tourism promotion efforts
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.[10][11]
- In 1929, the agency evolved into the Comisión Mixta Pro-Turismo, formalized through a presidential decree published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación.[12]
- In 1933, a Department of Tourism was created within the Secretariat of National Economy, incorporating both public- and private-sector participation.[10]
- In 1973, the National Trust Fund for Tourism Development (Fondo Nacional de Fomento al Turismo, FONATUR) was created to attract investment in tourism infrastructure.[13][14]
- In 1975, the Secretariat of Tourism (Secretaría de Turismo, SECTUR) was established as the federal authority for tourism policy.[15]
- Also in 1975, the first Acapulco International Hotel and Travel Agency Fair—later known as Tianguis Turístico—was held.[16][17][18]
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.[19]
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.[20] These efforts included initiatives such as the “Visit Mexico” branding campaign,[21] the “Live it to Believe it” campaign,[22] the "A World of Its Own" campaign,[23] and participation in international meetings industry forums.
Meetings and conventions promotion
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.[24] Prominent figures in the meetings industry included tourism executive Eduardo Chaillo,[25][26] who played a key role in promoting Mexico’s meetings industry internationally, and Lourdes Berho,[27][28][29] who focused on strategic marketing and increasing foreign tourist expenditure before the organization's closure.[30][31][32]
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.
| Director General | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Javier Vega Camargo | 1999–2002 | First director following the creation of the CPTM.[5] |
| Maria Elena Mancha | 2002–2003 | [33][34] |
| Francisco J. Ortiz | 2003–2005 | [35][36][37] |
| Magdalena Carral | 2006–2006 | [38][39][40][41] |
| Francisco López Mena | 2006–2007 | Served an interim administrative role while the incoming government finalized its appointment.[42][43] |
| Óscar Fitch Gómez | 2007–2010 | [44] |
| Rodolfo López Negrete[45] | 2010–2016 | Served under SECTUR secretaries Gloria Guevara, Claudia Ruiz Massieu, and Enrique de la Madrid.[46] |
| Lourdes Berho[47] | 2016–2017 | |
| Héctor Flores Santana[48][49] | 2017–2019 | Oversaw administrative liquidation following the dissolution of the CPTM.[50] |
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.[51][52] The policy prompted debate among tourism industry stakeholders.[53][54] Some supported the shift toward reduced public expenditure and greater private-sector involvement,[55][56] while others expressed concern about the loss of a centralized national marketing strategy.[57][58][59][60][61]
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.[62][63]
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.[64][65][66][21]
The Secretaría de Turismo (SECTUR) continues to serve as the primary federal authority responsible for tourism policy in Mexico.[67] 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.[68][69]