Cancun, Q. Roo (July 1, 2008) The Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau attended two events with public relations representatives and US journalists specializing in travel. This allowed them to establish contact with approximately 140 communication media outlets while increasing their understanding of new tourism trends.

Emilio Reyner Portes Gil, Director of Public Relations of the Cancun CVB , stated that the institution’s participation in the two conferences was extremely productive. The North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) Conference was held from June 24-27 in Oklahoma and the Travel and Tourism Conference, presented by Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), was held from June 18-20 in Pennsylvania.

The executive expressed that during the NATJA’s event in Oklahoma, tourism information on Cancun and Puerto Morelos was distributed to 86 American editors, producers and communications specialists. They were also invited to become familiar with the destination through individual or group trips which will be scheduled throughout the year.

During the Annual Conference of Travel and Tourism from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA Go for Green! Travel & Tourism Conference), the CVB established contact with over 50 journalists from media outlets including Travel Channel, National Geographic Traveler, USA Today, Travelocity, PBS, Travel & Leisure, Esquire, GQ, New York Magazine, Lonely Planet, Esquire, Wine Spectator, The Homesteader, The Jewish Advocate, Art and Living, Natural Home, American Style, ScoreGolf, Reader’s Digest Best Health Magazine, Foodservice Hospitality.
The event was jointly organized by the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and two important international tourism trends were analyzed; Green Tourism and Voluntourism. These currently represent significant market segments for tourism destinations.

In the case of Green Tourism or Sustainable Tourism, the CVB of Cancun added that tourists are seeking out destinations with reputable sustainability practices that respect the local environment, culture and population.

It was emphasized that marketing approaches for these destinations need to change in order to attract green travelers. They should include sustainable practices which have fewer negative environmental effects and seek to protect biodiversity.

The second tourism trend analyzed is known as Voluntourism. This includes travelers who are not only interested in learning about other cultures but also want to get involved and offer social or ecological aid to the destination they visit.

It is important to mention that the Public Relations Society of America is the largest worldwide organization, bringing together over 32,000 members and international professionals. Its main objective is to unify, strengthen and develop the public relations profession.

In both events, social media platforms were highlighted as they can potentially boost tourism promotion and highlight destination features for business travelers, tourists and communications media. These online social platforms include blogs, YouTube, Podcasts, Twitter and Google News.

Sincerely,
The Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau
www.cancun.travel

Cancun, Q. Roo (June 30, 2008) In order to attract more business tourism from the U.S. meetings and conventions sector, the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) contracted the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) to provide CASE Certification and training to Cancun sales executives about related market trends.

Fernando Cervantes Mondragon, Director of Groups and Conventions of the CVB, emphasized that the Certificate Association Sales Executive (CASE Certification) will start on August 5 and will increase Cancun’s competitiveness. This will attract more tourism from the American market which organizes more than 100,000 group meetings annually, of which only 30% are held abroad. A minimal percentage of these meetings are held in Mexico and Cancun.

The executive added that currently the group tourism market represents about 18% of hotel occupation in Cancun and that this segment could grow further by professionally promoting our destination to US-based private and business associations.

Cervantes Mondragon also stated that for the first time, the CVB brought PCMA experts from the United States to present the first segment of the certification. During this three month session, these experts will also attend the summary meeting and final examination on October 28. The rest of the modules will be offered via Internet through a chat or blog where participants will be able to ask questions and receive advice on their respective subjects.

Among other things, this certification will allow participants to better understand the economic challenges, dynamics, culture, and innovations of American associations. It will also help strengthen loyalty and forge long lasting relationships which improve participants’ relations with clients. The certification will have a cost of $675 and an unlimited quota of participants.

The following subjects will be analyzed in the 12 modules: Associations, Structure of Associations, Future Opportunities and Risk of Associations, the Role of the Group/Adults Segment as Apprentices, Future of Communications, Cultural Diversity, Sales Relationships and Value of the Proposals and Overview of the Group Business.

The CVB Director of Groups and Conventions added that both in the domestic and international markets Cancun is an attractive destination to organize congresses, conventions and incentive travel as it offers excellent air travel, first class hotel accommodations, efficient tourist infrastructure, good public safety and affordable rates, among other things.

It is important to mention that Cancun has over 20 hotels with the capacity to organize large events and a Convention Centre that can hold more that 8,000 participants.

Finally, Cervantes Mondragón added that this market segment will always be beneficial to this destination as it pays higher hotel rates, spends 30% more than the sun and beach tourist, and occurs during low season months.

Sincerely,
Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau

The personnel in charge of preparing the investigation report believes that the cause of the accident is a combination of the following:
• The vessel’s imprudent overload
• The negligent performance of Agustin Cituk, Captain of the SEA STAR
In order to determine the cause for the physical damage and human casualties, instructions have been given to expand testimonies from crew members and passengers that will help account for captain and crew members’ performance immediately after the SEA STAR internal compartments started to inundate.
It’s important to highlight the fact that during this week, more testimonials from people involved in these events will be added to the public hearing while ensuring that there won’t be any legal inconveniences at having a representative of the State Government of Quintana Roo attend such administrative procedures which are a matter of public interest.

Jesus Maria Vasquez Gomez
Secretariat of Communications and Transport

Yesterday, Thursday June 12th at 17:30 hours a press conference was held in the conference room at the Regional Port Authorities Office of Puerto Juárez – Cancun.

Key members of the press, radio and television media outlets with state coverage as well as channel 33 of cable television attended this press conference. The meeting was programmed to be held today, but had to be brought forward because of some participants’ agenda. Therefore, Televisa and TV Azteca could not be informed of the change. Among the attendees were Captain Miguel Angel Rebolledo Guiot, Benjamín Hernández, Engineer in Naval Construction; Dr Jaime González Cano, Mr. Roberto Díaz Abraham, Captain Vicente Arturo Martínez Morales; the Sub Director of Navigation, the Technical Naval Inspector of Progreso, the Director of the Parque Nacional Costa Occidental of Isla Mujeres, Punta Cancún and Punta Nizuc, the President of Cancun A.C. Nauticals Associates A. C. and the Harbourmaster of Cancun Port/Puerto Juárez, respectively.

After the welcoming and presentation of participants, a photographic series and a video of the damages caused to the reef “Chitales Grande” (approximately 40 square meters) and the damages to the ship were shown. The explanation of the images was given by Dr González and Captain Rebolledo.

The preliminary results of the inspection made to the ship and to the damaged zone were exhibited. The initial conclusion of such results establishes that the B/M “SEA STAR” was located in a shallow area that isn’t deep enough as there are certain solid high points (rocks) 2 meters deep. Therefore, it is assumed that the stern repeatedly hit against such points causing damage to the hull (a breach of approximately 30 square centimetres in the right part of the rear die) propellers and rudders; causing a significant flood in the engine room and watertight compartments from the medium to the back (stern).

Naval Engineer, Benjamín Hernández, explained that the ship is designed to transport 250 people. Hence, this had nothing to do with overweight given that should we concentrate the weight equivalent to the number of people on board – last figure: 224= 16,800 kilos approximately - in a single point in the stern, this would not cause a substantial increase in the sunken part of the ship and would not be the cause of the flood through the engine room ventilation grilles.

Captain Rebolledo explained that based on his experience, you can tell that the ship’s captain, Mr. Agustin Cituk did not take into consideration that the route taken to transport the tourists to do snorkelling presented an unsafe scene as the ship’s hull, rudders and propellers were too close to the coral reef mass. All This combined with the deep sea swell’s characteristics eventually originates waves known as “fool” waves, which cause significant crests and valleys producing depth changes in the area. Also, the navigation letter number SM922.2 has a marked area of 1.4 meters deep adjacent to the place where the damages to the coral reef system are found.

Naval Engineer, Benajmín Hernández, concluded that it is likely that the cause of the partial sinking of the ship was a combination of different factors, but to the best of his knowledge, the sinking was caused by the hitting and stranding with the reef and rocky bottom of the “SEA STAR” vessel as it was located in a place that was not favourable for the design of such vessel. He also mentioned that Captain Rebolledo will have the report in approximately ten days, once all the information is duly processed and current available theories are confirmed.

Finally, Mr. Roberto Díaz, in representation of the group of nautical companies, took the stand and mentioned that although there is certain risk inherent in this type of aquatic activities, such activities are safe in the port t of Cancun. This has been an isolated case, and if there was evidence of mistakes or misconduct from the crew or the company, these will be held accountable for such incident. In the meantime, they will continue working in coordination with the authorities to favour safety in nautical services.

Captain Vicente A. Martínez Morales

Cancun offers utter uniqueness with high quality tourism services to everyone, from the most demanding traveler, to those in search ofa truly exclusive experiences with superlative service. In May, Cancun will host Fashion TV Cancun – a fashion show featuring the world- famous models – and a specialized wine and gourmet cuisine forum, Three-fourths of the hotels in Cancun are rated five-star – the highest rating in Latin America – and numerous other hotels have received the American Automobile Association’s coveted Diamond distinction, which is awarded to hotels that offer quality guestrooms, dining and facilities, as well as a high level of service and customer satisfaction. Twenty percent of inspected hotels in Cancun have achieved a Diamond-level rating, something that is generally obtained only by 3%-5% of hotels in other cities..

Cancun’s Five Diamond hotels include: The Ritz-Carlton, J.W. Marriot Cancun Resort and Spa, Paraiso de la Bonita Resort and Thalasso and Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach, while Le Meridien has been awarded a Four Diamond rating.

With its combination of first-class accommodations, luxury amenities and natural charms, as well as a unique selection of hotels for every taste Cancun attracts international celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Jennifer Lopez, The Rolling Stones just to name a few.

Another highlight is Cancun’s exquisite gastronomy. The mysteries of oriental cooking, the simplicity of Italian dining and the tempting traditional Mexican Caribbean dishes make Cancun a center for gourmet cuisine. Cancun has three Five Diamond restaurants – The Club Grill and Fantino at the Ritz Carlton and Le Basilic at the Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach – all which offer a feast for the senses with every dish. Cancun also is a world leader in restaurant distinction. 127 restaurants in Cancun have been awarded the “H” distinction, granted by the Secretary of Tourism to establishments that comply with the standards and recommendations of the World Health Organization..

Capitalizing on its status as a duty-free zone, Cancun is also a shoppers’ paradise, with over 2,000 stores, boutiques and shopping centers featuring leading international brands, the latest in jewelry, gift products, accessories and the latest fashion trends.

Golfing legends have also made their mark in Cancun, sharing their passion for the sport with the most discriminating golfers. Jack Nicklaus, Nick Price and Greg Norman are among the designers of the 9 courses currently in existence and 3 others that are presently under construction. The most recent,, the Norman-designed Playa Mujeres Golf Club, located just 7 miles north of Cancun, has become a must visit for the most demanding golfers. This 18-hole professional course offers an experience that is simply unparalleled, surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, the Chachmochuc Lagoon and jungle vegetation, and features plant species that are unique to that region..

Cancun lures visitors with a world of immeasurable possibilities including a vacation setting where rest and relaxation are the only rules. When it comes to rejuvenation, health and luxury, Cancun’s spas offer the most advanced techniques and treatments, combining the use of native herbs, ancient Mayan healing rituals, and the most cutting-edge technology for reducing and eliminating tension and stress, such as the famed chocotherapy and hot stone massages.

By offering a range of tourism services of the utmost quality, day after day, Cancun reinforces its position as a complete, unique and exclusive destination.

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Contact: Magdalena López
mmlopez@och.com.mx
52-55 5249-4200 ext. 2326, 2226

The Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Mexico Tourist Board and Thomas Cook Holidays will be launching their taxi campaign on the streets of London and Manchester on May 9th. A total of thirty especially designed London Taxis will be out and about for hire on the streets of London and Manchester for twelve months.

This is the first time that Cancun has been involved in a campaign such as this; twenty Taxis in London and ten in Manchester will be sporting the Mayan theme design under the slogan ‘A New Look for an Ancient World’ for a year starting on May 9th.
We are holding a Press Launch at a breakfast reception on Friday 9 May 10.00 at The London Marriott Hotel, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road SE1 7PB.
RSVP Emily Goodfellow on 0207 317 7442 emily.goodfellow@axissm.com if you are interested in attending.

Cancun is a made-to-order resort, built specifically for tourism on the shores of the Caribbean Sea at the northeastern tip of Mexico’s scenic Yucatan Peninsula. Settled by the Mayan’s 3,000 years ago it is renowned for its 15.5-mile long stretch of white sandy beaches, world-class hotels, exceptional recreation features and the destination’s proximity to historic Mayan archeological sites.

Editors Note:
For more information please contact: Emily Goodfellow, The Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau, 421a Finchley Road, London NW3 6HJ Tel: 020 7317 7442 Fax: 020 7431 7920 Email: Emily.goodfellow@axissm.com or visit: www.cancun.travel.

CHICAGO, IL, 2008 – Over 200 meetings industry professionals will gather for four days of top-notch learning and intimate business networking at the PCMA Education Foundation’s first international Partnership Summit, May, 1 - 4, 2008, in Cancun, Mexico at ME Cancun.

“The collaborative approach of the Partnership Summit is what distinguishes PCMA from other industry organizations. There’s really no other event that encourages meeting professionals and supplier partners to work together and learn on such a personal level,” said PCMA Education Foundation Chair Christie Hicks. “Last year’s event closed to rave reviews and I’m confident that this year’s event, being held in Cancun and internationally for the first time, will generate similar positive buzz.”

The 2008 Summit is being hosted by the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau, ME Cancun and the Mexico Tourism Board, marking the first time the event has been held outside of the U.S. Attendees include some of the industry’s most senior-level meeting professionals from corporations, associations, independent meeting planners and meeting management companies—as well as supplier partners.

The event includes two general sessions, informal roundtables, and business networking events. One unique facet of the event is the opportunity for attendees to take part in off-site adventures, including a dolphin swim adventure, a parasailing ride, and an excursion to paradise reef –all conducive for attendees to get to know fellow colleagues in non-traditional settings.

This year’s general session speakers include best-selling author Peter Sheahan and “marketing guru” David Weinberger, Ph.D.

On Friday, Sheahan will deliver his insightful and entertaining presentation on “The Next Generation.” Sheahan (a Gen Y’er himself) will help attendees peel back the stereotypes to find out what “Generation Y” is really about. Attendees will discover how to attract, engage and retain talent of all ages in the future, and explore the impact the “next generation” will have on the meetings they organize.

Weinberger is Saturday’s general session speaker. His presentation on “When Markets Are Conversations: Experts, Authorities, and the Value of Face-to-Face” will explore the fundamental change in how customers make sense of what they’re learning from one another, and what this means for the meetings industry. Participants will discover the value of “real-world” meetings in the new Internet age.

In addition to the Hosting Sponsors, the 2008 PCMA Partnership Summit was made possible by the sponsors detailed below. Their contributions will enable the PCMA Education Foundation to further strengthen the meetings and convention industry throughout the year with scholarships, research grants, and innovative education.

Partnership Summit Sponsors are: American Airlines, Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, Canadian Tourism Commission, Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, Experience Columbus, Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, Walt Disney World® Resort, Fairmont/Raffles Hotels and Resorts, VISIT FLORIDA®, Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau, Freeman, Gaylord Hotels, GES Exposition Services, Hawai’i Convention Center, Hilton Hotels Corporation, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, InterContinental Hotels Group, Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau, Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, Marriott International, Tourisme Montréal, The Mulitsoft Group, National Speakers Bureau, New Orleans Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau, Orange County Convention Center, PSAV® Presentation Services, San Diego Convention Center Corporation, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., and Tourism Toronto.

For more information on the PCMA Education Foundation or Foundation events, visit

www.pcma.org/Foundation.

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It is a successful reality that no one would have ever imagined when the island of Cancun – Kaank’uun in the Mayan language – was inhabited by a small group of Mayan fisherman. Then, no one dreamed that in a little more than three decades it would offer international tourism 146 hotels with over 28,000 rooms of which 75 percent are ranked as 5 star or superior– the highest percentage in Latin America-, as well as approximately 453 restaurants, 12 shopping centers and 13 golf courses.

Cancun’s story begins in 1968 when Bank of Mexico was looking for new ways to bring foreign currency into the country. It commissioned a group of economists to explore 11.000 miles of the nation’s coasts to find the most attractive location in which to develop tourism, based on climate, water temperature and beautiful scenery.

The data was fed to a computer that reached a historical milestone by becoming the first processor in the world to pinpoint where to develop a tourist center. The analyzed data was categorical: it picked Cancun as one of those special places. What the computer could not predict was the amount of benefits that the project would bring to the country.

During the 70s, there was hardly any international tourism in Mexico. With Cancun came freeways, airports, ports and the entire country’s tourist attractions moved to the next level. International investors and tour operators set their sights on the new territory and transformed it into the phenomenon that it is today: the favorite destination of over three million national and international tourists each year.

Each year, Cancun brings a considerable amount of foreign currency into the country -3.073 billion dollars in 2007, almost double the 1.818 billion dollars from the previous year-; it is a direct or indirect source of employment for approximately 800,000 people; it has the second largest airport in Mexico with 54,729 annual flights, and it has become one of the hubs with the highest number of direct international flights in Latin America.

Built on this visionary past, on its 38th anniversary Cancun aims to continue elevating the quality and diversity of its tourist attractions, by adding sports, ecological and adventure attractions to its white sand beaches, archaeological attractions and renown, 15-mile boulevard.

The upcoming anniversary of Cancun, a “deeply unique” destination, will mark a step forward in 38 years of excellence in quality tourism, as well as its significant contributions to Mexico’s economic development.

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Cancun is located in the northern part of the southeastern Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The island of Cancun is in the shape of a “7” and is bordered to the north by the Bahia de Mujeres; to the east by the Caribbean Sea; and to the west by the Nichupte Lagoon. Cancun is Mexico’s largest tourist destination and boasts 146 hotels with a total of 28,201 rooms. Opportunities for new experiences abound in Cancun, which offers visitors an ideal setting for interacting with nature and discovering Mayan culture. For more information visit http://www.cancun.travel

Contact: Magdalena Lopez
mmlopez@och.com.mx
(55) 52 49 42 00 ext. 2211 & 2203

Xel-Ha is the only company in the whole of Quintana Roo to be awarded this acknowledgement successively since 2004, and its continuity has allowed other firms to value human resources as the most important asset of an organisation, as well as prove that this perspective for growth is necessary to give strength to Cancun and the Riviera Maya as a tourist destination.

During his speech, Jorge Ferrari emphasised that the increasing participation of firms improving their work environments has made the competition more difficult by the year, which has made this acknowledgement a significant achievement. In this year’s edition, 348 firms all over the country signed up, while the previous year had seen only 280 applications.

This acknowledgement testifies to Xel-Ha’s continuity to improve on three fundamental aspects: relationships between employees and managers, between the employees and their job or company, as well as between the employees themselves. Xel-Ha is a leading sustainable tourism firm in Mexico, in which natural resources are highly valued, although its key to success lies in having confidence as a common practice in relationships between the company and its collaborators.

To achieve this certification, Xel-Ha Natural Wonder has adapted its operation standards to the Great Place to Work® Institute model, which prioritises bonding in human resources on five important levels: credibility, respect, justice, pride and companionship.

Great Place to Work® Institute works with a specific system that has proved its effectiveness since 1991, periodically surveying the opinions of Xel-Ha collaborators to gauge the amount of confidence they have in the people they work for, how much pride they take in what they do, and if they enjoy working with their companions. This has resulted in an excellent work environment for Xel-Ha, a space where confidence and pride in one’s work is constantly transmitted to our visitors.

During this event, the Mexican Institute of Standards and Certification made its own acknowledgement to Mexico’s Great Place to Work® Institute, for the quality of its work methods that according to careful scrutiny, meet standards that guarantee trustworthy results, and bequeath confidence to the numerous firms that adhere to the model, proved in now over 29 countries.

The acknowledgement was given to David Iturbe Vargas, Xel-Ha’s PR manager, during the ceremony that took place in the Hacienda de los Morales, in Mexico City.

The strategy, which will be launched through newspapers, magazines, radio, television and Internet, seeks to showcase Cancun as the only place in the world where you can go to the beach and go back home with something other than a tan; where you go to rest and end up taking a history class; where one day you can find inner peace and the next you dare go on an adventure like you’d never imagined. In a nutshell, it’s a place by the sea with an ocean of possibilities..

The campaign highlights, among other possibilities, how to enjoy fantastic beaches in Cancun, dive in caves and coral reefs of endless beauty, play an exciting 18-hole round in a signature golf course, taste some of the most delicious and sophisticated culinary creations in the world or visit archeological sites such as El Rey, Ek Balam, Tulum, Chichen Itza (recently declared one of the new 7 wonders of the world) and other widely recognized Mayan sites..

The campaign also includes the use of an innovative media communications tool, the News Generation Engine, a creative and integrated solution formed by journalists, producers and consultants that will generate ideas, story angles and editorial opportunities that will clearly demonstrate why Cancun offers unique attractions, quality and benefits for global tourism.

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Cancun is located in the northern part of the southeastern Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The island of Cancun is in the shape of a “7” and is bordered to the north by the Bahia de Mujeres; to the east by the Caribbean Sea; and to the west by the Nichupte Lagoon. Cancun is Mexico’s largest tourist destination and boasts 146 hotels with a total of 28,201 rooms. Opportunities for new experiences abound in Cancun, which offers visitors an ideal setting for interacting with nature and discovering Mayan culture.
Contact: Magdalena López
mmlopez@och.com.mx
52-55 5249-4200 ext. 2326, 2226