CALIFORNIA TRAVEL AND TOURISM COMMISSION LAUNCHES WEB SITE TO HELP LURE MORE MEXICANS TO CALIFORNIA

To entice new and repeat travelers from Mexico, California’s top international market, the California Travel & Tourism Commission (CTTC) is launching a new Web site, www.visitacalifornia.com.mx, to give them the inside scoop on how to experience the California lifestyle during their visit.

“Although we welcomed 6.7 million Mexican visitors last year, making it our biggest international market, we lost ground in 2008 — 9 percent — over the previous year due to high gas prices and the recession,” said Caroline Beteta, CTTC president & CEO and chair of the U.S. Travel Association. “This new Spanish-language Web site is part of one of the ways we hope to make planning a California dream vacation easier and more compelling to this important market.”

Research shows that while 47 percent of Mexican air travelers used travel agents to book their trips, more and more consumers are turning to the Internet for their planning, information, and booking. An easy-to-use Web site with “insider” information from an official tourism source is key to their decision process and helping them reconnect with the California brand, said Beteta.

Forty-nine percent of Mexicans visiting the US visited California in 2008, spending $1 billion in the state. Overnight visitors stayed an average of 7.2 nights.. The new website is part of CTTC’s long-term strategy to invest more in expanding international “high value” markets. In 2007 CTTC expanded its overall international marketing efforts by $20 million, a 250 percent increase over 2006.

The new Web site will feature everything Mexican travelers need to plan their vacation, whether it be iconic attractions for first-time visitors or hidden gems that will entice repeat visitors. Mexican travelers will also find information on everything from shopping and dining, to national and state parks, skiing and winery tours, plus maps, itinerary suggestions, phone numbers, visa requirements, special promotions and more. In addition, users will be able to search by region, lifestyle, and things to do to create the perfect custom trip to the Golden State.

The California Travel and Tourism Commission (CTTC) is a non-profit organization with a mission to develop and maintain marketing programs – in partnership with the state’s travel industry – that keep California top-of-mind as a premier travel destination. According to the CTTC, travel and tourism expenditures total $97.6 billion annually in California, $18.5 billion of which is international, support jobs for 924,000 Californians and generate $5.8 billion in state and local tax revenues. For more information about the CTTC and for a free California vacation packet, go to www.visitcalifornia.com.”

Leave a Reply