Tourism Management Perspectives 8 (2013) 8089

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Tourism Management Perspectives

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Selling Mexico: Marketing and tourism values

Paula A. Ely
4624 Mary Ellen Ave., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423, United States

a r t i c l e

i n f o

a b s t r a c t
The Mexico Tourism Board has recently sought to diversify its tourism industry and increase the number of visitors to archeological sites by positioning Mexico as a cultural/historical destination as well as a sun-and-sea destination. While experts debate the positive and negative effects of tourism on Mexico's people and on archeological conservation, new trends toward so-called responsible tourism have emerged in the marketplace, indicating increased public awareness of the industry's impact, as well as a desire for more authentic and fullling travel experiences. Effective marketing can serve to promote particular tourist values that increase the positive impacts and decrease the negative ones. In the past, the goals of archaeology and tourism have been believed to be at odds, but if the two groups join forces to dene the nancial and non-nancial objectives of particular sites, opportunities exist for the collaborative creation of marketing materials that promote those objectives and benet both groups. 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Article history: Received 1 February 2013 Accepted 22 July 2013 Keywords: Mexico Marketing Advertising Tourism Archaeology Responsible tourism Cultural tourism Community

1. Introduction Mexico is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and ranks tenth in the world in terms of international arrivals, having welcomed 21.3 million tourists in 2010. Tourism is the second largest industry in Mexico (next to agriculture) and in the same year, the sector contributed $11.8 billion to the country's economy (U.S. Department of State, 2011). The majority (70%) of international tourists to Mexico are from the United States (Lince, 2004), and the country spends millions of dollars in marketing its destinations to the U.S. market. Most tourists visit the country's beach resorts, but Mexico's rich history and archaeological sites have made it a unique destination that has been positioned as an attractive mix of the modern and the ancient. Mexico's Tourism Board has recently begun to emphasize its cultural and archaeological history in an attempt to diversify the industry and to position the country as a cultural destination as well as a sun-and-sea destination. The objectives of this article are to examine the ways in which Mexico is using marketing campaigns to promote the development of tourism to its archaeological and cultural sites and to discuss ways in which strategic marketing might be employed to address the various issues faced by this increased development. The goals of archaeologists, to conduct further research and protect sites, have often been believed to be at odds with the goals of tourism. Many believe that the tourist industry seeks only to increase numbers of visitors, while remaining indifferent to the negative

impacts that can result from such increases. Through the examination of recent marketing campaigns as well as current trends in sustainable tourism, this article posits that if archaeology and tourism work together to dene both the nancial and non-nancial objectives of particular sites, opportunities exist for the collaborative creation of marketing materials that promote those objectives and benet both groups. While there is surprisingly little recent literature on the subject of tourism marketing, especially as it pertains to Mexico, this paper will endeavor to review previous work on the history of Mexico's tourism industry and the issues related to tourism in this developing country. General tourism marketing practices will also be considered. 2. Related literature 2.1. Mexican tourism history In the late 1920s, following the Mexican Revolution, Mexico began to develop tourism as a route toward internationalism, cosmopolitanism, economic growth and development as well as improved relations with its intended market and neighbor, the United States (Berger, 2006:4). The Mexican government made large investments in the development of beach resort centers such as Los Cabos, Cancun, Ixtapa, and the Maya Riviera, among others, and built modern airports, roads, and public services in these areas. Foreign hotel groups entered the market in large numbers, and visitors from the U.S. have ocked to Mexico's beaches. Mexico's spectacular archaeological sites gave the country a unique avor, and Teotihuacan was the rst archaeological site to be specically promoted for tourism purposes (Walker, 2005). The tourism industry has been acknowledged as a major factor in the modernization of Mexico (Berger, 2006). Tourism is now a major force in Mexico's economy, and

Thank you to Cameron Walker (PhD, Guest Lecturer, Cal State Fullerton) and Charles Stanish (PhD, Director, Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, UCLA) for their supervision of this project. Tel.: +1 3103877363. E-mail address: paulaely10@gmail.com. 2211-9736/$ see front matter 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2013.07.003

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comprises 10% of total national employment (Berger, 2006). As the industry has developed, Mexico has devoted tremendous resources to the marketing of its many tourist attractions in the United States, and conducts a variety of campaigns to ensure a steady ow of visitors. In 1989, in an effort to position tourism as a force for conservation and constructive development, Mexico joined Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador to create an international joint tourism project called La Ruta Maya (later renamed the Mundo Maya) in order to spotlight Maya archaeological sites and drive tourism to more remote areas of the country. Recently, Mexico has been dealt a serious publicity blow due to negative reports of violence resulting from the activities of warring drug cartels, causing some potential visitors to avoid the country altogether. Still, the national economy relies heavily on the industry, and the Mexican government has set a goal of ranking in the top ve global tourism destinations by 2015 (Mexico Tourism Board, January 27, 2012). 2.2. Tourism issues Tourist spending can be particularly benecial to rural economies located near archaeological sites, and local communities often see heritage resources as a way to diversify their economies (Hoffman, Kwas, & Silverman, 2002). Although some gains have been made, poverty persists in Mexico, particularly in rural areas, and 44% of Mexico's population lives below the poverty line (U.S. Department of State, 2011). The 2010 census conducted by Mexico's National Institute of Statistics and Geography identied 6.6 million of the country's 112 million people as indigenous, according to a denition based on native language speakers (Godoy, 2012), and despite Mexico's tradition of indigenismo, or idealization of the country's indigenous cultures, contemporary Mexican indigenous people are overwhelmingly poor peasants. Many do not speak Spanish, and lack access to any signicant political and economic power. Most reside outside the cultural mainstream of Mexico (van den Berghe, 1995:571), and many scholars have expressed concern about the effects of Mexico's tourism industry on these disenfranchised communities. While tourism provides revenue, research suggests that a large percentage of tourism spending is leaked back to the hotel industry's foreign investors (Ardren, 2004). Even local gains may go disproportionately to the rich, while the lowest-income households are often left out (Blake, Jorge Saba Arbache, Sinclair, & Teles, 2008). Traditional industries such as farming and shing may be displaced by uncertain low-wage jobs serving a ckle tourist population. Daltabuit and Pi-Sunyer suggest that such a rapid transformation of an economy can have a domino effect of deleterious consequences such as the loss of a sense of identity and place, the displacement of local cultural models by metropolitan or hegemonic ones, and, in many instances, a socio-cultural breakdown that manifests itself in factionalism, heightened levels of domestic conict, and increases in alcoholism, delinquency, and prostitution. These dislocationssocial, cultural, and economictypically go hand-in-hand withindeed, are in large measure a reection ofnew correlations of power that tend to transform the local population into a servile class catering to the needs of foreign visitors (1990:10). Cross-cultural interactions can be signicant opportunities for increased mutual appreciation, but are also fraught with danger of misunderstandings, and the wide variance in economic power between tourists and impoverished locals can create dynamics of entitlement among tourists and resentment among locals. Issues of cultural commodication and misrepresentation are also a source of frustration. In the Maya region, particularly in sequestered resort centers such as the Maya Riviera, visitors are often left with the impression that the Maya civilization ceased to exist after the collapse of the grand cities now in ruins. While tour agencies occasionally include a visit to a Maya community on a tour of an archaeological site, most tourists to the area

are left with the impression that the Maya are extinct (Walker, 2005). Other providers stress continuity between modern people and ancient civilizations, positioning contemporary Maya as authentic descendents of the city-builders, while ignoring the complexities created by ve hundred years of colonial rule and modern capitalist systems (Ardren, 2007; van den Berghe, 1995). Perhaps most distressing has been the lack of local participation in tourism planning. Some suggest that Mexico's dependence on foreign tourism leads the country to pursue aggressive tourism plans dictated by the distant department of the federal government, despite opposition from local groups, and with questionable benets to local people (Ardren, 2004; Daltabuit & Pi-Sunyer, 1990). In such cases, the problem is much less tourism per se than a situation that denies local people any role in the tourist trade other than that of unskilled labor (Daltabuit & PiSunyer, 1990:13). Jennifer Matthews, an archaeologist who has worked for more than twenty years in the state of Quintana Roo, has also observed that modest local attempts to capitalize on tourism generally nd it difcult to compete with more well-funded and well-connected outside operators with the means to advertise their attractions to resort-goers and tour organizers, again leaving local small businesses out of the marketplace in their own communities (personal communication August 16, 2012). Despite these concerns, tourism is understood to be a powerful force in the global economy. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), annual international tourist arrivals are set to hit a record one billion in 2012, despite challenging global economic conditions (UNWTO, 2012). The travel sector is directly responsible for 5% of the world's GDP and employs one out of every 12 people in both advanced and emerging economies (UNWTO, 2012). The 2012 G20 World Leaders Summit held in Los Cabos, Mexico included tourism on its agenda for the rst time in history, and the Leader's Declaration from the meeting states, we recognize the role of travel and tourism as a vehicle for job creation, economic growth, and development (Mexico Tourism Board, June 22, 2012). The UNWTO has suggested that the economic power of tourism can be a key component of achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals to end extreme poverty by 2015 by promoting the development of responsible, sustainable, and universally accessible tourism [which] allows destinations and companies to minimize the negative impacts of tourism on the environment and on cultural heritage while maximizing its economic and social benets (UNWTO, 2010:4). (For more information about the specic benchmarks of the UN Millennium Development Goals, see http://www.un.org/ milleniumgoals). Tourism revenue provides economic alternatives to the looting of artifacts, and can create a marketplace for other tourism activities in the region. The responsible presentation of sites for tourists can boost understanding of ancient cultures to both locals and visitors while simultaneously promoting conservation values (Drost, 1996; Hoffman et al., 2002; McKercher & du Cros, 2002). In an era of limited funding for archaeological research, revenue from site gate receipts or from tax revenue generated from tourism activities (McKercher & du Cros, 2002) can potentially provide the nancial means to conserve assets and to contribute to ongoing work. Tourism has also been named as a positive force for conservation of archaeological sites and for increasing public understanding of the eld of archaeology. Myriad television programs and books on the subject of archaeology attest to widespread interest in the eld, but archaeological parks provide the only rsthand experience, and can serve as education centers for visitors of all ages and backgrounds (Hoffman et al., 2002). While some express concern over the idea of the packaging of the past into a commodity for tourist consumption, Henry Cleere takes a broadly positive view of tourist visits of any kind. For every cultural tour group visiting Ephesus or the Pyramids at Teotihuacan and spending several hours studying them in detail there are 20 groups arriving by bus en route between one visit and

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the next, spending half an hour in a hurried and unprepared tour before buying their souvenirs and boarding their buses for their next destination. The value of such tours is debatable; for the individuals concerned it is probably minimal, since they will have little time to absorb even the basic facts about these important and complex sites. Nevertheless, there is an intangible benet in that many of them will be almost subconsciously inuenced by a feeling of respect for the past and for the human achievement that such monuments representthough few are likely to be able to articulate these feelings in such termsand as a result they may well be instinctively sympathetic to archaeology when they are confronted with it in their home environments, whether in a television programme or an excavation in their home town (1989: 9). Tourists are not a monolithic group. They arrive at a site with a range of motivations and expectations, from casual to truly enthusiastic. Some simply feel compelled to visit the list of must-sees compiled by guidebooks (Brown, 2007; Walker, 2005). Cameron Walker considers the lack of effective interpretation as one of the reasons for the perception of some that these sites are theme park attractions rather than heritage sites worthy of more contemplative exploration (2009:72), and suggests that when hordes of people arrive at an archaeological site by the busload, they are effectively encouraged to experience the site as mere entertainment. The educational value of the tourist experience is also important in encouraging values, Educating tourists about the host culture not only enhances the tourist experience but is more likely to encourage behaviors that promote sustainability (Walker, 2009:3). Gianna Moscardo has written that improving interpretation can create more mindful tourists who will come away from their visit with a greater appreciation and understanding of the visited site and of archaeology in general (1996). Pierre van den Berghe writes, Tourism is neither as good nor as bad as many people suppose, but much more complex and interesting than simple, categorical judgments can capture (1995:17). While it is clear that the negotiations around developing tourism projects are not generally between parties of equal bargaining power, it is important to avoid assumptions that communities cannot make appropriate decisions on their own behalf. Malcolm Crick writes, we must be careful not to indulge in romanticism and ethnocentrism by setting our descriptions against some Rousseauesque idyll of traditional life.Long before tourism, those cultures were changing, including in directions that reecting their own understandings of the nature of Western societies (1989:336). The tourism industry is an intricate web of competing forces, both positive and negative. Most telling may be that when a group of Maya individuals were asked whether things would be better if there were no tourism, 78% responded that it would not be better, and despite concerns about the changes that tourism has brought and some anxiety about the potential cultural losses, many people believe that working in the industry is their most promising opportunity (Pi-Sunyer, Thomas, & Daltabuit, 2001). 2.3. Trends in sustainable tourism Increased awareness and concern about the negative aspects of tourism has sparked new trends in tourist behavior toward socalled responsible or sustainable tourism. Many tourists seek to patronize venues where there is a sense that their presence is positive and often seek guidance on how to identify such travel options by looking for recommendations/approval from established groups such as the Rainforest Alliance or Sustainable Travel International (Higgins, 2012, June 20). In John Gezerma's book Spend Shift, he suggests that many consumers believe that they can use their spending choices to inuence the marketplace and have made a shift in spending

toward organizations operating in line with their values, including those of social and environmental responsibility and sustainability (2011). Consumers are choosing meaningful experiences over products, and many have put authentic encounters of diverse cultures into that category. Sustainable tourism has been dened in a number of ways, but generally intends a more low-impact system of tourism services that considers the range of an area's stakeholders. The protection of destinations, conservation of resources, and improved economic value to locals are values pursued through smaller scale, locally owned developments that emphasize the character of a place, and allow for the money spent by tourists to remain in the region. It is believed that this type of tourism will, if managed properly, increase respect for local cultures, be viewed more positively by local people, encourage sustainability in both an environmental and cultural sense, and create more meaningful interactions between tourists and local residents (Brohman, 1996). Local people who benet economically are more likely to appreciate and protect their local assets, and tourists experience a greater understanding and appreciation for the places they visit. When tourism operates well, it can allow residents to discover new things about their own heritage and environment, or even improve local relations. As Pierre van den Berghe relates in his writings about ethnic tourism in San Cristbal, Chiapas, the ethnic dynamics between the region's indigenous people and mestizos (non-indigenous Mexicans) have been transformed due to tourism. As local mestizos noticed that Indians were the object of respectful curiosity on the part of well-heeled, high-status foreigners, they began to modify their attitudes and behavior towards Indians. [There exists a] recognition that San Cristbal owes much of its economic life to the presence of Indians, and mestizo attitudes towards Indians have become more tolerant, or at least less disrespectful, than in the past.There is a developing pride in the Indian heritage, a local version of the national indigenismo ideology (1995:580581). Mexico has made some attempts to address the negative issues that tourism has raised. The Mundo Maya multinational tourism project was rst proposed by Wilbur Garrett, former editor of National Geographic, and featured as the entire October 1989 issue of the magazine. The ambitious endeavor was described as a plan for environmentally oriented tourism and sustainable, nondestructive development to provide jobs and money to help pay for preservation (Garrett, 1989:436). This quote from the National Geographic article suggests the spirit of early sustainable tourism efforts, Only if it can be proved that the forests, the endangered species, the fragile coral reefs, and the ancient Maya sites have more value intact than as plunder can they surviveno concept, however well conceived, can succeed that does not include today's Maya in both planning and protssomething that has seldom happened in the 500 years since the arrival of the Spaniards (p.436). Despite these admirable ideals, the project has been criticized as merely an advertising strategy (Ardren, 2004), and an attempt to promote the notion of tourism as a positive force for preserving the ancient and modern Maya (Daltabuit & Pi-Sunyer, 1990). Meanwhile, it has been noted that few of the project's many initiatives have come to fruition, and that local Maya groups have been left out of the process once again (Ardren, 2004). While sustainable tourism that seeks a balance between the various stakeholders may never completely replace mass tourism, it is clearly a growing segment, and perhaps can provide some insights to help mass tourism sites improve their operations and overcome negative stereotypes by adopting some of the practices highlighted by these new endeavors (Brohman, 1996). Ultimately, the success or failure of sustainable tourism initiatives will depend on the industry's ability to truly satisfy the stakeholders' various needs while delivering fullling experiences. They must also get the word out about their destinations and services. The tourism industry, as well as archaeologists and others involved in tourism, would do well to recognize the power of marketing

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to engage this segment of the tourism consumer and to promote the values that it seeks to realize. 2.4. Marketing Marketing is a subject of vital concern in travel and tourism because, in practical terms, it harnesses the power of massive commercial forces as well as government and regulatory inuencesIt is the principal management inuence that can be used to shape the size and behavior of a major, growing global market (Middleton, Fyall, Morgan, & Ranchlod, 2009:4). Opportunities exist for partnerships between site managers, archaeologists, and community leaders in presenting a site to the public in a manner that serves the interests of all concerned (Baram & Rowan, 2004; Buhalis, 2000; Hoffman et al., 2002; Middleton et al., 2009). People make decisions about which destinations to visit based on a number of factors, including recommendations from friends, news, media representations, personal interests, and exposure to marketing and advertising campaigns. A destination has been dened as the collective tourism amenities and services of a place, including transportation, accommodation, landscape, climate, culture, sights, and entertainment (Buhalis, 2000:97). Marketing teams work hard to create a brand identity, or set of expectations about a place, and consumer satisfaction depends in large part on the alignment of expectations with a tourism experience. Destination images are not necessarily grounded in visitors' direct experience or facts but they are always powerful motivators in leisure travel and tourism (Middleton et al., 2009:125). Creating marketing products that generate realistic and appealing expectations of a place is critical to the ultimate satisfaction of tourists (Buhalis, 2000). Marketing initiatives have been criticized for a number of reasons, including the focus on increasing visitor numbers despite potential damage to a place, the lack of authentic representations in advertising, and the creation of misleading expectations (Ardren, 2004; Baram & Rowan, 2004; McKercher & du Cros, 2002). While advertisers have certainly been guilty on these counts, the truth of the matter is that a savvy marketing plan has tremendous power to help drive the realization of a destination's goals. In fact, the failure to consider marketing results in imprecise messaging, leading to a mismatch between tourist types and a destination, and it is these mismatches that ultimately lead to many of the adverse impacts that reckless tourism practices can produce (McKercher & du Cros, 2002). Some nd the idea distasteful that to engage in marketing is to consider the assets of a community as products for consumption, but the product approach can also be framed as a distillation of the nancial and non-nancial goals of the site, allowing for a clear plan of action in identifying and attracting the appropriate target consumer and tailoring the tourism experience accordingly. Therefore, a key role of marketing managers is to inuence and, wherever possible, to manage demand (Middleton et al., 2009:97). In Bob McKercher and Hillary duCros's discussion of marketing, they revisit the question of interpretation as an element of an integrated marketing and management plan. If the target market is the casual or incidental tourist, then the attraction will need to be presented in an easily consumable manner. If the goal is to target the sightseeing cultural tourist, then a deeper experience can be provided that is still relatively accessible to the nonexpert. If, however, the target audience is the purposeful cultural tourist, the product, will, again, have to be shaped in a different manner to suit this audience (2002:207). In addition, an integrated plan can take into account a variety of ways to control visitor numbers and visitor experiences, including those that enhance or inhibit access in some cases. Decisions regarding operating hours, entrance fees, limits on visitor access and whether or not to encourage bus tours all play a role in the level of control over a site as well as the breadth of the tourist market (McKercher & du Cros, 2002). When increased visitor numbers threatens the achievement of nonnancial goals such as conservation or education, de-marketing can be employed to reduce demand or shift visitors away from fragile areas

toward more durable ones. Marketing may be as much about convincing some people to avoid a place that will not meet their expectations as it is about convincing the target audience to seek out a particular destination (McKercher & du Cros, 2002, Middleton et al., 2009). McKercher and du Cros (2002) also assert that failure to consider marketing in site management plans results in a loss of control over the product and puts cultural heritage sites in the position of responding to tourism demand rather than leading it. In all too many cases, sales targets are identied, advertising budgets set, and promotional material produced without asking the essential questions, why? and what do we really want to achieve from these efforts (2002:203). Archaeological sites and cultural imagery are often used to promote a destination as unique. Countries incorporate prehistoric heritage into symbols of national identity (Ardren, 2004), while the tourism market uses it as a tool to encourage visits and consumption (Baram & Rowan, 2004). Until recently, archeological heritage management and tourism have operated separately from one another, believing their respective goals of conservation and increased visitation to be incompatible. An integrated management and marketing approach can be challenging due to the sometimes-perceived conicting interests of the various stakeholders, but collaboration is vital to the successful maximization of both economic and non-economic objectives, and individual partners must cooperate rather than compete (Ardren, 2004; Buhalis, 2000). The participation of archaeologists in the creation of advertising materials can also educate marketers about what they want the public to understand about the study of the past, about the specic features of particular sites, and about the cultures that created them. Advertising can also be a means by which to educate consumers about appropriate behaviors at sensitive sites through the use of images and slogans that emphasize the cultural and/or spiritual signicance of a place to historical and contemporary people. Additional education is needed for archaeology students in heritage management and archaeological tourism, as many archaeologists lack training in this arena (Hoffman et al., 2002). Billions of dollars are spent each year by advertisers because advertising gets results. The objectives of some advertising campaigns are short-term, such as promoting an event or sale, but most are more subtle, and are geared toward leaving impressions on consumers by focusing attention on a particular brandin this case a destination. If an advertisement leaves a positive impression of a destination, and if that impression is made repeatedly over time, that sense of a place will x in consumers' minds, and they are more likely to view that destination in a better light than other options when the time comes to make a decision about travel. When an individual is considering options for his next vacation, he may have a general notion that, for example, Mexico is a place with beautiful beaches, or that Mexico is a place where one can visit the ruins of an interesting ancient civilization. When those notions align with the experience that he imagines, Mexico becomes a viable option for his trip. National magazine advertising is a highly visible component of a marketing campaign, and these published advertisements often convey the overall message that helps to establish the desired impression of a particular destination. The images and slogans utilized in print ads usually carry through to other marketing platforms such as television, Internet, and social media. Print advertisements generally have only a single page in which to deliver a message, and therefore must sum up their ideas in a visually striking image that can capture the attention of a reader who is ipping through the pages of a magazine. In general, the ad space is devoted to photographs or other images, with a slogan of a few words designed to create an appealing impression and create a sense of desire and curiosity in a consumer. Advertisements are sophisticated tools that can appeal to a specic target audience and its sense of self, social ambitions, and fantasies (Talalay, 2004). When an advertising message is compatible with a consumer's idea of himself and the type of experience he seeks, it can create a positive impression of the destination presented. In order to appeal to the growing segment of the tourism market seeking travel options in line with the goals of sustainability, authenticity, and local benet, advertising must reect those

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values. Neville Linton wrote, an alternative tourism has to develop a more realistic image of the placewe have to offer an interesting vacation because the place is seen to be interesting. This involves developing a different prole in our promotion, one which makes signicant reference to our culture, activities, and true social history (1976:324). 3. Method The research for this project was conducted by the gathering and analysis of three types of materials. The rst group includes articles in the advertising trade press (such as Advertising Age and AdWeek) and press releases issued by the Mexico Tourism Board in reference to Mexico's marketing strategy and plans for implementing this strategy to reach consumers in the United States. The second type consists of print advertisements designed by the Mexico Tourism Board in collaboration with their advertising agency and placed in popular Englishlanguage consumer publications such as National Geographic Traveler and The New Yorker. While Mexico produces a range of print advertisements that promotes various aspects of their overall tourism industry, the ads that were selected for the purposes of this research were limited to those that explicitly promote archaeological and cultural tourism. Finally, as websites and social media sites are increasingly utilized as part of Mexico's marketing mix, two websites operated by the Mexico Tourism Board, http://www.mundomaya.travel and http://www.mexico taxiproject.com, were also reviewed. The analysis of these materials provided information on the following topics: Mexico's goals for its tourism industry The emphasis on archaeological and cultural sites as an element of Mexico's overall tourism strategy The methods by which Mexico is marketing its tourism sites to potential visitors The themes and content of Mexico Tourism's marketing products 4. Results and discussion Mexico's Secretariat of Tourism is a cabinet-level ofce of the federal government, and Fondo Nacional de Fomento al Turismo (FONATUR) or Mexico Tourism Board (MTB), was created in 1999 as an agency of the Tourism Secretariat to promote Mexico's tourist destinations internationally, using the collective resources of the federal and state governments, municipalities and private companies (Mexico Tourism Board, 2010). The MTB has eighteen international ofces, which work to market the country's tourism offerings in a variety of ways, from courting travel agents and convention planners, to participating in travel fairs, to working to convince airline partners to add new routes and schedule more ights into the country. The Mexico Tourism Board has a global marketing budget of $100 million annually (Bruell, 2011), and develops and coordinates high-prole media campaigns together with top-level advertising and marketing agencies. Each campaign consists of a core message tailored to multiple media platforms to effectively reach the desired audience demographic. Print advertisements in major national consumer magazines often establish a general theme for a particular campaign, which is then carried through to other media. Today's print ads generally direct consumers to visit one of Mexico's ofcial English-language websites, including the ofcial tourism site, http://www.visitmexico.com and/or one of several specialized sites, including http://www.mexicotaxiproject.com and http://www.mundomaya.travel. A new emphasis on social media includes regular postings to Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WeVisit Mexico), Twitter (https://twitter.com/WeVisitMexico), Flicker (http:// www.ickr.com/groups/wevisitmexico), and Pinterest (http://pinterest. com/visitmex/), as well as a YouTube channel (http://www.youtube. com/VisitMex) that features slickly-produced promotional videos in both English and Spanish for a variety of destinations.

Mexico has recently embarked on a new strategy of promoting itself as a cultural and adventure destination in addition to a sun and beach destination, and has a goal of ranking among the world's top ve tourism destinations by 2015 (Mexico Tourism Board, 2012), while cultural tourism is expected to increase from about 10% to about 35% over the next eight years (Mexico Tourism Board, 2011). Rodolfo Lopez-Negrete, Chief Operating ofcer of the Mexico Tourism Board has said, Mexico's tourism industry is focused on promoting a broader range of tourism products aimed at attracting a new breed of global consumer (Mexico Tourism Board, 2011). In the pursuit of a different kind of American tourist, the target market of Mexico's newest media campaigns has been dened as individuals 3565 years old with annual incomes above $75,000, and who describe themselves as open to exploring new and different travel experiences (Mexico Tourism Board, 2010). With those travelers in mind, Mexico has launched a new branding effort that emphasizes the transformative power of travel and denes Mexico as a unique and undiscovered cultural destination. 4.1. Mexico: the place you thought you knew The Place You Thought You Knew series of print advertisements features romantic images of some of Mexico's archaeological and colonial treasures such as Tulum (Fig. 1), Chichen Itz (Fig. 2), and Puebla (Fig. 3). Gloria Guevara, Mexico's Secretary of Tourism says, We feel this campaign will do a spectacular job of communicating the lesserknown ways travelers can explore Mexico, and then return home a different person than when they left (Mexico Tourism Board, 2010). The ads seek to engage tourists interested in travelling beyond the beach destinations that many associate with Mexico, and some attempt to link today's tourists with ancient cultural groups through the use of taglines such as Was this the rst suite with an ocean view? in an ad featuring Tulum, and Was this the rst tanning bed ever? accompanying a photo of Chichen Itz. As mentioned earlier, print advertisements must convey their message in a single page, so these ads utilize striking and simple photographs accompanied by minimal text and are meant to create a sense of beauty and wonder about a place perhaps previously understood only as a beach destination. The ads all feature the logo for the campaign (Fig. 4) and the direction to Discover More at www. visitmexico.com. Some also feature the MUNDO MAYA 2012 logo and/or the Mexico Taxi Project logo as well. These advertisements have been placed in such inuential publications as National Geographic Traveler and The New Yorker, which have millions of upscale, educated readers each month. 4.2. Mundo Maya 2012 The Mundo Maya campaign serves as an example of a way in which marketing materials can utilize an event to mold public perception of a place while simultaneously encouraging tourism to that region. The idea of a Maya prophecy about the end of an era in 2012 has captured the attention of many curious Westerners, from doomsday prophets predicting the end of the world to New Age spiritualists seeking a positive new rebirth of the human race. The concept of a Mayan apocalypse is based on the Mayan calendar, which marks December 21, 2012 as the end of a 5126-year cycle of the 13 Baktun, which began on August 11, 3114 BC. Academics and Maya leaders have worked to dispel the myth that this calendrical cycle marks the end of civilization as we know it, but these beliefs among the public persist, and an entire industry has been created around the 2012 phenomenon. Hundreds of books, movies, television specials, and seminars have been created, including such titles as 2012: Time for Change, 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, and Mystical 2012: The Triple Rebirth of the Sun and the Triple Rebirth of You. In order to capitalize on this frenzy, Mexico, along with Guatemala and Belize, has launched a tourism campaign to promote travel to Mayan cultural sites. Mexico's then President, Felipe Calderon, announced the

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Fig. 1. Mexico Tourism Board Advertisement. Appeared in National Geographic Traveler, August/September 2012.

launch of the country's program, called Mundo Maya 2012 (Mayan World 2012) as a program to promote the Maya Culture while also boosting tourism. Today we are the 10th power for tourism in the world, and we are working hard to be in the top ve, Calderon said at the announcement of the campaign. We want the world to know the

Fig. 2. Mexico Tourism Board Advertisement. Appeared in The New Yorker, June 4 & 11, 2012.

splendors of the Mayan civilization, with the end goal of positioning Mexico as a privileged and unique touristic destination (Mexico Tourism Board, 2011). Secretary of Tourism Gloria Guevara says, The celebration of the end of the Mayan calendar's cycle is an extraordinary opportunity to promote the great cultural, historical and human heritage that we posses. We are so excited to share the unique Mayan culture with the world(Mexico Tourism Board, 2011). In the year prior to the calendar's end on December 21, 2012, Mexico has embarked on a new tourism campaign with its own logo (Fig. 5) and the tag line, The Countdown That Will Make HistoryA New Era Begins in both English and Spanish (La cuenta que har historia Una nueva era comienza). The campaign's vast ofcial website, http://www.mundomaya. travel, is available in Spanish, English, German, French, and Italian, and features a brief description of the ancient Maya civilization and their calendar system, along with some discussion of the Maya worldview. Despite the evocative tagline, A new era begins, and the countdown clock that ticks off the seconds until the big day, the site's language is careful to emphasize that the era ending December 21, 2012, does not include a world's end prophecy, but rather signies only a society's measure of time. A fairly extensive and accessible survey of Maya architectural styles and archaeological sites make up the bulk of the website, with focused attention on each of the states of Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Campeche, and Yucatan. For example, Chiapas is represented as, The natural blending of scenic, cultural and tourist resources, and detailed information is presented on many of the state's archaeological sites, from iconic Palenque to lesser-known Chinkultic, (see example Fig. 6). A brief history of each site that is open to tourists is presented, along with a description and photographs of the key architectural features and a discussion of why the site is important in the larger picture of the Maya civilization. Logistical information such as maps, directions, visiting hours, and entrance fees is also included, along with guides to area hotels and restaurants. While Mexico commands most of the site's real estate, the other countries in the Maya worldBelize,

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Fig. 3. Mexico Tourism Board Advertisement. Appeared in National Geographic Traveler June/July 2012.

Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvadorhave smaller dedicated pages for their own sites. The Mexico Tourism Board organized over 500 Mayan-themed events throughout the region in connection with the 2012 campaign including gastronomic, archaeological, and astronomical programs. Many of these are highlighted on the Mundo Maya 2012 website, as are a series of eight high production value YouTube videos. These short videos feature beautiful cinematography and rhythmic music in inspirational scenes of various archaeological sites in which people in native dress experience the sites along with a few tourists. It could be argued that these videos present an unfairly romanticized view of the timeless Maya, but it must be kept in mind that these videos are marketing products intended to inspire visitors, not scholarly works that seek to provide in-depth discussions of complex issues within the region. While the elements of this campaign are of high quality and comprise a valuable resource for tourists interested in Mexico's ancient past, there remains some disconnect between the ancient Maya civilization and the contemporary Maya people that populate the region today. Some critics have complained that the Maya culture has been misrepresented and that the 2012 prophecy has been exploited as a marketing tool (Godoy, 2012). Some indigenous rights groups such as Permanent Forum on Indigenous Policy Kuxa'ano'on (Mayan for we live) have

complained that they were not consulted on tourism plans and are concerned that their voices have been left out. Some are concerned that doomsday tourism could damage or contaminate sacred sites, and question whether the tourism revenue will benet indigenous communities. Others worry about how their culture is being represented. Cecilio Solis, president of the Mexican Indigenous Tourism Network (RITA) told IPS, We don't want this to be treated like Hollywood entertainment or a local-color attraction. It has to do with history and the passage of generations; it's part of our spiritual heritage (Godoy, 2012). Still, local groups have become more involved in tourism in recent years, and the very existence of groups such as RITA testify to the fact that indigenous people are aware of and are interested in ways in which they can benet from tourism, and RITA is working with other groups to plan their own activities in connection with the change of baktun cycle. Quetzil Castaeda of Indiana University, who has worked extensively with the local community surrounding the prominent site Chichen Itz, said in an interview with Al-Jazeera news that Maya communities will indeed benet economically from increased tourism to the region (Al Jazeera News, 2012). Although some may take issue with the hype over the 2012 event and question the level of community involvement, the campaign manages to focus on the contributions of Maya culture, avoiding all reference to apocalyptic interpretations of the end of this calendar cycle. Government and tourism industry ofcials have said that cultural awareness

Fig. 4. Mexico: The Place You Thought You Knew campaign logo.

Fig. 5. Mundo Maya campaign logo.

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Fig. 6. Sample page from http://www.mundomaya.travel, accessed August 17, 2012.

and development are at the core of their new tourism objectives (Godoy, 2012). While the focus on 2012 is a gimmick, Mexico has seized the occasion to transform interest in the Maya calendar into an opportunity for drawing interest to Maya archaeological heritage, including many sites beyond those that are well known. The effort may drive tourist trafc to smaller sites and contribute to the overall educational value of tourist visits. With an investment of some 49 million dollars, the Mundo Maya program is expected to bring in 52 million domestic and foreign tourists and around 14 billion dollars in tourism-related income (Godoy, 2012). 4.3. Mexico Taxi Project Mexico's brand has recently been challenged by news reports of violence, murder, and kidnappings by drug cartels. Tourism is a major component in the country's economy, but many in the United States, its largest target market, still fear travel to the country. In response, Mexico has embarked upon a public relations effort to make people feel better about visiting (Bruell, 2011). In addition to reaching out to news services, a new website has been launched at http://www.mexico taxiproject.com, with a tag line of Real People. Real Stories. The Real

Mexico: Nothing but the truth about a remarkable place. The site contains two features: See the Taxi Videos and Meet the Faces of Mexico. The taxi videos are hidden-camera commercials in which tourists returning from Mexico talk about their trip with the drivers taking them home from the airport. In these videos, tourists arriving at their home airports were offered a free ride home in exchange for their opinions on a new brand of tequila. Once the ride was underway, the drivers of the hidden camera-equipped cars engaged their riders in casual discussions about their vacations, eliciting statements such as, It was amazing; [We felt] totally safe; It was so easy; etc. The second group of videos, Meet the Faces of Mexico, features short testimonials from American citizens dubbed our neighbors south of the border who have moved, often with their families, to live full time in Mexico. Statements include you never feel like something bad is going to happen, the people are so friendly, It's a wonderful place to raise children, and [people should] go beyond the beach. Gerardo Llantes, Chief Marketing Ofcer at the Mexico Tourism Board, said, We felt strongly that Americans talking to Americans about their experiences in Mexico would be stronger than a feel-good commercial. These spots clearly intend to counter negative impressions about Mexico and to ease concerns about travel to the country by emphasizing that violence is limited to certain regions and that

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tourists are not targeted. According to Llantes, if there was a problem in Chicago you wouldn't need to avoid Los Angeles (Bruell, 2011). In these three campaigns, Mexico is promoting cultural and archaeological tourism and attempting to get travelers to venture beyond beach resorts into the less-traveled interior of the country. Mexico: The Place You Thought You Knew, with its taglines about tanning beds and ocean views, reminds tourists of the sun and sand appeal of Mexico while providing a link to some popular and accessible cultural sites that lie outside the boundaries of the resort experience and may spark some interest in the destination's history and culture. The Mundo Maya 2012 campaign seizes the opportunity provided by the global attention to the Mayan Apocalypse to draw travelers to archaeological sites in the Maya region, and the extensive website, http://www.mundomaya.travel, provides a great deal of information about Maya history and culture while simultaneously promoting travel to sites of interest for Maya enthusiasts. Mexico Taxi Project seeks to soothe the minds of potential travelers who have been thwarted by reports of violence in the country by emphasizing safety while simultaneously urging tourists to move beyond resort areas and experience the real Mexico. Each campaign is carefully targeted to reach tourists of particular persuasions and interests, and encourage activities from day trips to popular archaeological sites to more adventurous excursions to more remote destinations. Mexico's new marketing strategies appear to be paying off, with a record number of tourists expected in 2012. While beach resorts continue to be successful, Mexico has made strides in diversifying its brand and becoming a cultural destination by attracting visitors to lesser-known sites in different regions of the country. As global tourism continues to grow and consumers continue to seek unique trips, Mexico is well positioned to deliver satisfying experiences to this segment of the market. This diversication has the potential to bring economic development to more areas of the country, particularly rural regions in which many archaeological sites are located. In pursuing rapid expansion of the tourism industry, Mexico must also exercise caution in avoiding the negative impacts associated with such growth, and plan carefully in collaboration with the various stakeholders of each region to responsibly absorb additional visitors. Mexico's push to change its public prole to highlight its cultural heritage may lead to archaeological site visits receiving a larger share of the tourism pie, and more tourism proceeds should be allocated to the conservation and improved interpretation of these sites. While the blockbuster sites of Tulum and Chichen Itz will likely retain their status as must-see destinations for more casual visitors, others may seek to engage further with the archaeological heritage of Mexico's many cultural groups, leading to a greater appreciation for the eld of archaeology and the country's rich history. Archaeologists and local community groups can contribute to the positive development of tourism by viewing the tourism industry as a partner in advocating for the best use of archaeological and cultural assets, and use their knowledge and experience to help shape a satisfying tourist experience that best serves the needs of all involved. While this paper has focused on Mexico's large international branding campaigns, it should be noted that the ability to get the word out about local tourism projects is imperative to their success, and Mexico would do well to consider ways in which it might use its sizeable marketing power to help draw visitors to smaller-scale endeavors. Particularly as websites and social media sites become more and more central to marketing initiatives, Mexico can work to drive trafc to those resources with their large general campaigns and use those online spaces to help travelers craft the unique experiences they desire by connecting them to the local resources that can serve their needs. While marketing alone cannot resolve all of the issues surrounding archaeological and cultural tourism, it is important to recognize the power of effective communication with travelers, and as Mexico continues to pursue growth in the industry, sensitive messaging should be utilized as an important tool in realizing its goals. It is essential to consider that the federal government of Mexico must be concerned with the welfare of its citizens and the protection of its

cultural heritage in addition to its general economy, and as an ofce of the government, the Mexico Tourism Board has a responsibility to consider each of these priorities when promoting the country to tourists. Thus, the travel industry, archaeologists, and local communities are truly interdependent facets of a productive cultural tourism sector. 5. Conclusions Effective marketing is a key component to achieving the goals of any tourism project. This discussion is useful for tourism professionals and marketers as well as to archaeologists and conservationists in the current environment as the sheer number of travelers continues to increase and a more conscious approach to tourism is on the rise. The growing primacy of Internet-based contact that destinations have with potential visitors provides a tremendous opportunity to provide more localized information and promote sustainable tourism to an audience that is inspired by more general campaigns to seek out the experiences they desire. It is imperative that the various stakeholders in each destination work together to identify the nancial and non-nancial goals of a particular site, including the allocation of proceeds from the industry to projects that further research, conservation, and local development. The setting of these objectives will lead to marketing themes and materials that will create impressions of the country that attract the types of tourists that appropriately align with those goals. Thoughtful advertising can help to promote the values and behaviors that better serve the interests of all stakeholders while creating realistic expectations for visitors, and therefore result in more satisfying trips. References
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Paula Ely has been involved in the media industry since 1991, when she joined the television division of Carolco Pictures. In 1993 Paula joined Kazmark Entertainment Group, a rm that creates television advertising and programming trade opportunities for national brands in association with major advertising agencies. She currently serves as Vice President. Paula oversaw the creation of the Kazmark subsidiary Springbok Films in 2002, and has served in producing roles for several lms under the Springbok banner. In 2005, Paula produced and directed the award-winning documentary Vanishing Cultures: Bushmen of the Kalahari, an ofcial selection at nine national and international lm festivals. In 2012 Paula completed UCLA's Certicate of Archaeology in the Department of Humanities and Anthropology.