“Thousands of families throughout the country live off tourism,” said Calderón at a Los Pinos event to mark the launch of “Vive México.” “And these hardworking, honest people are going through a very difficult time.”

The campaign will include the participation of various sectors – arts, sports, business and media will all pull their weight, Calderón said. In addition, singer Plácido Domingo and champion Mexican golfer Lorena Ochoa will feature tourism ads in an attempt to lure back the ordinary visitor with the celebrity factor.

Other national and international stars will also be invited to participate, but Calderón did not name them. “[Vive México] is truly a national movement that requires the participation of all Mexicans, particularly the most prominent, the ones with the most talent,” he said.

Since the swine flu outbreak began in late April, tourism nationwide has been hard hit. The top resorts of Puerto Vallarta, Cancún and Acapulco have not had cases of swine flu, according to health authorities, but tourists have still stayed away. In early May, Calderón announced the creation of a multibillion peso fund that would help repair the damage to the nation´s tourism industry.

Calderón continually stressed the importance of attracting foreigners on Monday. “I invite all to join [us] so that foreign visitors know that coming to our country is a grand experience, that Mexico is not only a beautiful country, but also a strong country, capable of overcoming the toughest adversity. We await [foreigners] with open arms on our beaches, in our cities, in our towns,” Calderón said.

Here’s the tourist board’s e-mail that just went out:

Puerto Vallarta, Wednesday, May 19th, 2009
Dear Friends:
Keeping you updated on what’s going on in Puerto Vallarta …
We are so happy that countries like United States, Canada and other countries in Europe have removed the warning against all non-essential travel to Mexico.

We would like to keep you informed about the 0 (zero) number of registered cases of the H1N1 virus in Puerto Vallarta which is one of the beach destinations in Mexico with no cases reported. So we are back to normal. Of course we continue the preventive actions implemented and recommended by our Government.

We want to share with you the testimonial video filmed this week in Puerto Vallarta at the 16th edition of the Sport Classic event hosted in Puerto Vallarta. This event is a lively competition of different sports with the participation of national and international athletes.

We have already sent it to the Mexico Tourism Board, wholesalers and clients in order to be used in newsletters and email blasts for the USA Media and customers traveling to Puerto Vallarta.

Please feel free to use it for your own promotional purposes or send it to your clients so they can see that Puerto Vallarta is ready, safe and clean as always to welcome them all again in México.

Thank you so much for your support and business to Puerto Vallarta “The World’s Friendliest City” (by the readers of the CondeNast Traveler Magazine).

We will keep you posted.

Laura Suarez
Promotion Manager
Puerto Vallarta Convention & Visitors Bureau
laura@visitpuertovallarta.com
www.visitpuertovallarta.com

 
Below is another video, but not produced by the tourist board, about the flu in Puerto Vallarta.

The Mexico Tourism Board has announced that the travel warning of the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ministry of Canada has been removed from the Mexican travel report. This announcement was made after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lifted its travel warning against all nonessential travel to Mexico.

The International Health organizations have congratulated and been encouraged by the initiatives of the Mexican Federal Government. Just recently, the World Tourism Organization recognized the efforts of the Mexico Government for having confronted “the appearance of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus in a serious and responsible manner” and declared that Mexico’s response could be considered as a benchmark.

As well, the Public Health Agency of Canada will cease distributing health alert notices to passengers on direct flights to Mexico and having quarantine officers meet every direct flight entering Canada from Mexico.

“Mexico’s government and tourism authorities are very satisfied with the decision taken by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) … to lift the H1N1 influenza alert against nonessential travel to Mexico. Our main priority continues to be the safety of our citizens and visitors, and with evidence that the flu appears to be less threatening than originally thought, Mexico is ready to welcome back all of its visitors and offer them the hospitality and services that have always distinguished us,” said Rodolfo Elizondo, Mexico’s Minister of Tourism.

“…Mexico is known for its capacity of coming out of tough situations even stronger, and this will not be the exception. The travel industry -at all levels- is ready to offer its visitors what they come here for: diversity, culture, relaxation, luxury, adventure, world class infrastructure and most importantly, the best service in the world,” added Oscar Fitch, CEO of the Mexico Tourism Board.

“Furthermore, Mexico appreciates the efforts and cooperation shown by the Canadian Government through the Health Public Agencies from the beginning of the outbreak, and we are very pleased on the decision taken a few hours ago to lift the travel recommendation on avoiding non essential trips to Mexico. We count on all of our partners in Canada. They have expressed outstanding support during these challenging times. The uniqueness of Mexico will always remain the same and we welcome back our always loyal Canadian tourists,” said Alfonso Sumano, Regional Director for Canada of the Mexico Tourism Board.

Mexico and Puerto Vallarta will always be beyond your expectation!

For more information on the precautions advised by the CDC and Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada, visit their website at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/ and http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/report_rapport-eng.asp?id=184000

The survey of 457 members of Travel Leaders who are owners, managers and first-class travel agents from many areas of the United States reports the travel destination preferences of the North American travel industry…

Major International Destinations for 2009

1. Caribbean Cruising
2. Cancun, Mexico
3. Riviera Maya, Mexico
4. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
5. Mediterranean Cruising
6. Montego Bay, Jamaica
7. Rome, Italy
8. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
9. Cabo San Lucas / Los Cabos, Mexico
10. Cruising, Mexico (tie)
11. London, UK (tie)

Significantly, travellers also responded to the question of the top ways of saving money in their travels for 2009 …

1. being flexible as to dates
2. staying in all-inclusive hotels
3. taking cruises
4. using frequest traveler miles
5. reserving only when there is a promotion or “deal”

Travel agents also noted that pleasure travelers will try to save money by making shorter trips, driving instead of flying, and looking at different levels of lodging.

2009 will be a year of great challenges and opportunities in the travel business for Puerto Vallarta.

Once the Tax Administration Service (TAS) grants concessions to three companies to operate the program, Mexico plans to put the program into effect.

As part of their main objective of increasing the flow of international tourists to the country, the Mexico Tourism Board (MTB), is spreading the word to their targeted markets where they concentrate heavily on tourism promotion with the hopes of encouraging foreign travelers to visit Mexico this summer.

“With this action, Mexico is joining the world’s tourism powerhouses in striving to give a value-added incentive to tourists who are seeking to discover our diverse attractions beyond their borders,” said Oscar Fitch Gomez, CEO of the MTB.

The Value Added Tax (VAT) will be returned to foreign tourists who can prove they have spent a minimum of 1,200 pesos (approximately $120 dollars) – in Mexico and who are returning home by sea or air.

Following the model established in other parts of the world, sales tax paid for the purchase of services, such as lodging and food, will not be refunded.

The refunds are applicable for purchases made with debit or credit cards, but only for cash transactions in which the cost of the item was less than 3,000 pesos. The purchases can be made in stores and establishments that are affiliated with a TAS -authorized service operator.

Tourists will have the right to receive up to 50 percent of the net rebate – an amount not to exceed 10,000 pesos – in the form of cash; the remaining 50 percent will be refunded via electronic funds transfer within a period of 40 days.

Travelers should present proof that they received the merchandise from the store of purchase and submit a reimbursement request form along with bank statement.

The rebate operator will install clearly identified service centers where the relevant documentation can be verified and the sales tax refunded.

The procedure will be implemented gradually across the country. The first phase will be launched this summer at air terminals in Mexico City, Cancun, Guadalajara, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta, all of which are cities with a sizable flow of international visitors.

The following phase, scheduled to go into effect six months after the initial launch, will include the airports in Monterrey, Cozumel, El Bajio, Mazatlan and Morelia; the system will later be set up at the country’s remaining airports, as well as at sea ports such as Acapulco, La Paz, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Huatulco.

The operators of the service – Premier Tax Free, Global Refund Mexico and YVESAM Retornos Mundiales S.A. de C.V. – have successfully applied this model in other parts of the world. Global Refund and Premier Tax Free are companies with presence in over 50 countries.

Since each state possesses different programs of collection, for the structuring and definition of this model in Mexico, the Secretary of Estate and Public Credit (SHCP) performed diverse consultations and carried out comparatives of the systems that operate on a worldwide basis.

The systems of countries such as: Switzerland, Norway, Austria Spain, Italy, United States of America and Canada, as well as those of Taiwan, Chinese and Thailand, among others, were reviewed.

The Mexico Tourism Board is confident that it will be feasible for SAT to implement the program and resolve the demands of visitors in a timely manner.

About the Mexico Tourism Board
The Mexico Tourism Board (MTB) brings together the resources of federal and state governments, municipalities and private companies to promote Mexico’s tourism attractions and destinations internationally. Created in 1999, the MTB is Mexico’s tourism promotion agency, and its participants include members of both the private and public sectors. The MTB has offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America.