Members of the Puerto Peñasco Convention and Visitors Bureau (OCV) recently wrapped up a fruitful strategic and promotional tour through Arizona, where they met with consuls and press outlets.
The objective of the OCV meetings in Arizona, which included OCV Director Lizette Ibarra and Administrative Promotional Assistant Camila Dominguez, was to take advantage of interest and collaborative opportunities with the Mexican consulates in Phoenix and Tucson. The working visit also included meeting with press outlets in the two cities in working jointly on strategies and commitments to promote tourism to Puerto Peñasco. The Arizona tourism market is one of the most significant areas for our destination!
Ibarra highlighted one of the most important parts of this trip was meeting with Mexican Consul Rafael Barceló in Tucson, and his counterpart Jorge Mendoza Yescas in Phoenix. Both Consuls were receptive to serving as bridges to promote all of Puerto Peñasco’s virtues within the Latino and broader communities in Arizona, by offering parts of the consulate for gallery exhibitions, press conferences, and promotional events.
“We began on Wednesday in Tucson, with Consul Rafael Barceló and associate Consul Lee Wong. They graciously offered the entire consulate as a venue to promote our destination,” explained the OCV Director, “They also shared their calendar so we can explore participating in upcoming events.”
Ibarra explained, “Basically, the goal of the Puerto Peñasco Convention and Visitors Bureau in visiting the consulates was to emphasize that ´Puerto Peñasco is nearby´, we are a beach destination offering several recreational, educational, and cultural activities for our Arizona friends, along with beaches, a variety of lodging options, restaurants, eco-tourism, and much more. We are just an hour from the U.S. border, where border crossing is simple and quick. In addition, we talked about issues of safety and health, underscoring we are a “Safe Point” destination with much to offer.”
The OCV team also met with press outlets including Travel Mexico Company, Arizona’s Family CBS 5, and COX Media Group. These meetings brought together synergies and strategies for promoting “Arizona’s beach” while maintaining Puerto Peñasco’s presence within the U.S. market via television and radio, as well as printed and digital media.
At the meeting with the Phoenix Consul, emphasized Ibarra, in addition to providing services for Mexican nationals and strengthening foreign relations, this office is home to an Economic and Tourism Department. The Department is staffed with personnel specializing in promoting sites across Mexico. The OCV will keep this in mind as they explore how to mutually work to disseminate information about Puerto Peñasco even further, such as participation in upcoming events that would provide tremendous positioning and promotion for the area.
Ibarra detailed promotional strategies for 2022 are progressing well. These approaches involve several campaigns and events, such as the Salt Route, cultural fairs in both Phoenix and Tucson, golf tournaments, a gem and mineral show, among others, further complemented by press conferences and destination showcases.
In addition to the recent promotional tour to Arizona, the Puerto Peñasco Convention and Visitors Bureau maintains promotional campaigns in Mexico, particularly in the cities of Tijuana, Mexicali, and Cd. Juarez, and across the states of Sonora and Chihuahua. In addition, the OCV has sustained its social arm through cross-border vaccination campaigns, and multidisciplinary work with Arizona diplomats to benefit the Arizona-Sonora border region.