Tourism Through the COVID-19 Crisis: Quintana Roo Tourism Board
Overview & Challenge
Comprising world-renowned destinations, including Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, and other iconic beaches, the Mexican Caribbean state of Quintana Roo has long been cherished by international travelers of all ages and interests.
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, when travel editors sought to update readers with the latest protocols and changes in their favorite destinations, CIIC was challenged with generating future interest in the Mexican Caribbean and confidence in travel while addressing the global pandemic.
Strategy
During the first week of lockdowns in the U.S in March 2020 and anticipating an impact in the travel industry, CIIC developed a recovery plan highlighting an overview of the situation, market brief, media initiatives, and a strategy to manage the crisis for the destinations within the Mexican Caribbean. Beyond ensuring a message of security, safety, and swift management of the crisis, we kicked off our COVID-19 strategy by surveying our hotel contacts and destination partners, and creating a connection with consumers through virtual activities like cooking classes, cocktail recipes, DIY spa treatments, and other fun initiatives that travelers could do from home to keep the Mexican Caribbean vacation spirit alive.
Given that we would no longer be able to host media visits, deskside or group press trips for the foreseeable future, we next planned virtual media briefings/press conferences, and speaking opportunities to detail health & safety procedures, current tourism numbers, and other important updates to our media contacts.
We tapped into the rising popularity of channels like Zoom, Instagram Live, and Podcasts to launch a revamped Thought Leadership for the Tourism Board, securing panels with niche audiences such as the international women’s community Wanderful, and sustainable travel platform Kind Traveler.
Results
Total Placements: +127
Total Circulation/Impressions: 272 million
Total Estimated Editorial Value: $887,000
