Workshops Planned to Counteract Negative Press
(Acapulco, ESu 1 December) Guerrero's Department of Tourism Development (SEFOTUR) announced yesterday a series of public relations workshops to counteract the negative press and bad image of Acapulco, which has arisen mainly because of drug violence in the outlying areas of the city. The idea is that tourism service providers will have tools for creating a more positive image and opinion in the mind of the visiting tourist. According to SEFOTUR head Ernesto Rodríguez Escalona, several "fam" tours are expected in Acapulco during December, like the "Sun & Fun" trip, which brings journalists from the US and Canada. They will be able to see the beauty of the tourist areas of the state, and above all observe and report on the safety and tranquility that we have in those destinations. Rodríguez said that the initiative was designed as a proactive measure, to preempt the "tendentious" reports that put Acapulco and other state destinations in a poor light.
The workshops and the positive image campaign will require an investment of $9 million pesos from the Trust for Tourism Promotion (FIDETUR), the Mexican Council of Tourism Promotion and travel industry partners like Expedia, Travelocity and Thomas Cook. Part of the program is to release 56 TV spots in the US and Canada, mainly on cable channels targeted at travel and entertainment.
Another task of the workshops will be to equip attendees to promote the several year-end events in Acapulco that attract special crowds, like the Regata Oceánica at the Yacht Club, the 56 International Rally Acapulco, the Robots Expo at the Convention Center and the sixth Acapulco International Film Festival. In 2011 the Tourist Fair will come back to the Convention Center in March, there will be a world diving championship, the Acapulco Tennis Open and the French Festival.
Finally, Rodríguez called upon the tourist sector to "close ranks" on the objective of caring for the visitors with hospitality and professionalism, now that the high season is practically upon us. "It is a new opportunity to show the entire world that here the tourists have fun and enjoy the beauty of the place in safety and with confidence."
