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Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit are a world-class brand in meeting tourism. What are the strategic advantages of the bay for this growing industry?
By Maria Karina Macias Aguirre
According to specialists in the field, meeting tourism is one of the noblest and most stable segments of the industry. What makes this niche generate attractive benefits for different destinations? What geographical scenarios are outlined as the ideals?
Meeting tourism is important because it operates as a trigger for investment, economic growth and business development. It is an elementary means for the transmission of ideas, experiences and knowledge and contributes to improving the reputation of the host cities.
The tourist activity from its origins has been promoted as the "leisure and well-being" industry. However, the work activity is not exempt from requiring the minimum inputs to ensure that a group of people who meet together to carry out activities related to a topic, work or business can have the greatest comfort during the process. In this way, meeting tourism became relevant and was considered a market niche in which organizers, intermediaries and operators have the challenge of becoming the best hosts for that group of people who travel to a tourist destination for that purpose. .
Strengths of business tourism
The tourist success of Mexico in recent years, as well as its positioning in the events market, represents a strength for the continuity in holding international meetings. This is the result of the trust generated by the quality of the services provided through the different tourist service providers and that have to do with the following factors.
- The hotels and tourist service providers have been characterized by their excellent treatment of the guest or client, which has generated an important position in the ranking when choosing the place for their work meetings.
- They provide attention to the client or guest with warm hospitality.
- In recent years there has been a growth in the hotel infrastructure and in the meeting facilities.
- The competitiveness of this segment has increased internationally, which in turn has generated constant training on the part of suppliers and businessmen in the field to improve quality standards.
The foregoing frames a series of strategies implemented by organizers, congress professionals, venue administrators and hoteliers, to meet the demands of this market niche.
Advantages of Bahía de Banderas for meeting tourism
Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit represents one of the five best positioned destinations in the mind of the consumer in Mexico. This generates that different organizers contemplate the destination as the venue for their events.
- Its hotel offer is varied and has the necessary infrastructure to compete with other national and international destinations.
- The organizers, intermediaries and operators master a language different from that of the known leisure tourism or "leisure"in which the names of Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit are already positioned in the market.
- Sun and beach are the ideal setting for meeting tourism. The name of a sun and beach tourist destination increases the participation of congressmen and/or visitors in this type of forum by up to 32%.
Meeting tourism: Benefits for the sector
Meeting tourism generates great benefits for the tourism sector. Among others we can mention the following:
- Promotes the creation and development of micro, small and medium-sized companies.
- Improves occupancy in low seasons up to a 42%
- Raise the average stay in the destination by up to 5.3 nights per visitor.
- Regulates the seasonality of tourist demand.
- It contributes to raising up to 38% the average expenditure of visitors.
- Generates the creation of multiple programs and activities for companions
- It supports the generation and distribution of income from tourism in the towns.
The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) ranked Mexico in 21st place in 2016, among the nations where more events of this nature. The goal is to continue positioning the industry and improve the ranking with the Vallarta-Nayarit brand as one of the favorite destinations for meeting tourism.
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