the Romance of Mexico
The Basics: How to Sell
Romance Travel to Mexico
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2 LOS CABOS CONVENTION & VISITORS
BUREAU
6 PARADISUS RESORTS PLAYA DEL CARMEN
8 FIESTA AMERICANA GRAND CORAL BEACH
CANCÚN RESORT & SPA
10 FIESTA AMERICANA GRAND LOS CABOS
GOLF & SPA RESORT
12 FIES TA AMERICANA GRAND HO TELS
AND RESORTS
14 IBEROSTAR HOTELS & RESORTS
15 PALACE RESORTS
16 EL DORADO SPA RESORTS AND
AZUL HOTELS, B Y KARISMA
18 PALLADIUM HOTELS & RESORTS
20 STARWOOD HOTELS AND RESORTS
22 LE BLANC SPA RESORT
23 OASIS HOTELS & RESORTS, CANCUN
contents
Romance travel to Mexico can
be a big-ticket sale for agents.
EDITOR
Diane Merlino
DESIGNER
Amy Bothwell
GROUP DIRECTOR,
CUSTOM CON TEN T
Elizabeth West
VICE PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER
Bob Sullivan
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Michele Garth
PRODUCTION SPECIALIST
Lisa Gonzales
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The niche covers a variety of segments,
including bachelor and bachelorette junkets, proposal trips, destination weddings,
honeymoons, anniversary celebrations,
vow renewals, romantic getaways, and
hybrid trips that combine family togetherness with ‘alone time’ for mom and dad.
The entire romance market is in a
growth mode as more people seek new
experiences for major turning points in
their lives. The spend on two segments
in particular—destination weddings and
honeymoons—has shown double-digit
increases in the last few years.
According to the 2011 Destination
Weddings & Honeymoons Reader Survey,
conducted by Walker Communications,
the average budget for a destination
wedding in 2011 was $21,800. The same
survey puts the average honeymoon
spend by a couple who had a destination
wedding at $7,500—more than twice the
average.
When it comes to honeymoons, Mexico
is the most popular pick for an international
destination, garnering 15% of the total
market, according to theknot.com’s third
annual honeymoon study. Average spend
for a honeymoon overseas is $5,219; for
luxury honeymooners, who comprise 15%
of the market, average spend is $7,000.
That all adds up to the potential for
strong sales. Travel Weekly asked Eduardo Chaillo, executive director, meeting
industry, for the Mexico Tourism Board,
how agents can tap into the lucrative
romance market to Mexico. His responses,
which include input from Carmen Laborin,
MTB’s romance director, are below.
What are the major categories of
“romance travel” to Mexico?
Eduardo Chaillo: Honeymoons are,
and always will be, the number one cat-
egory for romance travel to Mexico. It’s
said that honeymoons last an average of
eight days, not including travel time, and
represent an estimated 14% of the total
wedding budget. Anniversary celebra-
tions and vow renewals are also strong.
An estimated 89% of married couples go
back to where they had their honeymoon
for these trips, at least during the first
few years of marriage. These trips create
brand/destination loyalty.
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