Mexico Tourism Marketing Gap Leads Ex-Board Staffers to Launch New Company
Skift Take
The true results of the Mexican government's dismantling of its tourism board likely won't be known for years, but former staffers in the Los Angeles office have formed a new marketing company they hope will fill in the gap. Keep an eye on neighboring tropical destinations, which are looking to swoop in on the opportunity.
Staff members of the closed Los Angeles office of the Mexico Tourism Board have regrouped by forming Studio Jungla, a destination marketing company they hope will mitigate damage from Mexico’s decision earlier this year to decimate the government’s tourism marketing arm.
Studio Jungla is currently negotiating with regional destinations in Mexico to handle marketing on their behalf in the western U.S., according to Alejandro Marin, a former employee of the Los Angeles office who founded the new company. To date, Studio Jungla has reached agreements to promote Bahía de Altata and the Yucatan. It also recently signed a contract to promote Acapulco in collaboration with Main Connections, a company in Texas formed by the ex-director of the Texas branch of the tourism board, Patty Herrera.
“The smaller ones (destinations) have a tremendous necessity to create awareness,” said Jorge Gamboa, the former director of the Los Angeles office and now a partner in Studio Jungla.
He added that marketing efforts from the Mexican federal government in California are “dead” since the closure of the Los Angeles office.
There was news, however, last week that the Los Cabos Tourism Board opened a Los Angeles office, its first office outside of Mexico. Earlier this year, the federal government shuttered its international offices, and transferred some of the former board's duties to Mexican embassies.
Studio Jungla
