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January 20, 2015 By: Ana Figueroa
Mexico is a mainstay for Pleasant Holidays. But like any market, it goes through seasonal changes both expected and (in the case of Hurricane Odile) unexpected. Last September’s category four storm crippled Los Cabos. But the destination was back on track before year’s end.
Travel Agent spoke with Jack E. Richards, president and CEO of Pleasant Holidays, on the outlook for Los Cabos and all of Mexico in 2015.
Q: How are your 2015 bookings doing for Mexico?
A: We’re tracking double digits, even with all the issues Los Cabos faced because of the hurricane. Los Cabos represents thirty percent of our total business to Mexico. We were impacted the fourth quarter 2014 and the first quarter of 2015. But overall, our Mexico bookings were very heavy in the fourth quarter and very heavy now that we are in peak booking season.
Q: Has Los Cabos returned to normal operations?
A: Los Cabos is back and open for business. The airport looks fine and hotels are in good shape. We took our top producers there for four days in December. We told them to go out and explore on their own or come with us. Everyone will tell you the progress there is extraordinary. Secrets is fully functional. Fiesta Americana Grand is fully operational. Their lobby was entirely blown out. The luxury product was particularly shut down there. But One & Only Palmilla, Esperanza and some others will be opening again between March and June. All in all, Los Cabos is in very good shape.
Q: Mexico’s Tourism Board was very proactive in spreading the word about Los Cabos’ recovery with their #Unstoppable campaign. What did you think of that?
A: The model that they employed to market and promote Los Cabos is something that should be an example for other tourism boards globally. They did it right and it’s paying off. They are to be commended for everything they did to keep folks apprised of the recovery progress.
Q: What overall trends are you seeing with your Mexico sales?
A: Mexico continues to excel in the destination weddings, vow renewals and honeymoon niche. For us, it’s number one for destination weddings. That’s primarily because of the all-inclusive resorts. We’re also focusing on multigenerational travel in 2015 more than before. We see lots of interest on resorts with one, two and three-bedroom units and connecting rooms. Mexico is ideal for multigenerational travel and the resorts are adapting to attract more of that market.
Q: What new product are you offering in Mexico?
A: We’ve added new hotels and resorts. In Cancun, we’ve added Finest Playa Mujeres, which is part of The Excellence Group. It’s a 450-suite property that will open in February. We’ve picked up Grand Residences Riviera Cancun, a luxury beach resort affiliated with The Leading Hotels of the World. It’s in Puerto Morales, and has 103 suites. They’re one, two and three-bedroom units. We’ve also got the Blue Diamond property; the Royalton Riviera Cancun and Hideaway Resort.
Q: The State Department issued a revised travel warning for Mexico at the end of last year. Has that affected your sales?
A: No one saw it. Security concerns aren’t coming up. It stopped being an issue some months ago. We continue to be very optimistic about Mexico. It’s our second-largest destination. We had all of our BDMs in for a meeting. We’re doing an ongoing series of training initiatives and webinars on Mexico all year long. We’re finding a very positive reaction and stronger interest than ever when it comes to Mexico.
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