Riviera Nayarit - Travel & Tourism Campaign of the Year

Company: Riviera Nayarit, Mexico
Entry Submitted By: Newlink Communications, LLC
Company Description: Renowned for its eclectic charm, luxurious hospitality and authentic appeal, Riviera Nayarit has earned global recognition as the Pacific Coast’s treasure destination. Situated within Mexican state Nayarit, the region offers 192 miles of pristine Pacific coastline, the wondrous Sierra Madre Mountains, the spectacular Banderas Bay and endless protected natural marvels.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Travel & Tourism

Nomination Title: Riviera Nayarit

Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched: March 2020

Riviera Nayarit on Mexico’s Pacific coast has established itself as an alluring locale with unparalleled luxury and pristine natural wonders. Home to 23 distinctive beach towns, the destination has earned an admirable reputation for service excellence and first-class offerings, while the CVB itself has also been acknowledged for its contribution to Riviera Nayarit’s growth. When the entire tourism industry came to a screeching halt in March 2020, the Riviera Nayarit CVB and its PR firm quickly pivoted its media relations strategy to continue building brand awareness and inspiring future travel, while addressing the evolution of the pandemic. The goals set to achieve include:

-Continue positioning Riviera Nayarit in the media by using compelling and relevant content that addressed every phase of the pandemic and what audiences were experiencing during that time.
-Drive proactive communications and activate a robust news bureau to continue disseminating Riviera Nayarit’s unique value proposition.
-Generate continuous coverage for Riviera Nayarit in key media outlets that reach target audiences including trade media and top-tier consumer media, as well as past and potential visitors.

The rise of COVID-19 was unexpected and new to people, so at first we were all simultaneously trying to navigate through uncertain times and work together in adapting to the evolution of the pandemic. It became clear that keeping abreast of industry trends/competitor news was more important than ever.

We started daily media monitoring across trade and consumer outlets, including TravelPulse, Travel Age West, Travel Weekly, CNN Travel, CNT, Skift, etc., and identified opportunities to position RN. We focused on news about other beach destinations, including Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Miami, Hawaii, and DR, which we defined as direct competitors for RN. Additionally, to better understand mediatic needs, our team reached out to our closest media contacts, both freelancers and staff writers, asking about the angles/stories they are focusing on. This helped identify creative ways to pitch RN and keep it relevant in the news.

Another key component to our strategy was staying in communication with destination partners, not only keeping them abreast of the destination’s actions and communication strategy but to better understand their concerns and focus. With support from the PR team, the CVB communicated with partners, including hotels, tour operators and businesses, on a weekly basis to ensure alignment. This fostered comradery and support during one of the most unprecedented times for the industry. We also collected valuable additional content to use for media outreach efforts.

Our tactics included content creation, media relations, interview coordination with spokespeople, and when safe to travel, press trips to the destination.

Riviera Nayarit has successfully maintained its positioning during one of the most severe pandemics to hit the tourism industry, finding creative ways to generate brand awareness and inspire future travel while always underlining safety. In total, efforts from April to December generated coverage in top consumer and trade outlets, a total of 205 clips that added to more than 3.7 impressions and surpassed $1.2 million in PR value. Highlight coverage in each category include:

Trade media
Recommend Magazine https://recommend.com/destinations/mexico/covid-19-update-riviera-nayarit/
TravelPulse https://www.travelpulse.com/opinions/blog/riviera-nayarit-reveals-tourism-wellness-and-best-practices-guide.html
- https://www.travelagentcentral.com/your-business/brands-upgrading-hygiene-protocols-to-keep-confidence-its-guests-intact Travel Agent Central
- https://www.travelprofessionalnews.com/riviera-nayarit-receives-world-travel-tourism-councils-new-safe-travel-stamp/ Travel Professional News
= https://www.travelagewest.com/Travel/Mexico/Here-s-Where-to-Work-and-Study-Remotely-in-Mexico Travel Age West

Consumer media
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/mexico-reopening-coronavirus/index.html CNN Travel
https://www.fodors.com/news/coronavirus/should-you-change-your-travel-plans-because-of-the-coronavirus Fodor’s Travel Guide
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johannaread/2020/07/06/covid-safe-travels-stamp-of-approval-for-mexico/?sh=303b68662448 Forbes
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/21/travel/virus-tropics-reopening.html New York Times
https://www.frommers.com/trip-ideas/beach-water-sports/when-can-we-travel-to-mexico-and-the-caribbean-again Frommer’s
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2020/08/06/covid-19-travel-where-can-americans-vacation-internationally/5517408002/ USA Today
https://www.businessinsider.com/tropical-rum-cocktails-to-make-for-summer-national-rum-day-2020-8 Business Insider
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-28/dreading-the-school-year-some-parents-are-taking-it-on-the-road Bloomberg
https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-places-to-go-in-2021?mbid=synd_yahoo_rss Conde Nast Traveler
https://www.marieclaire.com/travel/a34835578/punta-de-mita-mexico-travel-guide/ Marie Claire

The amount of coverage and reach obtained, as well as the ongoing engagement with partners, demonstrates that Riviera Nayarit was successful in staying top of mind throughout the various phases of the pandemic, which gave way to a solid reopening and road to recovery. Currently, most properties are fully booked at their permitted 70% capacity.