Journey Mexico Blog

It’s not too late to catch the April addition of the Journey Mexico Newsletter where our headline story highlights the fairs & festivals going on in Mexico. The spotlight section features Puebla, where you can also follow and share pictures, posts & video all month long on our facebook!  Our Travel Promotion highlights Hacienda Tres Rios and Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit. Ands always, you will also find the latest news of hotel & industry updates, and latest news from Journey Mexico including upcoming travel dates through April.

You can view the newsletter in its entirety here>>

It’s not too late to catch the March addition of the Journey Mexico Newsletter where our headline story highlights spring’s best vacation destinations. The spotlight section features Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit, where you can also follow and share pictures, posts & video all month long on our facebook!  Our Travel Promotion highlights Banyan Tree Mayakoba and Las Alamandas. Ands always, you will also find the latest news of hotel & industry updates, and latest news from Journey Mexico including upcoming travel dates through April.

You can view the newsletter in its entirety here>>

It’s not too late to catch the February addition of the Journey Mexico Newsletter where our headline story recaps the month’s theme of Luxury & Love . The spotlight section features Mexico City, where you can also follow and share pictures, posts & video all month long on our facebook!  Our Travel Promotion highlights Four Seasons Punta Mita and The Sea of Cortes Aquatic Explorer.  Ands always, you will also find the latest news of hotel & industry updates, and latest news from Journey Mexico including upcoming travel dates through April.

You can view the newsletter in its entirety here>>

Today’s Matteo’s Moments is a follow up to the Jan. 6th, Día de Los Reyes webisode in which Jenny, Andrea, Miguel, and Diego each found a baby Jesus (or a wise man) in their piece of the Rosca de Reyes. According to Mexican tradition and much to the delight of the rest of the office, those who find baby Jesus and the wise men must bring tamales for everyone on Feb. 2nd, Dia de la Candelaria.

In this episode of Matteo’s Moments, Matteo gives you an overview of the Dia de la Candelaria tradition, but you can find more about Dia de la Candelaria at this Mexican cooking and culture blog: The Other Side of the Tortilla.

The January addition of the Journey Mexico Newsletter is out, with a new look! Our headline story recaps 2011 travel and shares 2012 predictions and we’ve added a spotlight section featuring the Copper Canyon!  Our Travel Promotion highlights the luxury Haciendas, 5 beautiful properties in the Yucatan you can choose to stay at with an exclusive JM offer.  Ands always, you will also find the latest news of hotel & industry updates, and latest news from Journey Mexico including upcoming travel dates for January & February.

You can view the newsletter in its entirety here>>

Looking to discover the local treasures of Mexico with exceptional experiences? Nestled between azure waters and archaeological treasures, the historic Haciendas in The Luxury Collection of Starwood Hotels & Resorts combine a rich heritage with extraordinary amenities.  Journey Mexico, together with The Haciendas in the Yucatan region of Mexico, bring you an exclusive offer valid at any five of their properties.

Offer:

3 night minimum stay (mix-and-match)

Upgrade to next category subject to availability upon arrival

American Breakfast

One 3 course dinner (alcoholic beverages not included, indicate the hacienda  at time of booking)

Booking Window: January 02 – March 31, 2012
Travel Window: January 02 – March 31, 2012

Rates starting at $490 usd per room per night  + 19 % taxes + 5% service charge

Rich in Culture and Tradition, Holiday Season in Mexico isn’t over yet. On January 6th, Mexico celebrates a tradition called La Rosca de Reyes, which is a celebration of Epiphany. The celebration commemorates the arrival of the three Wise Men (or Magi), marking the end of the Christmas season. In this tradition, a round cake is baked with a figurine of baby Jesus inside (which symbolizes the flight of Jesus from King Herod), and whoever cuts the piece of cake containing baby Jesus is blessed and is required to host a party on February 2nd (Dia de la Calendaria) and provide tamales to the guests.

Here in Mexico, the tradition has evolved to include the baking of the three wise men as well as baby Jesus into the cake, as you’ll see in this webisode of Matteo’s Moments. You can learn more about the Rosca de Reyes tradition here.

Source: Marca Pais - Imagen de Mexico

#MexicoToday: Approximately 10.4 million tourists are expected to visit Mexico during the last two weeks of 2011, according to estimates announced recently by Secretary of Tourism Gloria Guevara Manzo.

The Mexican newspaper Excelsior reported that 10.4 million national and international visitors will vacation in Mexican tourist destinations between December 16, 2011 and January 2, 2012. This statistic represents a 4 percent increase over the same time period last year. Approximately 60 percent of these tourists will vacation in Mexico during the final week of 2011.

Wondering how accurate their predictions might be? Take our growing travel company, Journey Mexico, for example. Agreeing with the estimates announced by the Secretary of Tourism, our December 2011 figures show a 5% increase in passengers travelling to Mexico compared to last year. Things are looking even better as 2012 approaches, bookings for the coming year are up 64% over this same time last year!

MexicoToday will celebrate end-of-the-year tourism with the special hashtag #10millionTourists. Visitors to Mexico are encouraged to follow @MexicoToday on Twitter and use the hashtag to share their vacation stories.

We all knew that Zach Rabinor, President of Journey Mexico, was the best person to talk to about all things South of the Border, but Conde Nast Traveler just made it official! He has been named the Conde Nast Travel Specialist for Mexico again this year. If you’ve been dreaming of leaving the cold behind and heading to Mexico for an exciting cultural sojourn, Zach’s years of experience as a guide leveraged into Mexico’s leading Travel Company Journey Mexico makes him unique in his knowledge of his adopted home. He’ll make sure you get the very most from your vacation time.

Is a Travel Specialist Really that Big of a Deal?
Actually, it is. Every year, about 10,000 travel agents and tour operators vie for this honor, but only 133 make the list. Instead of picking someone who has never stepped foot on foreign soil, this title guarantees that you’re working with a bona fide expert who knows your destination inside and out. In fact, Travel Specialists know the area even better than the locals. If you’re looking for a dream vacation in Mexico, something enriching and culturally exciting, this is the way to go!

How was Zach Chosen?
First of all, Zach doesn’t just sit in his office and page through travel guides; he lives and breathes Mexico! Based in Puerto Vallarta, Zach personally tours the country’s best hotels and resorts while making the connections that mean all the difference to his clients.

If you’re looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience like touring the Teotihuacan ruins with an actual archeologist or impressing your guests with a gourmet dinner at the chef’s table in the best restaurant in Oaxaca when no one else can even get a reservation, Zach can make the arrangements. An avid surfer and hiker, Zach can not only help you plan the best coastal and inland activities, he can give you some first-hand tips to make your trip even more enjoyable!

Zach Rabinor – the CNT Villa Specialist
A luxury villa in a secluded area is the best way to get away from it all and enjoy an authentic Mexican experience. Although a top-rated resort can be a lot of fun, it doesn’t come close to the peaceful setting of a home surrounded by private grounds where you can really let your hair down. However, choosing a property based on virtual tours and pamphlets alone is risky. Zach is the only Mexico Travel Specialist who is also the CNT Villa Specialist! He can easily narrow down your choices based on your interests and give you the scoop on the villa’s amenities and the surrounding area.

To take the guesswork out of planning the next trip to Mexico for you or your clients, let Zach and Journey Mexico arrange everything right down to the smallest detail!

Read the full Conde Naste article here>>

Contact Journey Mexico today:
Tel: +52 (322) 225 9821
Toll Free (from the U.S.): 1-800-513-1587
Fill out our online form>>

#MexicoToday: As we near end to 2011, Mexico’s declared “Year of Tourism”, it is safe to say it is ending on a positive note.  In addition to seeing increasing numbers of tourists arriving to Mexico, a plethora of investments, acknowledgments and awards,  Mexico has also been successful hosts of some large international events including the 2011 Pan-American Games held in Guadalajara and the 2011 Adventure Travel World Summit in Chiapas. To keep the momentum going in 2012, Mexico has been designated the host country for the G20 Summit and also the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) first Regional Summit.

The WTTC, the global authority for tourism,  is made up of the Chairs, Presidents and Chief Executives of the world’s leading private sector Travel & Tourism businesses. These specialists bring knowledge to guide government policy and decision-making, raising awareness of the importance of the industry. The first Regional Summit (including North, Central, South America and the Caribbean) will be hosted in May 2012 in Cancun by the Mexican Ministry of Tourism. It will directly follow the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s T20 Minister’s Meeting that will be taking place in Merida.

David Scowsill, President & CEO of WTTC said:

Mexico is the ideal host for our first regional Summit… Mexico leads the way in recognizing the enormous contribution Travel & Tourism makes to the economy, employment and export income. President Calderón has a strong commitment to tourism which is underlined by the declaration of 2011 as the ‘Year of Tourism’ and by being the first to join WTTC’s and UNWTO’s joint Global Leaders for Tourism Campaign, which highlights the importance of tourism to global growth and development..

Following the 2012 WTTC’s Region Summit in May, Mexico has been selected to host the 5^th G-20 Summit. The G20 Summit’s began in 2008 in response to world financial crisis, bringing together the Head of States of world economies to discuss the global financial market and strengthen international cooperation. Chosen as the 2012 chair and host, Mexico believes the forum can better represent developing countries in both vision and policy.  Under the leadership of President Felipe Calderón, Mexico will seek to expand the scope of the G-20′s development focus.  President Felipe Calderón hand selected Los Cabos in Baja California Sur as the official  city to assemble the G20 Summit.   The destination’s first-class hotel and airport infrastructure were noted as two important factors in the decision.

“Los Cabos is extremely proud and honored to be selected as the official host city for the G20 Summit as this is an incredible opportunity for our destination as well as for the country of Mexico,” says Gonzalo Franyutti, President of the Los Cabos Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Los Cabos has the exclusive appeal, a contemporary tourism infrastructure and the safety record required to host an event of this global caliber. As a haven for VIPs throughout the world, Los Cabos is truly the ‘Window to the World’ for Mexico.  We look forward to welcoming the G20 delegates and attendees to our destination.”

We at Journey Mexico look forward to keeping you updated in 2012 on these world class events and more exciting news.