Mexico and Mexican Tourism Board
Recovering Mexico’s global reputation amid security and public health crises
Situation Summary
Situation Summary
Mexico is consistently among the world’s top 10 most visited countries, welcoming 30-40 million international visitors annually. Tourism represents nearly 8% of national GDP and generates approximately $80 billion each year.
An ongoing confrontation between the government and drug cartels had created sustained negative international coverage. Mexico engaged Qorvis to conduct a comprehensive digital and social media campaign to improve the nation’s image and counterbalance the barrage of adverse headlines.
Within the first week of launching the campaign, Mexico faced an even more immediate crisis: the H1N1 influenza outbreak, first detected in Mexico. Global media attention intensified, and online search results were dominated by headlines focused on “Mexican Swine Flu” and cartel violence.
The challenge became twofold: restore narrative balance on security while rapidly managing a global public health crisis.
Qorvis Solution
Qorvis Solution
Qorvis built an aggressive, integrated digital platform to ensure Mexico’s response was visible, documented, and accessible worldwide.
We launched a multilingual news platform, Mexico Today, to publish positive and fact-based content on culture, economy, environment, tourism, and public health. We deployed coordinated YouTube and Facebook campaigns to amplify messaging about the government’s swift and proactive response to H1N1, including measures taken to protect citizens and international travelers.
On the day Qorvis began its work, top internet search results were dominated by flu and violence. Within two weeks, search visibility increasingly reflected coverage of the government’s rapid and aggressive actions to contain the outbreak.
Qorvis also used social media to position Mexico as a leader in modern diplomacy. We launched the Twitter account for Ambassador Arturo Sarukhán, making him the first member of the Washington diplomatic corps to maintain a personal Twitter presence. The Ambassador used the platform to disseminate real-time information and engage directly with policymakers, media, and the public. His use of Twitter was later cited by U.S. State Department officials as a model for innovative diplomacy.
Mexico Today became a durable platform for global narrative engagement, publishing content in eight languages across 10 target markets. (It was later acquired by Reforma, a Mexico City-based newspaper.)
Tourism growth continued in subsequent years despite security concerns, health scares, and natural disasters, reinforcing Mexico’s resilience as a global destination.