Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo Survey Analysis

September 19, 2011

: Methodology

• Worked with professional polling company Livewire to conduct the survey

• Polled 200 adults 30+ years of age• We only polled those who live in markets that

feed prominently into Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo• West coast: Washington, Oregon, California• Mid-west: Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota• Southwest: Texas

• Respondents identified themselves as “travelers” vs. “tourists”

• Have an affinity for culinary• Affluent households of $50K+

: Executive Summary• The results are encouraging. • Respondents polled are concerned but have the

issue in the proper context• People are concerned and aware of crime issues in

Mexico, yet state that they understand the majority of these crimes take place in border towns, with the exception of Acapulco, which was called out specifically

• 67% of respondents polled say they are likely to vacation in Mexico in the next few years

• Many of the respondents who said they would not go to Mexico cited the economy – not just violence – as a reason for not going

: Executive Summary• When people think of Mexico they think of

beautiful beaches, rich culture and a reasonably priced vacation

• An article posted in the 9.18.11 edition of the Seattle Times mirrors our findings: (article attached separately) people have the issue in context

• Mexico remains the number two rated location respondents would like to visit behind only Hawaii

• Safety is an issue we should address in its proper context, but we equally need to continue to raise awareness levels of the region -- less than half of the people polled have heard of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo

:

Survey Results

: QuestionsWhen thinking about future vacations you may take, which of the following would you consider?

0%20%40%60%80%

100%100%

81% 80% 84% 84%68% 72% 75%

36%

79%

45%

Perc

ent o

f Res

pond

ents

: Questions

Which of the following locations are you open to considering for one of your next vacations?

Cana

daCh

ina

Easte

rn Eu

rope

Hawaii

Japa

nLa

s Veg

asLo

s Ang

eles

Mex

icoNew

York

City

Orland

oSa

n Fra

ncisc

oSc

andi

navia

Seatt

le

Wes

tern

Euro

pe

0%20%40%60%80%

100%67%

30%48%

86%

38%

74%

51%77%

64% 67%65%

38% 54%67%

Perc

ent o

f Res

pond

ents

: Questions

To which of the following locations have you vacationed in the past?

Chin

aEa

stern

Euro

peHaw

aiiJa

pan

Las V

egas

Los A

ngel

esM

exico

New Yo

rk C

ityOrla

ndo

San

Fran

cisco

Scan

dina

viaSe

attle

Wes

tern

Euro

pe

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

8% 14%

45%

7%

73%62%

56% 56% 55% 58%

4%

28% 35%

Perc

ent o

f Res

pond

ents

: Questions

Where in Mexico have you previously vacationed?

Acapulco

Cabo Sa

n Luca

s

Cancu

n

Cozumel

Ixtap

a- Zih

uatanejo

Maza

tlan

Playa d

el Carm

en

Puerto Vall

arta

Riviera

May

a

0%

20%

40%

60%

29%37%

54%

32%

7%17% 15%

38%

12%

Perc

ent o

f Res

pond

ents

: Questions

Which of the following cities in Mexico have you heard of?

Acapulco

Cabo Sa

n Luca

sCan

cun

Cozumel

Ixtap

a- Zih

uatanejo

Maz

atlan

Playa

del Carm

enPu

erto

Vallart

aRivi

era M

aya

San Jo

se del

Cabo

0%20%40%60%80%

100%98%

92% 99%83%

49%73%

52%

94%

46%36%

Perc

ent o

f Res

pond

ents

: Questions

How likely are you to vacation in Mexico in the next few years?

Likely

Unlikely

0%

20%

40%

60%

80% 67%

34%

Perc

ent o

f Res

pond

ents

: Questions

If money and time were of no issue, how likely would you be to book a trip to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo within the next year?

Likely

Unlikely

0%

20%

40%

60%

80% 62%

38%

Perc

ent o

f Res

pond

ents

: Questions

Which of the following words and phrases do you think are most associated with Mexico?

Fam

ily va

catio

n

Rom

antic

vaca

tion

Adven

turo

us va

catio

n

Beau

tiful

beac

hes

Dirty

Safe

Lots

of cr

ime

Expe

nsive

Reas

onab

ly pr

iced

Good s

cuba

/snor

kelin

g

Rich

with

histo

ryCh

arm

ing

Great

resta

uran

ts/fo

od

0%

20%

40%

60%

8%16%

18%

58%

21%

1%

46%

3%

53%

20%

41%

5%

28%

Perc

ent o

f Res

pond

ents

: QuestionsHow safe would you feel traveling to towns like Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo?

I would feel very safe

I would feel a little safe

I would feel a little unsafe

I would feel very unsafe

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%25%

38%

28%

9%

Perc

ent o

f Res

pond

ents

63% of respondents would feel safe traveling to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo

: Questions

What if you were assured that elevated crime rates were largely isolated to Mexican border towns, but that the crime rate in resort towns was identical to US tourist destinations

More likely to visit Mexico

Neither likely nor unlikely to visit Mexico

Less likely to visit Mexico

0%

40%

80%68%

26%6%

Perc

ent o

f Res

pond

ents

:Verbatim Summary

: Verbatim

What is your current perception of Mexico as a vacation destination? (In order of the amount of responses)• Beautiful beaches• Inexpensive vacation• Unsafe• Luxurious resorts• Relaxing• Potentially dangerous• Friendly people• Rich culture• Great food

: Verbatim

Why are you likely to vacation in Mexico in the next few years? (In order of responses)

• Want to experience the culture• Mexico is a popular cruise destination• Beautiful beaches• Warm weather• Family destination• Received recommendations from

others• Great food

: Verbatim

Why are you unlikely to vacation in Mexico in the next few years? (In order of responses)

• Can be dangerous to travel to certain parts of Mexico

• High crime rate and tourists safety concerns that are consistently talked about in the media

• Due to the economy, traveling can be too expensive for some people

• Drug wars currently happening

: Verbatim

Why do you associate Mexico as a destination that has lots of crime or is dangerous? Where have you heard this and what have you heard? Where in Mexico do you think this is taking place? (In order of responses)

• Hearing about crime on TV and in the news• Most of the violence is contained to Acapulco,

Tijuana, and border towns • Kidnapping and murders are the crimes that are

mentioned the most• The Mexican drug cartel is perceived to be behind

the majority of the crimes

: Verbatim

Other than issues relating to money and cost, what would need to happen before you would book a trip to Mexico? What kinds of information would you like to have to convince you that this would be a good destination for a vacation in the future?

“I don't need convincing...I already consider Mexico when it's appropriate.”

“I would feel more comfortable traveling to Mexico if the United States government claimed it to be safe for American citizens to travel to Mexico.”

: Most mentioned themes

• Nearly 70 percent of people are still considering traveling to Mexico for their next vacation

• Resort destinations are generally perceived as safe

• People have concerns about the violence that is happening in Mexico but they are aware that the crime is mainly contained to border towns

• Safety statistics would encourage more people to travel

• Beautiful beaches and rich culture are the most common reasons for traveling, in general for this group

: Recommended next steps• Ensure you’re doing all you can to keep your visitors safe

– age of new media means “no spin” each visitor has the ability to share their experience with millions of others

• Address the issue proactively for those within your data bases – once, then respond to one-offs appropriately

• Do so without sensation and provide facts – refer to the proposed copy we recommended for the email• We have to address issues head-on. If someone feels unsafe to

travel no amount of beautiful amenities will make them feel better. They feel better when they have their issue addressed.

• Train hotel PR people and reservations staff how to handle questions related to safety from potential travelers

• Engage our brand ambassadors