Intersection of outdoor, adventure travel industries, destination marketing hailed as groundbreaking
San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico – The Adventure Travel Trade Association World Summit provided a fitting background for today's announcement of a groundbreaking partnership between an American kayak manufacturer, the Mexican tourism industry and the adventure travel industry.The Mexico Tourism Board and the Tourism Department of the State of Veracruz unveiled a partnership with Jackson Kayak, the world's leading maker of whitewater kayaks. The goal of the relationship is to help foster the region's reputation as an adventure travel destination.
Federal Secretary of Tourism Gloria Guevara hailed the partnership and its potential to boost adventure travel tourism in his country as well as showcase Mexico as being at the forefront of innovations in adventure travel.
“In Veracruz it is possible to practice almost all forms of of adventure tourism including whitewater rafting,” said Clara Remes Sánchez, Director of Adventure Travel, Secretary of Tourism, Culture and Cinematography for the State of Veracruz. “Our state boasts the largest number of rivers in Mexico and an important number of them are ideal for practicing kayaking. It is therefore fitting that Jackson Kayak should choose us to showcase its products. We look forward to having a successful partnership with them and thank the Mexico Tourism Board for endorsing this endeavor.”
A closer look at the partnership will be shared with ATTA World Summit attendees in an educational session entitled “Innovations in Adventure.” ATTA President Shannon Stowell called the partnership groundbreaking and hopes it will serve as a model for other partnerships between outdoor manufacturers and destination marketers. “There's an obvious and natural synergy between the outdoor and adventure travel industries,” Stowell said. “ATTA congratulates Mexico, Veracruz and Jackson Kayak on really embracing this notion and demonstrating the possibilities.”
Jackson Kayak founder and president Eric “EJ” Jackson said the overall concept of the partnership could best be summarized as “industry-to-go.” During a two-week period later this year, a team of Jackson Kayak's top paddlers, accompanied by expert adventure photographers and writers will travel to Veracruz to generate multimedia stories for marketing purposes for each of the partners to use. The kayak company will also help train and leave in place the boats and techniques to help adventure travel outfitters in whitewater, touring and kayak fishing enhance and grow their businesses.
Among other activities, the program would include:
• Use of Veracruz in imagery for print and web-based catalogs, as well as promotional and instructional videos
• Thoroughly document adventures, cultures and landscapes of Veracruz. The resulting content would be utilized and repurposed in various ways
• Offer Mexican outfitters, liveries and retailers an instructional day to field test Jackson Kayak products.
• Research, achieve, document and publicize first descents in Veracruz.
• Jointly detect potential kayak fishing outfitters to develop new kayak fishing tours
Jackson said he is honored to work with Mexico and Veracruz on such an innovative approach to tourism promotion. “I'm confident Jackson Kayak will prove to be instrumental in getting more visitors to discover the amazing paddling opportunities and warm hospitality of Veracruz,” Jackson said.
For more information, please visit:
For more information, please contact:
Arianna Trujano
Cohesión Comunicación & Marketing on behalf of the Tourism Department of the State of Veracruz
+52 55 5584 2474
Lee Hart
Brand Amp on behalf of Jackson Kayak
+1 303 898 4141