Newlink is the Mexico Tourism Board’s New Agency for Public
Relations in the United States
MEXICO TOURISM BOARD PRESENTS “LOVE MEXICO” IN NEW YORK!
BECOMING TOP
WEDDING DESTINATION FOR AMERICANS
New York, February 23rd,
2009 — In an effort to promote the growing weddings
and honeymoon market, the Mexico Tourism Board is presenting “LOVE MEXICO”
(lovemexicoweddings.com) on March 31st. The one day symposium and networking
event designed to allow representatives from Mexican destinations to present
what their hotels/resorts and local wedding planners can offer New Yorkers as a
premier wedding and honeymoon destination. Travel agents and wedding planners
will have the opportunity to learn about the opportunities in the wedding
market through seminars and connect with representatives from Yucatan,
Cozumel, San Miguel de Allende, Cancun, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta on a one-on-ones basis.
Despite the economic crisis, the
weddings and honeymoons segment remains unaffected. According to the World
Tourism Organization, 16% of US couples have a destination wedding and spend an
average of $93,000 (2008). And the Travel Industry Association of the Americas
(2007) has found that the number of American couples who choose a destination
wedding has increased by 400% over the past ten years. In the case of Mexico,
destination weddings represent a value of 2.4 billion dollars and in the next 5
years it is expected to reach a total of 18 billion dollars.
WHY IS MEXICO THE TOP DESTINATION FOR
WEDDINGS & HONEYMOONS
Mexico’s
proximity to the United States
has made it the number one international destination for Americans in general
and so many Mexico’s
visitors are repeat guests, it’s no surprise that they choose Mexico
as the setting for such a monumental date in their lives. With a mixture of
cultural and beach destinations as well as economic incentives, Mexico
is the ultimate destination for weddings, honeymoons, bachelor/bachelorette
getaways and more.
Another advantage of having your
wedding is Mexico
is the Zero VAT or tax laws on all events, meaning you would not have to pay
taxes on any expenses incurred by you or your guests while in your wedding.
CELEBRITY WEDDINGS
Mexico’s hotels and resorts often offer guests secluded
and private locations, that is why they have become a hot spot of
celebrity weddings. Giants quarterback Eli Manning wed his longtime girlfriend
in a private ceremony this past April in Cabo San Lucas and singer Seal married
model Heidi Klum in Puerto Vallarta
where Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar also held their private
family-only ceremony.
BEACH WEDDINGS
For those looking to have a romantic
and sun-filled experience, look no further than Mexico’s beaches.
Destinations such as Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta,
Acapulco, Ixtapa-Zihuatenejo, Huatulco,
Riviera Maya, Cancun, Progreso and Veracruz offer a
flawless combination of warm breezes, endless natural beauty in every direction
and a star-filled backdrop to your ceremony or intimate and picturesque nights.
COLONIAL CITIES
Mexico is home to
many colonial cities and the association Tesoros de Mexico (Mexico’s
Treasures) can help you select some of the country’s most unique hotels
to host your destination wedding or honeymoon. For example, the Pueblo Mágico (MagicTown)
of Patzcuaro, in the state of Michoacán, has a 17th Century church where you
can hold your private ceremony and the city has many restaurants and bars for
guests to visit or for you to have romantic dinners.
Another popular wedding destination
is the town of San Miguel de Allende, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008,
in the state of Guanajuato where you can hold your wedding at the famous pink
church. The city’s amazing infrastructure has the capacity to host
your guests and keep them entertained at all times.
UNUSUAL WEDDINGS
For those seeking to stray from
traditional ceremonies, Mexico
offers a number of opportunities. Couples have been getting married underwater
in Cancun and the Riviera Maya for years, while others take advantage of Mexico’s
pre-Hispanic cultures with Mayan themed weddings complete with exotic locations
in the jungles.
WHAT YOU NEED TO GET MARRIED
In order to be legally married,
couples must take part in a ten-minute civil ceremony and provide documents,
such as copies of passports, as well as blood tests taken within 15 days of the
date of marriage and notarized by a doctor in Mexico. If divorced or widowed, a
certified copy of the divorce decree or death certificate (with a minimum lapse
of one year) is required. Most resorts/wedding planners assist couples with all
the necessary paperwork and require that the happy couple be in Mexico
three working days prior to the wedding to ensure all legal requirements have
been met.
Some couples prefer to have just the
religious ceremony in Mexico,
bypassing the civil ceremony and red tape. Keep in mind that the couple must
then have a civil ceremony performed in their own country in order for the
marriage to be legal. For a general guide to getting married in Mexico,
visit www.mexperience.com
.
About the Mexico Tourism Board
The Mexico Tourism Board (MTB)
brings together the resources of federal and state governments, municipalities
and private companies to promote Mexico’s tourism attractions
and destinations internationally. Created in 1999, the MTB is Mexico’s
tourism promotion agency, and its participants include
members of both the private and
public sectors. The MTB has offices throughout
North America, Europe, Japan and Latin America. For more information on
destinations and online trip bookings please go towww.visitmexico.com.
FOR PRESS ONLY: For additional
ideas, help with a story or general travel and tourism information about
Mexico, please contact the MTB’s U.S. Press Room
directly at 1-800-929-4555, by e-mail at northamericanpress@visitmexico.com
or visit our press Web site at www.visitmexicopress.com
