Chicharito Kicks Mexico Tourism into High Gear

Tracy López (Tracy López)

Mexico is always in the news.

But in recent years that news has rarely been positive, focusing instead on illegal immigration and drug-related violence. The Mexico Tourism Board is determined, however, to make sure that the abundance of good news doesn't get buried under sensational headlines.

Mexico Today was an initiative launched by the Mexico Tourism Board in June of this year to promote a positive image of the country to audiences around the world. Their approach has included the use of bloggers with ties to Mexico who serve as passionate and sincere ambassadors, as well as videos, photos, and user-submitted stories.

With a website in the works, a popular Facebook Social Magazine, Twitter profile, hashtag (#MexicoToday), YouTube channel and Flickr account in addition to the blog ambassadors' posts, they are already reaching and connecting to a wide audience.

"I feel blessed to be one of the Mexico Today Ambassadors because it's seriously a dream come true to be able to share my passion for all things Mexico, a country I feel incredibly connected to, even though I only lived there for five years as an adult," Mexico Today ambassador Ana Flores told me. "There's no way to hide the tragedies occurring in some areas of Mexico right now since they are front and center in all news outlets. However, our mission is to put a spotlight on the many real and positive stories happening all over the country that need to be told."

The stories, videos and photos that have resulted as part of the Mexico Today initiative paint a rich picture of a country that is culturally wealthy, full of warm people, colorful traditions, diverse music and dance, beautiful landscapes, adventure, history, and delicious food.

Still not convinced that you should travel south of the border? A charming invitation from Javier "Chicharito" Hernández, of Mexico's national football team, El Tri, and Manchester United, seals the deal for me.

Tracy López is a bilingual writer living outside the Washington DC metro area. She is the founder of Latinaish.com.