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 Technology News | April 2005 
Catch a Wave While Surfing the Internet
 Barbara Kastelein - The Herald Mexico
| | Mexicanwave is a prime example of a website based on the real interests and issues that foreigners encounter when traveling in Mexico. Take a look at: www.Mexicanwave.com. |
This month sees Mexicanwave's 5th birthday and the 40th of its founder, Englishman Steve Bridger, married to Gicela Morales from Toliman, Queretero.
"The site brings together our two passions: Mexico and the web," said Steve as he was packing to visit the land of the Aztecs from the land of the Angles, a few days ago. "It is colorful and is meant to inspire if you like, the next best thing to being there. This is particularly true for me as a Brit, as we seem pre-programmed to paint the exteriors of our houses the color of bad weather."
Mexico offers the English traveller such differences that they can barely believe it's for real. Try buying brightly-hued jewelry, clothing, rugs or even place mats for English friends … they are only really comfortable if it's for their children.
There is what Steve calls a Mexico "loop" in the United Kingdom, by which he means "the embassy, cultural attache, tourism board, specialist tour operators, etc… It's a fairly small number of people not at all like the United States."
So that's partly why Steve and Gicela started: "There just weren't any websites out there five years ago that covered Mexico from a U.K. perspective," Steve points out.
"Before the site launched we ran a day school at the London CityLit college about all aspects of Mexico. [The author] Isabella Tree attended one of those during her research into "Sliced Iguana." We get a mention, in fact. Now we are friends with many authors who write on Mexico fiction and non-fiction such as Tony Cohan and David Lida."
"We couldn't believe our luck when one balmy evening in July 1999, during a dinner party, we searched for the mexicanwave.com domain name and discovered it was available. We snapped it up and spent the next eight months thinking and developing the website. It launched on April 2, 2000."
The site features a generous "Ask for our help" section highly recommended and impressive ecological details.
Steve says he has had a positive experience in Europe with official Mexican tourism agencies, in particular with Manuel Diaz Cebrian, the regional director for Europe for the Mexico Tourism Board.
However, as a serious and long term Mexicophile himself, he said he has seen the embarrassing inefficiencies caused by slippage between the presidential elections and damage caused by weak follow-up.
"I have to really question whether Mexico would be less on the map than it is already if the Mexico Tourism Board did not exist. There are the same issues of lack of continuity." Steve is like many foreigners who promote Mexico because of a genuine love of the country and wish to share their enthusiasm with other like-minded people who they sense are out there.
There is a chattier blog side to the site, but one that does not overwhelm.
"All the places information has been written by me, and a handful of friends," Steve says. "I started the blog in March 2003 and find this the perfect format for allowing me to write about events, travel snippets, personal anecdotes, hobby horses, etc."
But what commands respect is the hard work, openness and sense of welcome that comes across.
For example, the site notes that: "In 2003 over 13 percent of all revenues in hospitality were generated from the internet. A couple of years from now the internet will contribute over 20 percent of all hotel bookings and 53 percent of these will be direct to the consumer (i.e. via hotel-owned websites)."
Consequently, Mexicanwave offers to help with marketing a business online, with web design, site functionality and search engine optimization. And unlike many other websites, Mexicanwave is not planning to become an online travel agent but rather wants to put travellers directly in touch with travel services via the website. Steve and company advise how best to modify promotional material for use on the web, especially if enterprises are keen to attract more visitors from Europe.
Mexicanwave also has "Destination Travel Guides," then listed as places within regions, with eye-catching subheadings.
It is a prime example of a website based on the real interests and issues that foreigners encounter when traveling in Mexico. Take a look at: www.Mexicanwave.com. |
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