Yucatán Turismo sponsors a travel video for a new generation
Sex sells, even when you’re selling Yucatán excursions to young people.
A new nearly seven-minute video throws in lots of t-and-a, a little profanity and — at 0:09 and again at 4:35 — an irreverent bikini-clad model flipping the bird to the camera.
Rather than appealing to history lovers and eco-tourists, this government-sponsored short film is taking on a more aggressive tone. Some viewers may find it a little vulgar.
This new video by a Spanish production company is also gorgeous at times. The photography is outstanding — a camera company is an apparent sponsor along with the government’s tourism agency Yucatán Turismo.
The in-your-face frolicking is nonstop in the nearly seven-minute piece. Scenes balance Yucatán’s modern accommodations with its natural attractions, ancient heritage and historic charms, with a young foursome at the center.
“Yucatán (The Gateway to Mayan World)” starts out in Cozumel, where the protagonists rented scooters and went scuba diving. Then on to Tulum, a world-famous tourist destination just a few miles away from Playa del Carmen to explore a jungle and some Mayan ruins.
In Yucatán state, they stop first in Oxkutzcab where traditional relleno negro and cochinita pibil tacos are flashed on the screen.
The crew also traveled to Izamal and Valladolid and went free diving at Cenote Hacienda Oxmán, Cenote Samula and Cenote Xkeken before invading — that is, exploring — Holbox.
Earlier: Misbehaving influencers invited to promote Yucatán, kicked out of Uxmal
The intended audience is apparently European. The upbeat music, like the crew, is from Spain. At the end, they pay tribute to Spanish musician Paco de Lucía who died at age 66 in 2014 while vacationing in Quintana Roo, where he had previously lived for five years.
In his segment, the musician says that it’s “bulls—” when artists say they suffer. In reality, artists have a lot of fun.
“We real artists live like this, laying down all day long,” he says.
“Despite planning the whole trip a couple of weeks before and later experiencing Yucatán’s rainy season, we made the most of the journey, I’m so happy how the video ended looking like,” said Jordi Presa, owner of the Ibiza-based production company, in a press release.
Older generations may be taken aback, but reactions to the video on Presa’s YouTube channel were positive.
“Can you be more genius dude?” said one fan, in Spanish.
See the full video here:
Lee Steele is the founding director of Roof Cat Media and has published Yucatán Magazine and other titles since 2012.