Wolfe Public Relations Creates Travel PR Division

Portland PR firm targets travel and tourism accounts in Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean

Wolfe Public Relations, a Portland, Maine-based public relations firm, has created a travel PR department that will focus on the Caribbean, Mexico and other Latin America destinations that need help receiving U.S. news coverage.

Firm owner Beryl Valverde Wolfe said she created the new division to help tourism boards, airlines, resorts, festivals, hotels and regional tourist initiatives get their news out to the U.S. media in a journalistic, economical manner, given the recent slowdown in the travel industry since Sept. 11.

Wolfe PR campaigns begin at $1,200 per month for a package that includes writing and distribution of news releases and story pitches to more than 1,700 travel media in the United States. Travel-related businesses in Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean interested in the new service can e-mail Wolfe at beryl@wolfenews.com, or call her at (207) 775-5115 in the U.S.

Wolfe says using a PR firm like hers is an economical and credible way to reach U.S. media and their readers and viewers. "A news release written in AP style is more credible than an ad, yet costs one tenth what an ad costs," she said. "And remember, we're reaching hundreds of journalists versus just putting an ad in one magazine, so it's clearly a more economical way to obtain publicity with a limited budget."

Wolfe, who speaks fluent Spanish, says the fact her firm is in Maine vs. in New York, Miami or California shouldn't be a deterrent to a potential client in Latin America, given e-mail and the Internet. In fact, she says it's an advantage due to the low cost of doing business in Maine. "We charge less than a PR firm in New York or Miami would charge, so if anything, it should be a plus that we're in Maine."

Established in 1993 and made up of former journalists, Wolfe PR is located at 44 Exchange Street in Portland's historic Old Port. The firm created the new division with a database of U.S. travel media that includes travel reporters, editors, news shows, freelancers, wire services, magazines, online pubs and national syndicates. News releases are written in AP style and sent via e-mail and by mail, if desired.

Wolfe, who traveled to Mexico City, Acapulco and Guadalajara in November on a trade mission to meet with hotels and tourism departments, said the time is right for travel destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean to reach out to the U.S. market given Americans hesitancy to fly overseas. Also, she said, the tourism and hospitality industries in Latin America are becoming more advanced than in other parts of the globe, providing travelers with more value for their money and a better vacation experience.

"In Mexico, for example, there is a ministry of tourism and four-year tourism degree programs at most colleges, so the hospitality industry is very advanced, which few people may realize. The hotels are staffed by people in the know, and it shows. The people are friendly, professional and service oriented, and the facilities are often top notch," Wolfe added.

"Whether it's a language school, a new hotel, an annual festival or an eco-tour, there's potential news value there and we can help those types of clients get the word out to the U.S. press and public," said Wolfe, a former reporter. "Too often news from Latin America is negative, so we want to provide a vehicle for distributing the other side of the news to the media. And because we take a journalistic, factual approach, there's a greater chance for coverage and placement."

The typical PR campaign provided by Wolfe PR includes writing and distributing news releases, making feature pitches to travel media and offering to write guest articles. Other services include web and some regional newspaper print advertising, if budgets allow.

Wolfe, 48, started Wolfe Public Relations in 1993. Her husband, Jason Wolfe, is also a former reporter and is a principal at the firm, which has a full staff. She is a 1976 graduate of the University of Arizona in Tucson and lived and worked as a reporter in Venezuela and Spain in the 1980s. She also lived in Guadalajara and has traveled extensively in Mexico.

Wolfe Public Relations website is located at http://www.WolfePR.com. The firm also owns Wolfe News Wire, an online news release posting service for clients in New England located at http://www.wolfenews.com.

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