Sunwing brings Moneyback Mexico to Canadian travellers

Adding to the list of reasons for Canadians to escape the winter, Moneyback Mexico has entered an exclusive marketing partnership with Sunwing to promote its tax refund program to Canadian travellers making purchases on their vacation.

The tax-refund company, with 55 offices found in airports, shopping malls and other tourist areas across Mexico, launched in 2009 and has been growing steadily since, returning 8.9 per cent of shopping expenditures to tourists, said Danielle Van Der Kwartel, director of Moneyback Mexico.

The partnership with Sunwing will see the program advertised directly to Mexico-bound travellers in the company’s in-flight Wings magazine, as well as in an on-board video.

Van Der Kwartel explained the refund process, which requires travellers to visit a Moneyback office with their receipts and travel documents before heading home; approved refunds are received approximately 45 days after departure, she said.

The potential savings are substantial, she explained; while the average tourist arriving by air spends between $800-$900 on shopping during their vacation, that number increases to an average of $1,200 for cruise passengers, where high-end items like jewellery and designer handbags are readily available for purchase.

A mobile app is in development for 2017, Van Der Kwartel said, which will allow travellers to more easily keep track of their receipts and documents when applying for the refund (travellers will still be required to visit a Moneyback office, she clarified).

And for agents, Van Der Kwartel said the program can act as a selling feature for clients who like to shop while on vacation.

Rodrigo Esponda, regional director of North America for the Mexico Tourism Board, said the program not only helps increase the number of tourists coming into the country, but also promotes Mexico as a destination beyond the resort by enticing tourists into local shops. He added that for Canadian travellers wary of spending while the loonie’s value continues to drop, the peso has depreciated at a similar rate, meaning that tourists shouldn’t worry about large price differences.

“Our main strategy is to raise revenue,” he said, “and if tourists see an incentive to spend by getting some of that money back, it’s also a chance for us to show that Mexico offers a different type of experience outside of the hotels.”

Esponda added that Canadian tourism to Mexico increased 4.5 per cent in 2015, with approximately 1.8 million Canadians visiting the country last year.

Full details of the program can be found at www.moneyback.mx.

PHOTO: Karina Chuffart, promotional and program development, Sunwing; Danielle Van Der Kwartel, director, Moneyback Mexico; Rodrigo Esponda, regional director of North America, Mexico Tourism Board.