Mexico has always been a dream destination for many American vacationers, thanks to its promise of year-round warm weather, beautiful beaches, and outdoor recreation. But now, at what is considered a “post-pandemic” in the US, a flood of vacationers are making their summer trips south of the border.
As US vaccination rates rise and vacation-hungry people who have been largely pent-up for 16 months travel again, US tourists flock to Mexico for a long list of reasons. However, with a shocking spike in COVID-19 infections south of the border and low vaccination rates among locals, American visitors may not be as safe as they imagine.
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On Tuesday, Reuters said the Mexican Ministry of Health reported the largest daily increase in new COVID-19 cases since February, which marks a third new wave of contagion, according to Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell. The ministry’s data showed that case numbers increased by 11,137 to 2,604,711 total cases, while the daily death toll increased by 219, bringing the total death toll to 235,277.
The New York Times tracker said the average number of new cases every day has increased 92 percent since two weeks ago, with deaths increasing nine percent over the same period. There is speculation about the role of the highly contagious COVID-19 strain, the delta variant, in the current surge.
Tourism areas are becoming COVID-19 hotspots
Three of the five Mexican states that currently have the highest infection rates are home to major tourism hotspots: Quintana Roo, which includes Cancun, Cozumel, and Riviera Maya; Yucatan state, home of Chichén Itzá, Uxmal and Mérida; and on the west coast of Baja California Sur, home of Los Cabos. The popular seaside resort of Los Cabos has the worst infection rate at 47 cases per 100,000 residents, accounting for 54 percent of all active cases in the state.
“Covid is substantial down here,” Jon Gabrielsen, an American living in Los Cabos, told the New York Times. “It’s not like the US where the vaccine has cut infection rates to very low levels. The vaccination rate is not very high here. Fellow Americans should understand that they have to mask themselves. “
Cancun Hotel Zone. (Courtesy photo of Quintana Roo Tourism Board)
The Mexican government’s efforts to vaccinate its citizens have not been nearly as robust as ours in the United States. Only about 16 percent of the population are fully vaccinated, while 28 percent have received at least one dose.
The three heavily tourism-dependent states claim they are enforcing health and safety protocols from the COVID era, including masking requirements, social distancing requirements, curfews, and large gatherings. The Quintana Roo Tourism Bureau told the New York Times that the state government is running random, rapid tests in bustling downtown Cancun and has deployed workers to hand out masks and hand sanitizer.
Travelers continue to take the risk
While the US-Mexico land borders have remained closed to non-essential travelers since the beginning of COVID-19, Mexico remained conspicuously open to international air arrivals during the pandemic, and its government has never imposed quarantine or testing restrictions. Many Americans, vaccinated or not, have made trips there this year, with two million U.S. tourists visiting Mexico in the first four months of 2021.
Aerial view of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. (Photo via ferrata / E +)
Mexico is tempting not only because it has pretty much everything you could want for a summer vacation, but also because its unbeatable proximity to home is likely to appeal to travelers who are still scared of crossing international borders.
For example, you can fly from Dallas to Cancun in less than three hours, from San Diego to Los Cabos in just over two hours, or from Miami to Cancun in about an hour and a half. Tourists will find that there is no shortage of direct flights from major cities in the southern United States to Mexico’s tourist hotspots.
Another aspect of Mexico’s appeal is that it is an affordable travel destination with a cheap exchange rate, with one US dollar being worth around 20 pesos.
According to statistics from Mexico’s Department of Tourism, Americans make up 76 percent of all international flight arrivals. Based on ticket data, the analysis firm Forward Keys found that the volume of airline tickets from the United States to Mexico increased by almost 32 percent in the third quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2019.
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