Mexico is planning to welcome travellers from June, but only in parts of the country where the coronavirus pandemic has been brought under control. Domestic tourists will be allowed to travel through the country first, followed by visitors from the US and Canada, and then the rest of the world.
Mexico's land border with the US will remain closed to all but essential traffic until 22 June but since mid-May some regions have been allowed to lift 'shelter-in-place' recommendations and reopen essential businesses, restaurants and cafes. Now these regions are preparing to welcome international tourists once again, with the World Tourism and Travel Council CEO Gloria Guevara telling CNN, "the target is domestic travellers first, followed by travellers from the US and Canada, and then the rest of the world."
A major tourism campaign is in the works, with the slogan "See You Soon" projected in YouTube videos to remind travellers what awaits them when they are ready to return, while airlines such as Delta and Southwest are planning to restore some US to Mexico services by early June.
Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo, home to holiday hotspots such as Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Isla Mujeres, is laying the groundwork for tourism operations to resume around 8 or 10 June. Governor Carlos Joaquín is pushing to get tourism recognised as an "essential activity" from the federal government so that resorts can safely resume operations under enhanced protocols.
Delta plans to renew flight services from Atlanta to Cancún in June following "customer demand" and Southwest announced its services to Cancún from Houston, Denver, and Baltimore/Washington will resume on 7 June.
Los Cabos
The tourism board of Los Cabos has laid out a five-stage plan to safely reopen to tourists with enhanced health screenings to asses risk factors in passengers, physical distancing and hygiene protocols in place. Many hotels will accept domestic travellers from July and most tourism companies will work to achieve the new Clean Point (Punto Limpio) certification to promote safe travel, according to the Los Cabos Hotel Association. International travel could trickle back by August or September with visitors from the US welcomed first, and then visitors from Canada and the rest of the world from October to December ,with the aim to recover 80% of bookings and 60% of air connectivity by early 2021.
In a statement, Visit Los Cabos said, "Los Cabos is Mexico’s top travel luxury destination. As such, the destination has created comprehensive health and safety guidelines to ensure the wellbeing of all travellers while keeping its remarkable service and high-quality standards unchanged."
Meanwhile, Southwest plans to restore flights from Houston and Denver to San Jose del Cabo/Los Cabos by 7 June, while services from Phoenix will follow on 8 October.
