| | |  Travel & Outdoors | June 2009 
Flu Fears Blamed for Continuing Drop in Tourism to Mexico
 CBC News
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June 12, 2009
 |  | Our business is way down to Mexico. It's probably down significantly more than 50 per cent over the same period last year.
- Gustavo Moreno |  | | |
Toronto tour companies are once again flying tourists back and forth to Mexico but they say business is still way down, even though they are offering such promotions as a flu guarantee.
The tour operators blame the fear of swine flu, which broke out in Mexico in April, for the drop in numbers.
On Thursday, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic — the first in 41 years — because of the continuing spread of the H1N1 virus around the world.
Gustavo Moreno, who runs a company that specializes in travel to Mexico, said he didn't have to wait for official word from the WHO to understand the severity of the problem and the affect it is having on travel.
"Our business is way down to Mexico," he said. "It's probably down significantly more than 50 per cent over the same period last year."
The Mexican economy has lost the equivalent of $2.59 billion Cdn due to the swine flu outbreak, the country's finance minister said last month.
Moreno has had to lay off one employee and expects it to take the rest of the year before his business is back to normal.
Moreno said the Mexican tourism department is starting a campaign to help businesses and get people back to the country. Some individual tour companies are also taking steps.
"I've seen such things as a flu guarantee. If you were to get the flu while you're there they'll give you three further vacations at no cost ... different creative ideas like that to bring customers back," said Moreno.
An additional factor is that this is a slow season for travel by Canadians to Mexico.
Tour operators say the summer is generally a busy time for Europeans travelling to Mexico — and indications are that those numbers are bouncing back. |
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