Mexico City – With the aim of promoting the reactivation of the tourism sector, Mexico’s Secretary of Economy, Tatiana Clouthier, proposed a plan to vaccinate all adults in five summer vacation destinations that are popular amongst American tourists.
“I believe that this will be one of the fundamental initial measures [to reactivate tourism],” Clouthier said while addressing a virtual economic forum, after presenting the plan to President Lopez Obrador, on Monday. “The president thought it was a very good idea, and we are in the process of trying to determine which five destinations it will be,” she said.
Clouthier explained that the five destinations chosen will be those whose local economies depend heavily on tourism and that have the capacity to attract international tourists. She added that the reactivation of domestic tourism has already begun in many areas.
The Secretary noted that, due to the pandemic, tourism in Mexico and the world has undergone a transformation. With travelers now preferring nature-oriented vacations, the government is focusing more on promoting ecotourism. “We are working with [social media] influencers to promote vacation destinations that offer greener, more ecological tourism options,” she said.
Los Cabos, Cancun, and Puerto Vallarta are among the destinations that meet the criteria, so, although it has not yet been confirmed, there is a great possibility that these destinations will be among the five in which vaccinations could be applied to the general population, as a measure for the recovery of tourism.
Secretary Clouthier added that the government is advocating an increase in direct flights to tourism hotspots so that travelers don’t have to transit through third cities to reach their final destination.
Air travel to Mexico from the United States – the No. 1 source country for international tourists – is expected to recover strongly this summer as many U.S. citizens have already been vaccinated against Covid-19 and are keen to go on vacation. The number of flights that have been scheduled between the two countries for this summer is up 6% from 2019.
Sources: El Universal – Milenio – Mexico News Daily
