Mexico Receives “Stamp of Approval”
Is it safe to travel to Mexico during COVID-19?
The coronavirus brought tourism to a standstill. Now that travel is very slowly restarting, the virus is bringing questions about safety protocols and standard. Luckily, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is making deciphering protocols and standards easier, with Mexico among the first to jump on board.
The WTTC is a UK-based non-profit that aims to ensure a “seamless, secure, safe, inclusive and sustainable” travel and tourism, sector. In the midst of the coronavirus, the WTTC created a set of common standards and rules to help ensure the safety of both travelers and those that work in the industry. Their guidelines are aligned with the guidelines of the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and supported by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. The protocols are continuously updated as scientists learn more about the coronavirus as well. Therefore, the WTTC has come up with a new Safe Travels Stamp, which validates destinations’ and tourism businesses’ COVID-19 protocols.
Can you guess what the first destination in the American continent was to receive the “stamp of approval”? The Mexican Caribbean. Travelers can have more confidence in knowing that approved standards are in place, without feeling the need to research how the protocols of individual jurisdictions differ from each other.
But can I travel to Mexico right now?
While the land border between the U.S. and Mexico remains closed, Mexico welcomes travelers to fly to many of its top tourist destinations, especially as more locations have received the “stamp” such as:
El Arco in Cabo San Lucas.
Baja California Sur
The southern part of the Baja peninsula opened June 15. At the southernmost tip of the peninsula is Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Todos Santos, and Loreto further north.
Caribe Mexicano
The Mexican Caribbean reopened for tourism on June 8. The area encompasses the state of Quintana Roo stretching from Isla Holbox in the north down to Chetumal in the south. Included are these popular destinations: Cancún, Cozumel, and the Riviera Maya (Tulum and Playa del Carmen).
Guanajuato
Called the “Heart of Mexico,” San Miguel de Allende is open to visitors as of July 15.
Jalisco
The state reopened to tourism on June 15, which includes two major airports at Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, the state capital.
Beaches of Tulum.