Asur, Cancun International airport operator has reported that, at least, 13,000 or 90% of its daily arrivals come from the United States.
With the new entry and exit restrictions that Canada and multiple European nations are enforcing on their citizens, Mexican tourism is becoming highly dependent on American tourists.
Only on Monday, 87 out of 100 flights came from the States. Data from app TripIt shows that while air travel from the U.S. to Mexico is not really high, “the share of U.S.-origin flight reservations to the country have increased 179 percent year-over-year.”
One possible factor that makes Mexico so attractive to U.S. citizens is that it does not require them to submit a negative COVID-19 test to enter, unlike other beach destinations such as Hawaii and other places in the Caribbean.
This flock of tourists traveling to a country that has virtually no strict COVID-19 related restrictions has forced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to permanently warn Americans against all travel to Mexico as coronavirus cases continue to rise unstoppably.
In the past two weeks, Mexico surpassed 159,000 deaths due to the virus and reported over 1.87 million cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
Among the avalanche of bad news there are still a few silver linings for travelers.
How is flying to one of the few countries totally reopened for Americans like?
Flying to Mexico is easier than ever. For instance, before the pandemic Cancun airport was known for having one of the most overcrowded immigrations lines in the Caribbean. Not anymore.
On-site COVID-19 testing for returning Americans
Hotels across Mexico are starting on-site programs to provide returning Americans with the so-called proof of a negative Covid-19 test prior to departure after the CDC started requiring it from all inbound travelers.
As of yet, relevant international hotel brands such as Marriott International, Melia Hotels International, and Hyatt Hotels Corp among others have introduced programs to provide safe and convenient testing options for their guests.
What’s open in Mexico? Can visitors go to beaches and clubs?
The spike in cases has prompted federal and local measures. As of right now, most of the territory is under “orange” alert level.
Mayors of Cancun and Playa del Carmen have announced a reduction in the capacity of establishments and beaches, along with curfews and other restrictions to control the situation. Bars and nightclubs are closed.
Some cities are placing additional testing and screening sites and restricting the number of people in public transport.
The outbreak in January has been the worst the country has seen since the beginning of the pandemic with an average of 12,000 – 18,000 new daily cases.