The popular tourist destinations of Cancun and Riviera Maya plan to reopen for international travel by the beginning of June, according to reports.
The news comes shortly after Los Cabos, on the other side of the country, announced a phased reopening plan to welcome visitors back to its beaches.
The proposal to reopen the Quintana Roo state, which includes Cancun, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and more, coincides with the start of air travel to the region, according to Riviera Maya News. In fact, Southwest has said it will resume flights between Houston, Denver, and Baltimore to Cancun next month.
At first, tourism is likely to be centered around conventions and weddings, Darío Flota Ocampo, the director of the Consejo de Promoción Turística de Quintana Roo, told the paper. To promote travel to the area, the group will launch a campaign in late May targeting local tourism.
As COVID-19 spread around the world, more than 155 hotels closed in the area, Riviera Maya News reported, citing the Hotel Association of Cancun, Puerto Morelos, and Isla Mujeres.
But Americans appear to be ready to return to Mexico: Those looking to travel internationally this year have the country on their minds, with Playa del Carmen, Cancun, and Isla Mujeres as top vacation spots, according to hotel search data.
While plans are being made to bring back visitors, the border between Mexico and the U.S. has been closed to all nonessential travel since March 21, and the order was extended another 30 days on April 20, The New York Times reported.
Mexico has recorded more than 42,500 confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University.
And Mexico isn’t alone in looking to welcome back tourists. Earlier this week, the European Union said it plans to begin lifting travel restrictions in time for the summer. Meanwhile, Iceland said it will start welcoming tourists on June 15, requiring visitors to take a COVID-19 test or agree to quarantine for two weeks. And Greece has said it expects to reopen to tourism on July 1.
Source: Travel + Leisure
