Despite the coronavirus (COVID-19) scare, tourism in Cancun remain stable.
According to a recent article, this was assured by Cancun Director of Tourism, Francisco Lopez, who said that there are no reports of cancellations due to the virus.
Lopez said these indicators are very important, because they answer a question about what would happen.
He also stated that there are good expectations regarding spring break tourism and that by the beginning of April it will be Easter week and that the reservations already have a significant percentage.
It was initially projected that the reservations could be affected by cancellations due to the virus, but others say that because they are not going to other places, many people will still prefer the Mexican Caribbean.
Cancun and in general the state of Quintana Roo has seen an increase in the flow of tourists since the outbreak, due to the increase in flights diverted to this destination from initially splanned routes to Europe or Asia.
Racial discrimination is prevalent
According to a report, the European tourists are refusing to participate in the Cancun tours if they find out they will tour with Asian tourists, from whom they flee for fear of catching a coronavirus of which there is no case reported in Cancun.
These scenarios are now common in the beaches of Cancun where fishermen and local residents confirm that “it is the Europeans who, when they see people with slanted eyes, run away and mention the coronavirus.”
In contrast, the locals continue to receive tourists with the warm hospitality and affection and inform visitors that Cancún is coronavirus-free, and that in Mexico, there are very few cases of the virus.
Meanwhile, according to an article by Latin Post, Cancun International Airport has strengthened its preventive measures to avoid the entry of the infectious coronavirus that has affected more than 70 countries around the world.
During this week’s coordination meeting between International Health and the airlines committee, an agreement has been formed to close ranks to strengthen preventive actions, including a framework to run a course for staff next week.
Moreover, the airport will hold a drill to prepare its staffs to deal in a timely manner once they confirm a passenger with the disease.
Close coordination
Alejandra Aguirre Crespo, the state secretary of health, has maintained a constant dialogue with the representatives of the airlines that have direct flights with the countries with confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, some passengers have begun to use coveralls as they did in 2009 during the prevalence of influenza A (H1N1).
Coronavirus “psychosis” affects sales
In a report by the local media, the Cancún Center has seen a drop of up to 10 percent in sales in the past couple of weeks, which is attributed to the “psychosis” caused by the coronavirus.
According to Manuel García Jurado, a restaurant owner in Cancun, the year had begun very well but when the virus began to make its way into Europe, a decline in the number of visitors arriving in the city center began to be perceived.
“Unfortunately there is a lot of psychosis, I don’t understand it because when you see numbers that in the United States thousands die each year from influenza, but if one dies from coronavirus it becomes a scandal and they no longer travel. So there is a concern, that is the reality,” he admitted.
By April, Jurado hopes the situation in Cancun’s business center would be under control, both by science and by the high temperatures that will keep the coronavirus away.