Welcome Back
The Caribbean-fronting Mexican state of Quintana Roo says it’s committed to welcoming tourists back to the hugely popular jurisdiction in a safe manner and then seeing them return home equally healthy.
The Quintana Roo Tourism Board — which represents the likes of Cancun, Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya — said during a Tuesday webinar that it cohosted with Air Canada Vacations that it began reopening to tourists in early June, and coinciding with welcoming visitors back was the implementation of the Mexican Caribbean Clean & Safe Check Certification, certification designed for tourism businesses that has more than 250 health and safety guidelines.
To date, over 6,500 companies have applied for the certification, which runs through December. Companies wanting to be re-certified for 2021 will have to reapply.
Visit with confidence
Quintana Roo Tourism Board promotions director Lizzie Cole told the webinar that Quintana Roo was also the first destination in the Americas to receive the WTTC’s Global Safety Stamp, seen as indication that the weighty body has confidence in the health measures Quintana Roo has undertaken.
Quintana Roo visitors can also download a free app that provides information on the likes of what they can do if they don’t feel well or if they lose important documents during their vacation. A 24-hour call centre is on hand.
The state’s international airports have also taken steps to ensure the safety of visitors and staff, including enforcing social distancing and using thermal imaging to monitor temperatures.
“We want to make sure all our visitors are having a great experience while they are here,” Cole said.
Quintana Roo last year saw 22.8 million visitors when cruise ship visitors are included, with Cole noting that if the state was a country it would have been the fourth-most-visited country in the Americas.
June and July have seen many of its popular attractions reopen, with Cole stating those attractions are practicing social distancing and other safeguards.
What’s in store this fall?
Plans also call for cruise companies to return this fall, with MSC, Celebrity, Carnival and RCCL slated to again call in Quintana Roo starting Oct. 1 and others to follow.
Among Quintana Roo destinations Cole singled out for praise was Costa Mujeres, found a little north of Cancun and which Cole said is the state’s “newest tourist spot…It stands out due to the beautiful surroundings,” she said of a destination noteable in part because of its beaches, mangroves and “beautiful sunsets.”
Because it’s a recent addition to the tourism scene its hotels are new, Cole said.
Meanwhile, Air Canada Vacations reports it now has weekly flights to Cancun from both Montreal and Toronto, and early booking bonuses are available.
