By Christopher Reynolds Chicago Tribune It’s the time of year when Americans like to flock south of the border — but flu and violence fears may keep many at home. Here’s what you need to know to stay safe on your vacation. Between Mexico’s drug war entering its fourth year and itsH1N1 flu outbreak beginning with [...]
Mexico on Agents’ Top 10 Travel Despite Swine Flu
Mexico has 4 spots in agents’ top 10 travel list despite swine flu ABC NEWS MINNEAPOLIS September 21, 2009 (AP) Mexico took four of the top 10 spots on a list of international destinations booked by agents, managers and agency owners from the Travel Leaders company (formerly Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates). The annual survey asked [...]
Puerto Vallarta, Cancun still plagued by H1N1 (swine flu) and crime fears
Examiner.com If you have thought about going to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico’s most popular gay destination, now may be the time. According to MarketWatch.com, airfares to Puerto Vallarta over the Labor Day period are down 27% compared with last year and room rates in Vallarta are down 9%. Cancun has been even harder hit. Airfares have plunged [...]
Lessons from Mexico for next wave of swine flu
By MARTHA MENDOZA Associated Press MEXICO CITY — Mexico is preparing for a second wave of swine flu, looking at what worked and what didn’t last spring when it banned everything from dining out to attending school in an effort to control the virus. As the Northern Hemisphere flu season begins, the rest of the [...]
For travelers, Mexico is a delight and is safe too
By Janine Melberg The Denver Post Fear of the swine flu and drug trade violence are preventing foreigners from visiting Mexico. From all accounts in the Puerto Vallarta area, no one has the flu or knows of anyone with the flu, and drug related violence is not in evidence in this scenic Pacific coast tourist [...]
Preparing for H1N1 and the upcoming flu season
As the President’s advisor on Homeland Security, I am passing along the following message from Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, who are leading the efforts to prepare our Nation for the coming flu season. Fellow Americans, This spring we were [...]
The new global economic reality – Charles Simpson
Charles Simpson Invest Magazine MexInvest Now.com How to prosper & avoid the coming storm and prolonged economic stagnation in the USA. First: A reality check on Mexico Mexico is in a unique position to reap many of the benefits of the decline of the US economy. In order to not violate NAFTA and other agreements [...]
WHO showers accolades on Mexico, warns swine flu is unstoppable
by Jamie Anderson – July 4, 2009 Mexico, July 3: Day one of the two-day summit in Cancun, Mexico, where the meeting of global health officials is being held, saw World Health Organization Director Dr. Margaret Chan cautioning that the spread of the dreaded H1N1 virus cannot be halted, making travel restrictions to affected countries [...]
Who will compensate Mexico for false swine flu reports?
Opinion by Andrés Oppenheimer MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS / MIAMI HERALD Tucson, Arizona | Published: 06.21.2009 The swine flu outbreak that has wrecked Mexico’s economy may become a case study in reckless journalism. It now turns out that it’s not clear whether the H1N1 pandemic originated in Mexico, as first reported, or in the United States. Like [...]
Swine flu strikes Mexico tourism
By Steve Gibbs BBC News, Mexico City Mexico says it is going through what is the biggest drop in its tourism revenue since records began in the 1980s because of the swine flu scare. Tourism officials are speaking of a “lost summer” after visitors, particularly from the US and Canada, cancelled their holidays. They are [...]
Guns, Germs and Recession: The Curse on Mexican Tourism
Time Magazine By IOAN GRILLO / MEXICO CITY Thursday, Jun. 11, 2009 It was the last image the Mexican government wanted from one of its sunny seaside resorts. In the heart of Acapulco, soldiers fought a blazing battle against drug cartel thugs who sprayed bullets from Kalashnikov rifles and hurled more than 50 grenades. After hours [...]
Mexico City offers free healthcare | Travel On The Dollar
by Travel On The Dollar In the aftermath of the A/H1NI flu virus outbreak, which has claimed the lives of 106 people in the country and devastated tourism, hotel occupation is at just 27 per cent compared with more than 50 per cent during the same week last year. During the worst point of the outbreak, [...]
Visa Report Shows Increase in Inbound and Outbound U.S. Tourism Spending in 2008, Decline in Early 2009
Travel Industry Wire 2009-06-10 40 Percent of Respondents Plan to Travel Abroad in the Next Two Years; 83 Percent Modifying Plans Based on Economic Environment; Fewer Than One in 10 U.S. Adults Say Swine Flu (H1N1) Has Impacted Travel Plans Despite a challenging environment, spending by visitors to the U.S. increased to $52 billion in [...]
Swine flu update: Mexico travel band lifted
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, June 7, 2009 Orange County Register The CDC has lifted travel restrictions to Mexico in the wake of the swine flu outbreak, saying the outbreak south of the border is slowing. The CDC first warned against nonessential travel to Mexico on April 27. The alert has been downgraded to a [...]
Mexico bouncing back from swine flu
Friday, 05 Jun 2009 09:01 travelbite.co.uk The Mexican tourism industry is bouncing back from swine flu with remarkable speed, according to the latest research. Data from European cheap flight search engine Skyskanner reveals searches for flights to Mexico have risen by 15.5 per cent since they reached their lowest point in early May 09, after [...]
Virtuoso Helps Mexico Shine
May 28, 2009 | By: Ruthanne Terrero | LuxuryTravelAdvisor Virtuoso raised a rallying cry of support last night at the St. Regis hotel in New York, where it hosted a trade show for theMexico Tourism Board’s New York office and 20 Mexico suppliers who are part of the Virtuoso network. In attendance were member agencies from the New York area. The [...]
Mexico Tourism Uses Deep Discounts to Lure Back Travelers
After being battered and beaten down by the swine flu epidemic for almost a month, Mexico is fighting back in an attempt to lure Americans (and other foreign visitors) in and restore the country’s image as a safe place to stay and play. Americans make up 80 percent of the total number of visitors to [...]
Mexico’s Shock Doctrine – The Swine Flu Hype
The Swine Flu Hype Mexico’s Shock Doctrine By JOHN ROSS Upon returning to Mexico City after 100 days in Gringolandia dealing with a personal health crisis, I was met at the door of the downtown hotel where I have bedded down for the past quarter century by a uniformed security guard in jackboots and blue [...]
Politician’s Novel Idea for Mexican Tourism: Statue of Swine Flu Survivor
Édgar Hernández, at home in La Gloria, Mexico. He may have been the first of more than 12,000 confirmed cases of swine flu. By MARC LACEY Published: May 25, 2009 New York Times MEXICO CITY – Édgar Hernández, the Mexican kindergartner who is the first person known to have contracted the swine flu now circling [...]
Mexico, US, Canada announce swine flu deaths
Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) – Authorities in Mexico announced three more swine flu deaths and the United States and Canada one more death each as the world’s largest vaccine maker signed a deal with the United States to produce a swine flu vaccine. The World Health Organization says at least 46 countries have confirmed more [...]
The H1N1 Virus – A Challenge for Mexico and the World
Monday, May 25, 2009 By Allan Wall Mexdata.info It’s commonly referred to as the “Swine Flu,” and in some circles as the “Mexican Flu” due to its outbreak in Mexico. Clinically it’s known as “novel influenza A (H1N1).” Whatever you call it, it’s still spreading worldwide. Besides the threat to public health, H1N1 raises a [...]
Oceanside Luxury Made Affordable (Think Mexico)
by DEIRDRE VAN DYK Time Magazine Mexico Beckons. On May 15 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted its ban on nonessential travel to Mexico. Now, a month since the height of concern over swine flu outbreak, the country’s resorts are on a mission to coax back skittish tourists. Twenty Mexican hotel chains [...]
W.H.O. to Rewrite Its Pandemic Rules
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. Published: May 22, 2009 Bowing to pressure, the World Health Organization announced Friday that it would rewrite its rules for alerting the world to new diseases, meaning the swine flu circling the globe will probably never be declared a full-fledged pandemic. Dr. Keiji Fukuda, the deputy director general making the W.H.O. announcement, said that he [...]
Mexico Goes On Sale
By SARAH NASSAUER The Wall Street Journal With a clean bill of health and a lifted travel ban, Mexico tries to draw tourists back with deals and perks. Everything for the wedding was ready — the on-site florists, photographers, and a 35-foot acrylic platform built over the blue ocean water at the Rosewood Mayakoba resort near [...]
United States Consulate General Guadalajara – Update Travel Alert
United States Consulate General Guadalajara PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT TO AS MANY AMERICAN CITIZENS AS POSSIBLE Update Travel Alert TRAVEL ALERT: MEXICO 1. The Department of State wishes to inform U.S. citizens traveling to and residing in Mexico that on May 15 2009, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [...]
Mexico and AeroMexico welcomes back travellers
Travel Blackboard Thursday, 21 May 2009 After many countries, including the United State and Canada, lifted the travel warnings concerning travel to Mexico, major industry players like the Mexico Tourism Board and AeroMexico are encouraging travellers back. With local tourism industry decimated by fears of the Influenza A(H1N1) virus, Mexico is hoping for a swift [...]
Mexico Tries to Woo Back Tourists
By MICHELLE HIGGINS NY Times Published: May 24, 2009 THERE may be no better time to visit Mexico than now. It’s been about a month since swine flu scares sent tourists fleeing, but with new cases of the H1N1 virus on the wane, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted its ban on nonessential travel to Mexico on May 15. [...]
Foreign & Commonwealth Office reviews Mexico travel advice
Christy Wyatt 18 May 2009 FCO no longer advising against travel following swine flu outbreak The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) is no longer advising against all but essential travel to Mexico, following the global outbreak of swine flu. The FCO revised its travel advice late last week. A statement on the organisation’s website says: [...]
Handshakes, high fives return as US flu fears wane
WASHINGTON (AFP) — The US traditions of handshakes at graduation and slapping a high five during sports competitions were banned when fears of a swine flu pandemic were at their peak, but are gingerly making a comeback. “Did you see that? We touched skin,” an 11-year-old boy said after he and his baseball teammates tapped [...]
Canada Lifts Travel Advisory To Mexico One Month After H1N1 Outbreak
Monday May 18, 2009 CityNews.ca Staff The H1N1 virus is still a global threat, with the World Health Organization planning to keep the alert at its second-highest level. In Canada, flu activity for this time of year is certainly abnormal, noted Dr. Allison McGeer at Mt. Sinai Hospital. “On a relative scale there’s not a [...]
U.S. cancels warning against Mexico travel as flu threat wanes
By Kristin Jackson Seattle Times Travel staff U.S. authorities no longer are advising Americans to avoid traveling to Mexico because of swine flu. The U.S. State Department and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control lifted their warnings against nonessential trips to Mexico on Friday. “There is evidence that the Mexican outbreak is slowing down in many [...]
Carnival Cruise Lines to resume visits to Mexico this month
By Hugo Martín May 16, 2009 LA Times Carnival Corp., the world’s largest cruise line operator, announced Friday that it would resume visits to Mexican ports later this month. The decision came after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it would no longer recommend that Americans avoid non-essential travel to the country [...]
CDC downgrades Mexico travel warning
By Kitty Bean Yancey, USA TODAY The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dropped their recommendation Friday that U.S. travelers avoid Mexico because of the flu outbreak. The Travel Health Warning recommending against non-essential travel to Mexico, which went into effect April 27, is “downgraded to a Travel Health Precaution for Mexico,” the health agency said Friday [...]
CDC seeing more regular flu cases now; downgrading warnings about travel to Mexico
By MARILYNN MARCHIONE – 3 hours ago Associated Press U.S. health officials are seeing a surprisingly high number of cases of ordinary, seasonal flu at a time when the flu season typically peters out. About half of people recently testing positive for the flu have the new swine flu virus, Dr. Daniel Jernigan of the Centers [...]
Come back to Mexico – come back
by Karen Fawcett TRIPSO The Mexican Tourist Board is launching a multi-million dollar investment plan that will include a global public relations campaign. It is also calling for U.S. authorities to lift the travel ban with the hope that doing so will restore confidence in Mexico’s being one of the world’s top tourist destinations. Its tourism [...]
Swine Flu Takes Toll On Mexico Tourism Industry
by Jason Beaubien NPR - Morning Edition May 14, 2009 · Americans Vicky Long and John Papadakous are savoring their Caribbean vacation in Mexico. The swine flu outbreak virtually emptied the white-sand beaches of Cancun, along with its bars and hotels, meaning there is plenty of staff to pamper the couple from Baltimore. The swine flu [...]
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Travel Alert – Mexico – H1N1 Lifted
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATEBureau of Consular Affairs Mexico – H1N1 Lifted May 15, 2009 The Department of State wishes to inform U.S. citizens traveling to and residing in Mexico that on May 15 2009, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lifted its recommendation that American citizens avoid all nonessential travel to [...]
Flu? What Flu?
by ELISABETH MALKIN Published: May 8, 2009 MEXICO CITY — If you are looking for a cheap travel destination, try Mexico. Short of war, Mexico has endured about the worst calamity that can befall a country’s tourism industry over the last few weeks. A few people who had traveled here came down with what looked, initially, like [...]
Mexico flu response blends into election campaign
Amid midterm electioneering, President Felipe Calderon touts his government’s ‘firm decisions’ and says the world is in Mexico’s debt. But an opposition leader points to a ‘virus of ineptitude.’ By Ken Ellingwood May 9, 2009 LA Times Reporting from Mexico City — Mexican President Felipe Calderon sounded victorious when he went before his nation [...]
Even as Fears of Flu Ebb, Mexicans Feel Stigma
By MARC LACEY and ANDREW JACOBS Published: May 4, 2009 NY Times MEXICO CITY — Medical experts are calling the new influenza virus A(H1N1), but for many Mexicans it is simply a scarlet A. From Chile, where sports officials declined to host Mexican soccer teams, to China, where the authorities forced even healthy resident Mexicans and Mexican travelers into [...]
Swine flu scare: Great updates on Puerto Vallarta from the Mexican press
Ed Walsh SF Gay Travel Examiner Thanks to Don Pickens, the owner of Puerto Vallarta’s luxury gay resort, Casa Cupula, for these very informative updates. He just posted the updates on Yahoo’s Puerto Vallarta Gay Travel Group. Scroll down to the bottom for information on how you can translate the Spanish articles into English. Here Don’s update from [...]
Mexico, Once in Demand, Loses Its Brides and Grooms
By MICHELLE HIGGINS Published: May 3, 2009 ADD swine flu to the list of potential pre-wedding worries. Many couples who had planned on destination weddings in Mexico this spring or summer are now scrambling to find an alternative spot or postponing their events indefinitely. “My situation right now is completely up in the air,” said Natalia Velasquez, a [...]
Scientists see this flu strain as relatively mild
Genetic data indicate this outbreak won’t be as deadly as that of 1918, or even the average winter. By Karen Kaplan and Alan Zarembo April 30, 2009 LA Times As the World Health Organization raised its infectious disease alert level Wednesday and health officials confirmed the first death linked to swine flu inside U.S. borders, [...]
Should I be worried about the swine flu in Puerto Vallarta or Guadalajara?
Ed Walsh SF Gay Travel Examiner We’ve all heard the news about the swine flu paralyzing Mexico City but should you be afraid to travel to the State of Jalisco which includes the cities of Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara? The English-language Guadalajara Reporter is reporting this weekend that health authorities have identified 18 people in Jalisco [...]
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