What advisors should know about selling Mexico in 2022

Published February 16th, 2022

Mexico was, without a doubt, the leader in tourism throughout the pandemic. This was due partially to the fact that Mexico was one of the only countries open to tourism with little to no travel restrictions, making it the obvious choice for those who wanted to travel throughout the pandemic. But the destination also used the time to get creative, investing and advancing its tourism product, showing off new sides to travelers who may not have necessarily thought of Mexico prior to the global lockdowns.

Now that more and more countries around the world are easing their travel restrictions (or dropping them all together), Mexico will have to contend with a competitive environment, rather than having the market cornered. But because of all the development, investment, and marketing the country has done over the past two years, and because it is so used to pandemic travel at this point, it certainly has a leg up on other destinations. Here is what travel advisors should know about selling Mexico in 2022.

Destinations and trends to watch

The past few years have brought attention to Mexico’s mainstay beach destinations. These were the first to step up with increased hygiene protocols as well as facilitating resort on-site Covid-19 testing for return to the United States. With so much uncertainty, and travel rules and regulations changing in the United States, escaping to a beach resort proved to be the easiest way to scratch that travel itch throughout the pandemic, with the most reassurance that everything would go smoothly. But experts are seeing a shift in interest, and now many of Mexico’s interior and city destinations are back on the table.

“I’m super excited to see pre-pandemic travel mentality and trends returning, as reflected in the destinations that are of keen interest in 2022,” said Zach Rabinor, CEO of Journey Mexico. “While the overriding, dominated destinations for 2020 (post-March) and most of 2021 were sun and sand destinations, we’re seeing a robust recovery for Mexico’s culturally rich interior.”

Rabinor has his eyes on destinations like Mexico City, Puebla, Morelia, Patzcuaro, Oaxaca, Merida, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Guadalajara/Tequila, Chiapas and Baja Sur beyond Los Cabos.

“Beyond destinations, we’re seeing travel style return to pre-pandemic mentality, including more touring, multi-destination itineraries and more culture, food, and museums,” he added.

Speaking of food, culinary travel has always been a reason to visit Mexico, but lately, Mexico has been stepping up its game to become a leader in fine dining.

“The food scene in Mexico is on fire at the moment,” said Sharon Walters, owner of Sharon Walters Travel. “They have some of the best chefs in the world, such as chef Yvan Mucharraz at Copal, chef Guillermo Gomez at Agave restaurant in San Jose del Cabo, and more.”

Walters is eyeing destinations like San Jose del Cabo, Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende, Punta Mita, and Costalegre as we head into 2022.

Challenges Mexico faces in 2022

Still, Mexico will have a few challenges to overcome in 2022. Recent headlines have put a spotlight on Mexico because of its Covid-19 numbers as well as an increase in gun violence in the tourist areas of Quintana Roo.

“[Mexico is faced with] poor, and unfair, media coverage on safety and security issues,” Rabinor said.

The CDC only recently put Mexico on the Level 4 list, which is what headlines are reporting, but it should also be noted that Mexico is on the list along with dozens of other countries, including Anguilla, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines, Singapore, Costa Rica, Fiji, Jamaica, St. Barts, the Dominican Republic and many more.

In terms of the gun violence in Quintana Roo, it is true that the news has been alarming for those reading about it in the United States. Since November there have been several shootings in the resort areas of Puerto Morelos, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and even on-property at Hotel Xcaret. The shootings were not directed at tourists, but in many instances, tourists were injured, and some were killed.

After the shootings occurred in Tulum and Puerto Morelos in October, the Mexican government deployed the National Guard to the coast of Quintana Roo to help keep the peace. According to Vice, the number of murders in the Tulum area alone went from nine in 2015 to 70 in the first 10 months of 2021. In Tulum, specifically, there are many factors that contribute to this, from political changes to an explosion of tourism growth with an infrastructure that is struggling to keep up, with rival gangs looking for a piece of the huge money pie that is found in Tulum.

The increase in violence is not anything. It is happening for a reason, but from a tourism perspective, it is also not exactly as it is being reported. The truth is that homicides and gang violence have always been part of Mexico’s story in many places around the country. According to the Yucatan Times, from January to July 2021 there were 672 reports of intentional injuries in Quintana Roo and more than 170 intentional homicides.

But when it’s out of sight and out of the mind of tourists, little to no mind is paid to it. And on the whole, these incidents are still considered isolated, and tourism to Quintana Roo has not slowed down. These isolated incidents become an issue when there is an established pattern that increases the risk for travelers to the destination.

“It truly needs to be handled quickly, and the government and tourism sector need to find a way to put a stop to it,” said Walters. “The news from Cancun and the Riviera Maya is bad, however, I have not seen a decline in business nor too many questions regarding safety from my clients,” said Walters. “They trust my knowledge of the destination and understand that this type of thing happens [in the U.S.] also. At this time I do think if you are aware and stay in the right locations, hotels, and areas, it is not an issue. I have steered clients to other locations in Mexico for now to avoid this conversation. I do have quite a few clients who do not feel it is a risk and have vacations booked in Quintana Roo throughout this year.”

“[Quintana Roo] remains open with no travel restrictions, and we continue to welcome a high number of visitors,” said Dario Flota, director of the Quintana Roo Tourism Board. “We expect this trend to grow during the months of March and April due to the spring break season.”

He added that hotels forecast a positive number of reservations for these months, reaching 70 percent of secured reservations.

“We are in permanent communication with Quintana Roo authorities, alongside federal and local agencies and the domestic and foreign private sector, to develop updated security measures to keep a safe and enjoyable environment for residents and visitors.”

Rabinor added, “We can counter with positive stories and images of Mexico as well as clear, transparent, honest, timely facts about what is happening on the ground from those who live here.”