Cancun, Q.R. — The secretary of state tourism says around 12,000 national and international tourists remain stranded in the state of Quintana Roo due to border closures and travel restrictions.
Marisol Vanegas Pérez, the Secretaría estatal de Turismo says the stranded tourists “will surely stay until the end of the coronavirus pandemic.” She said that on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week, flights opened mainly to Peru and Argentina. She noted that before that, there were approximately 15,000 stranded tourists in the state.
Vanegas Pérez said that many of the tourists are staying in hostels and in the 28 low-cost accommodation centers that have been authorized by the state government for visitors during the duration of the “health emergency due to force majeure”.
She said they have a campaign launched by the State Secretary of Tourism (Sedetur) called ¿Tu vuelo aún no sale y buscas hospedaje? (Your flight has not yet left and you are looking for accommodation?) which includes 28 very low cost hotels and two that are hostels hosting tourists for free.
“When the tourists no longer have resources, we take them to a hotel-hostel free,” she explained adding that most of these places are located in mainland Isla Mujeres, Puerto Juárez and central Cancun.
Vanegas Pérez said that although the airport is still open to service flights, there are some delays. She said on Wednesday, a flight to Ecuador left, on Thursday another for Argentina and another Friday for Peru.
“We calculate that we are going to end up with 12,000 to 13,000 tourists during the time the contingency is extended. Most are in Benito Juárez (Cancún), Solidaridad (Playa del Carmen) and Tulum”, she noted.
