MEXICO TOURISM BOARD Q&A FOR THE INDUSTRY
MEXICO TOURISM BOARD Q&A FOR THE INDUSTRY
1. I would like to cancel my trip to Mexico.
We would invite you to reconsider. Mexico is currently the 8th most visited country in the world. The destination you are visiting is one of the most beautiful in the country and has so much to offer. We know you’ll have a fantastic vacation with memories that will last a lifetime.
2. I’m reading scary stories in the news – what should I do?
The events being covered are tragic and our sympathies go out to those affected. However, incidents such as these are extremely rare among the 35 million international tourists who visit Mexico each year, and the entire Mexican tourism industry will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety and satisfaction of all visitors.
3. Is it safe to drink the alcohol in Mexico?
We can confirm the strictest guidelines and processes related to alcohol procurement, handling and serving of guests with the goal of ensuring quality and control are in place by the hotels and industry. In fact, the Health Secretary of Quintana Roo shared the following information on their guidelines, as it relates to alcohol procurement:
o To date, they have not received complaints or reports of visitors being affected by ingesting tainted alcohol.
o More than 128 hotels have been reviewed and verified to sell alcohol – no tainted alcohol has been detected in any of these hotels.
o The verifications and reviews include sampling any alcohol being procured and a thorough laboratory analysis is conducted.
o They confirmed that the mixing of energy drinks with alcohol is strictly prohibited and have enacted their own awareness campaign warning against this practice.
We can also confirm that each hotel has its own internal alcohol procurement guidelines and regulations. Ensuring the safety of visitors is always a priority, and the U.S. Department of State reminded travelers that “If you choose to drink alcohol, it is important to do so in moderation and to stop and seek medical attention if you begin to feel ill.”
4. But the U.S. Department of State says not to drink alcohol in Mexico and issued a travel warning/alert
Actually, the U.S. Department of State didn’t update their December 8, 2016 travel alert. They updated the Mexico country page and under the Safety and Security section advised: “There have been allegations that consumption of tainted or substandard alcohol has resulted in illness or blacking out. If you choose to drink alcohol, it is important to do so in moderation and to stop and seek medical attention if you begin to feel ill.
5. I’m hearing a lot about tainted alcohol – what is that exactly?
Tainted alcohol may refer to substandard, or poor quality, alcohol or alcohol that includes contaminants or other substances.
6. Do Mexican all-inclusive resorts have tainted alcohol?
We can confirm the strictest guidelines and processes related to alcohol procurement, handling and serving of guests with the goal of ensuring quality and control are in place by the hotels and industry. In fact, the Health Secretary of Quintana Roo shared the following information on their guidelines as it relates to alcohol procurement:
o To date, they have not received complaints or reports of visitors being affected by ingesting tainted alcohol.
o More than 128 hotels have been reviewed and have received verification – no tainted alcohol has been detected in any of these hotels.
o The verifications and reviews include sampling any alcohol being procured and a thorough laboratory analysis is conducted.
o They confirmed that the mixing of energy drinks with alcohol is strictly prohibited and have enacted their own awareness campaign warning against this practice.
• We can also confirm that each hotel has its own internal alcohol procurement guidelines and regulations.
7. Is it safe to travel to Mexico?
Yes. Mexico welcomed more than 35 million international tourists each year, and the entire Mexican government and tourism industry will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety of all our visitors so they have great experiences.
8. What regulations for alcohol are in place?
We can confirm the strictest guidelines and processes related to alcohol procurement, handling and serving of guests with the goal of ensuring quality and control are in place by the hotels and industry. In fact, the Health Secretary of Quintana Roo shared the following information on their guidelines as it relates to alcohol procurement:
o To date, they have not received complaints or reports of visitors being affected by ingesting tainted alcohol.
o More than 128 hotels have been reviewed and received verification – no tainted alcohol has been detected in any of these hotels.
o The verifications and reviews include sampling any alcohol being procured and a thorough laboratory analysis is conducted.
o They confirmed that the mixing of energy drinks with alcohol is strictly prohibited and have enacted their own awareness campaign warning against this practice.
In addition, we can also confirm that each hotel has its own internal alcohol procurement guidelines and regulations. Incidents such as these are rare among the 35 million international tourists who visit Mexico each year, and the entire Mexican government and tourism industry will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety of all our visitors so they have great experiences.