Americans, others surging toMexico
MEXICO CITY — As the coronavirus pandemic wore endlessly on, Rob George began to find the confinement in his West Hollywood home unbearable.
“There were weeks where I just wouldn’t leave my house, just working all day — mymental healthwas definitely suffering,” said George, 31, who manages business operations for a technology startup.
Sowhen aMexican friend said hewas traveling toMexico City in November, George decided to tag along. Now, he’s calling the Mexican capital home — part of an increasing number of foreigners who are heading to Mexico for a short trip or a longer stay to escape restrictions at home.
Some Mexicans find the move irresponsible amid a pandemic, especially as the virus overwhelms Mexico City and its hospitals. Others say the problem lieswith Mexican authorities, who waited too long to enact strict lockdown measures, making places such as Mexico City enticing to outsiders.
In November, more than half a million Americans came to Mexico — of those,
almost 50,000 arrived at Mexico City’s airport, official figures show That’s less than half the number of U.S. visitors who arrived in November last year but a surge from the 4,000 who came inApril, whenmuch ofMexico was shut down. Since then, numbers have ticked up steadily: Between June and August, U.S. visitors more than doubled.
The capital city is hardly the only destination inMexico seeing a surge of foreign visitors, particularly Americans. Much of this travel has been concentrated in the country’s popular beach resorts, where coronavirus restrictions can be even more relaxed. Los Cabos had nearly 100,000 Americans
arrive in November, while Cancun had 236,000, only 18 percent fewer than in 2019.
The nearby resort town of Tulum made headlines for hosting an art andmusic festival in November that saw hundreds of revelers dancing maskless inside underground caves.
The surge comes as Mexico City enters a critical phase of the pandemic; hospitals are so stretched that many sick people are staying home as their relatives struggle to buy them oxygen. The U.S. Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention has advised Americans to avoid all travel toMexico.
In mid-December, authorities escalated Mexico
City’s alert system to the highest level — red — which requires an immediate shutdown of all but essential businesses. But the lockdown came weeks after numbers became critical, even by the government’s own figures, leaving stores thronged with Christmas shoppers and restaurants filled with diners.
Such laissez-faire attitudes from outsiders have angered many residents, Mexican and foreign alike. Others say the rush of foreigners offers the struggling Mexico City economy a welcome boost.