The A/H1N1 Virus and Tourism in Mexico

The A/H1N1 virus in Mexico and tourism. The effects of human influenza virus H1N1 have been more in the pockets in the lungs. To the already adverse economic situation, framed in a deep global crisis, adds an unprecedented health emergency in modern Mexican history. The result is predictable and chain: chaos, misinformation, speculation and uncertainty. Suddenly, rapidly, even when clinical diagnoses were not clear and rather tended to mistake, it was decreed a national general alarm: the information is scattered and shouted to the heavens four unknown and not yet weighted in all its consequences. In the span of 25 to 28 April figures were handled 81, 103, 149 and 159 fatal cases, when you really had died from A/H1N1 to 20 people. We may serve to point out that, on average, 236 people die from pneumonia in the same period of 4 days, and in Mexico, about 21 000 500 people die annually from complications pneumonic. The category of tourism has always played an important role in Mexico's financial health, as is the third most important source of economic resources after oil and remittances.

Following the health scare triggered tourism has precipitated surprisingly, overwhelming, reaching high negative numbers and seeing clearly diminished the possibility of contributing to the budget of Mexico, as usual, 8% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP ), ie $ 13,000 million annually. And what about the jobs lost and workers parked until further notice: macroeconomics is not interested in the worker, he is interested in its stability fortnight and daily, for now, is diluted.

The busiest tourist destinations have been severely affected due to the measures taken to prevent the spread of a virus, that while there and did not stop talking about it, few have been infected and even fewer fatalities. One might say that thanks to the measures, a measure so radical and not full economic consequences, has prevented the spread of the virus but can also be said that due to these same measures have sent a double message to the world, namely : Mexico does respond to the crisis, but nobody goes to Mexico and all Mexicans avoid contact. Totally understandable, since thus be alarmed and paralyzed the country means only one thing in the eyes of the foreigner, something very serious is happening. In short, the folly in the management of government information has been his worst enemy to condemn himself. The feeling of many Mexicans is contrary to the perception of "widespread? of gravity and purulence of the virus. The question hung in the air, in an environment already contaminated before which no masks work: Does the swine flu measures deserves almost Redeemer and Savior who has made the government, or rather he went for the shot butt to cause widespread fear and paralysis that happens in the quarantine of Mexico in the international arena?

Were they correct the ways information is handled ... perhaps the authorities have spread confusion and inadvertently created a vast area of ​​ambiguity that fascinates the media, as it feeds its known ability to misinform, mislead, deceive and mock the intellect of the people. Although it has avoided the tourist paralysis, as is the federal Minister of Tourism, Rodolfo Elizondo, saying "We are doing our best not to suspend any activity of an economic nature that could affect the economy country, no suspension of flights, anything that can cause paralysis commercial or industrial, or economic in the country, while it does not reach greater extremes "in fact the atmosphere has other colors: several countries have suspended flights to Mexico, the major travel agencies globally have canceled their activities in our country, and, last but not least, misinformation (too disjointed information, biased) and uncertainty (how long the alarm will be reactivated when health and economic activity ) play against us. Mexico is ready to resume all his economic activities, activities that many would not have stopped. The tourist infrastructure, especially in the Mexican Caribbean, Cancun and the Riviera Maya (places where no A/H1N1 cases have been detected) is in good condition to receive and respond with all relevant health measures, all visitors than usual .

What the country needs is a campaign of intelligent and responsible, both internally and externally, to regain the trust of foreign travelers and resume the activities of agencies and airlines. Mexico should remove a stigma that he created and overstated. Now we know that the virus is not as aggressive, or in its representation or its spread, but that the economic consequences are.