Public health safety is tourism’s new added value and a critical factor influencing travelers’ decisions when choosing a destination, transportation, lodging, activities, and tours for their vacations.

As such, in light of the third wave of Covid-19 infections, hotels, restaurants, and tourist establishments in Riviera Nayarit have reinforced their bio-safety protocols to manage the pandemic properly.

Marc Murphy, managing director of the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau, reiterated that remaining vigilant is crucial. The fact that there are more possibilities for travel does not equal relaxing restrictions; on the contrary, bio-safety protocols will continue to apply at the airport and the destination’s hotels.

“The new normal demands stricter biosafety measures to create the conditions to safely welcome tourists,” he said.

Nature and social distancing

He pointed out that the Riviera Nayarit is a destination where tourists can travel with the certainty that they will find wide-open spaces surrounded by nature. Travelers won’t feel overwhelmed here, as priority is given not only to hygiene but also to exclusive experiences that inspire tranquility and allow for social distancing.

From the onset of the pandemic in 2020—he added—the destination hotels developed their protocols following the guidelines established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Mexico’s health departments. The properties also set up alliances with influential international organizations such as Johns Hopkins Medicine International (the global division of the prestigious medical care and research institution Johns Hopkins Medicine), Cristal International Standards, and the consulting firm Preverisk, to name a few.

WTTC Safe Travels Stamp

These protocols were validated in June of last year with the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travel Stamp. This highly respected recognition allows travelers to recognize establishments worldwide that have adopted the most rigorous standardized health and hygiene protocols to avoid contagion.

Furthermore, most of the destination’s hotels are enrolled in the Safe Tourism Company Program, in line with the Mexican Social Security Institute’s strategies. To facilitate the integration of hotel establishments into this process, the Banderas Bay Hotel and Motel Association and the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau work in coordination with the IMSS Occupational Health and Safety department.