Americans Can Visit State Of Guanajuato In Mexico With Few Travel Restrictions

As destinations worldwide continue to open to U.S. and Canadian passport holders this summer, the Mexican state of Guanajuato remains on guard with various sanitary protocols, prioritizing the health and safety of both residents and domestic and international visitors. Restrictions, however, are minimal, as Mexico does not require proof of vaccination, a negative Covid-19 test or quarantine upon arrival for travelers coming from abroad.

Guanajuato has been proactive in the vaccination of locals, almost 50% of whom have been fully vaccinated. The state has also continued its “Distintivo Guanajuato Sano,” a certificate endorsed by the “Safe Travels” seal of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which considers the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and has the support of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The certification had been obtained by more than 3,000 Guanajuato businesses.

Visitors have started to fly into the state again. Guanajuato’s airport (BJX), located in the city of León, has reactivated 87% of its normal flight operations, connecting U.S. and Canadian travelers with daily, nonstop flights — including three from Dallas, one from Los Angeles, seven from Houston, five from Chicago and two from Oakland/San Francisco. Airlines serving BJX include American Airlines, Viva Aerobus, Volaris and United Airlines.

According to airport management company Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), BJX is Mexico’s sixth-most-frequented airport and has received 1.1 million passengers from January to July of this year. Of those, 329,400 were international passengers, mainly from the U.S.

Committed to the health of both domestic and international travelers, Guanajuato has maintained constant collaboration since the beginning of the pandemic with destinations and tourism companies in global protocols in order to continue being a safe destination, mitigate the contagion and provide confidence to visitors during their stay in the state.

In order to facilitate testing for visitors returning home, temporary modules were installed at the international airport in late January to administer Covid-19 tests. Antigen tests cost 450 pesos (about $22 U.S.) and PCR tests cost 1,450 pesos ($72 U.S.), according to GAP. These special prices are available only to passengers boarding international flights.

Complementing the airport testing program, the state tourism board (SECTUR) has established communication with hoteliers in main tourist destinations Guanajuato city, San Miguel de Allende and León, so that they, too, include Covid-19 testing in their services. Guanajuato’s hotel infrastructure is currently operating at a 78% occupancy.