The initiative, called the “Tourist Assistance Card,” grew out of Mexico’s recent H1N1 flu crisis, which sent tourism plunging nationwide as would-be travelers steered clear. In Mexico City, which had the country’s most reported flu cases, a near-complete shutdown hammered hotels and restaurants, compounding damage caused by the global recession.
The insurance program is run by the city’s tourism office through a private insurer, MAPFRE. Anyone staying at a Mexico City hotel is eligible for coverage, officials said, and can get help by dialing a call center, which will have attendants fluent in English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish. A deductible will apply for some services, but officials did not provide details. Typically, travel insurance places limits on coverage for emergencies.
“Of all the world’s largest cities, Mexico City is the first to try this,” Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said Tuesday at a ceremony unveiling the service.
Mexican tourism officials expect depressing year-end results, in part due to the flu outbreak and the recession. Tourists also have stayed away due to drug-related violence that has killed more than 9,000 people since January 2008, according to unofficial tallies in the Mexican media.
During the flu crisis, travelers fled resorts such as Cancun, leaving them as surf-washed ghost towns. Some hotel chains have tried to attract tourists by promising free vacations to anyone who contracts H1N1 during their stay.
Meanwhile, the city braces for the next flu season.
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