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Swine flu symptoms? Next holiday in Mexico is free
It's a bummer to get sick on a vacation. Anyone who has been holed up in a hotel with the chills or worse instead of out enjoying the trip that you paid for can vouch for that. Illness isn't great for tourism either. Mexico tourism has hit the skids because of H1N1 virus, aka, swine flu. Folks in the Mexico tourism industry have begun to cook up ideas to entice tourists to head south. Here's one.
In an effort to make amends, and woo tourists into thinking that a little swine flu is worth the risk, three hotel chains: Real Resorts, Dreams and Secrets are offering a screaming deal to anyone who has swine flu like symptoms within eight days after they get home from their Caribbean coast vacation. According to this Daily Mail article, if you arrive home and get sick, you get three years of free vacation fun in Mexico. The eight day limit, I suppose, is to keep people from blaming any old ailment they acquire days, weeks or months later on their beach holiday.
There's a couple of hitches with this plan. The U.S. is still recommending that people not travel to Mexico unless they really have to and several companies have canceled trips. But, still, it's a creative odd reverse of what is usually the case of what people want from a vacation.
Most people head to Mexico, or anywhere else for that matter, hoping to NOT get sick. In this case, getting sick is like hitting the lottery. I wonder how many people will be disappointed on the ninth day after they have returned home and wake up without one ache and pain--not even a twinge. Not only do you NOT win three years of free vacation, but you have to go to work. Most people will end up heading to work. Probably all of them. Mexico's Health Minister has reported that out of the 2,000 registered swine flu cases, only two have been from Cancun.
Filed under: Business, Mexico, Hotels and Accommodations, Budget Travel, News, Travel Health, Caribbean
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
alex May 15th 2009 6:36AM
why can't they tell the truth in the news anymore? Im not going to say where I work but I happen to know this is not the swine flu. Its called H1N1 (aka in 1918 known as the spanish flu) and it is the same flu as hit the world in 1918-1920. over a billion people got it (there were only two and a half billion total world wide) and about eight percent of those who had it died. the first wave (which we have seen) was minor. the second wave which hit in mid summer time (end of July) was the real pandemic. and the reason healthy people were more likely to die is because the death is caused by the immune system over reacting. therefore, people with the strongest immune systems died. just FYI if any of you still think its the swine flu.
Michelle Jun 11th 2009 4:38PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H1N1
They're the same virus, different strains. 'Swine flu' is a term to describe the strain that was spread from pigs to humans, and 'Spanish flu' was a term coined when Spain was the only country that actually admitted to having breakouts of it. Both are H1N1, but the thing about flu viruses: they mutate constantly. It's a different strain, regardless of how alike they are.
MIKE May 15th 2009 6:46AM
SOMEONE SHOULD TELL THEM IT'S NOT THE FLU BUT THE CRIME THAT'S KEEPING AMERICANS AWAY...................
Scandigirl May 15th 2009 9:07AM
There are 43 murders a day in the USA.
200.000 die every year in the USA hospitals for inadecuate care/med errors.
113 die every day in the USA of reg flu.
Do not let the CNN brainwash you.
scandigirl May 15th 2009 9:05AM
MIKE, please get your numbers correct about the crime
bev May 15th 2009 9:06AM
Its ridiculous to try and get people to come to an area which may make them sick. Besides, Mexico is a cesspool of crime so why go there
mark May 15th 2009 9:12AM
So, the offer is 3 years free stay at their resort if you get swine flu on your visit to Mexico?
One detail they leave out is that since the company is Mexican that if they refuse to give you the guarantee your remedy would be to take them to court in Mexico. Small chance you'll win there. Some offers aren't worth the paper they are printed on.
Dana May 15th 2009 1:25PM
Hi All,
I have (like so many others) recently canceled my trip to Mexico. We had a few day driving trip planned and are scared to death of this stupid flu. I have found some 12volt Ionic air purifiers that plug into the cigarette lighter socket in your car and was wondering if you think that they might help while we're in the car.
Dana May 15th 2009 1:26PM
I found those purfiers here. http://www.12volt-travel.com/air-purifiers-humidifiers-c-87.html
Ramona May 18th 2009 11:23PM
I recently went to Mexico 4/28 - 5/8, SWINE FLU ruined my vacation and my life. How do you enjoy a vacation when, in the back of your mind "SWINE FLU" I could not enjoy !!!! Thought I was going to die on my dream vacation my kids kept calling saying it was big in the news. Now everyone thinks that I have a disease because I went to Mexico
Jim Aug 19th 2010 7:37PM
You can also find those purfiers here http://www.directdepot.net/category_12volt_appliance.php. About the same price but the shipping is a bit cheaper.