Mexico has dropped all COVID-19 entry requirements as of January. Together with El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica, there are now four countries in the world that dropped all covid-related entry restrictions. “These countries will see a boost in their visitors”, said Jeroen Vliex, Chief Commercial Officer of destination platform Welcome to the World (WttW).

“The lifting of restriction in Mexico and other nations in Central America is good news for the industry as a whole”, added Vliex, who started in January at the Dubai-based start-up. Vliex was the former Head of Business Development Benelux for Oyo Hotels & Homes.

WttW looks back on a dynamic year with new license holders boarded from the United Arab Emirates to Greece and Mexico. The straightforward concept is key to its rapid success: travellers book directly with the business and unlock free local and venue-related welcoming benefits.

Unlike most of the world, Mexico has kept its borders open throughout the pandemic. As a result, it has become the world’s most popular destination since 2020. Preparations for Welcome to Mexico are in full progress, explained Pancho Buitenhuis, who just finished - with two local partners -all the necessary market studies to set up the new entity.

“It is now an excellent time to start in Mexico, as we saw in the past two years even during Covid Mexico remained a popular destination. The way Mexico dealt with the pandemic should be an example for other nations,” Buitenhuis explained.

Welcome to the World finds its strength in its non-commission-based formula. It advocates a sustainable model where the money stays in the country it is spent in. “There is a great necessity for a video platform that inspires and connects the visitors directly with the business. Without charging commission”, Buitenhuis added. 

Spain
Late last year regional governments in Spain declared that they no longer see Covid-19 as a pandemic but ‘endemic’ in the population. A term that describes the constant presence and prevalence of a disease within the population of a certain area. It refers to a state where a disease reaches such a level that most of the population has developed immunity, like the common cold. 

Vliex: “I expect more countries to evaluate their measures in the coming months. Recently, I read an article that cited the CEO of the Dubai Airports (DXB). He said that in the near future, they would stop with PCR-testing. At a certain moment, these measures have to stop. People have to learn to live with Covid, and it is not going away.”