Hotels Are Requiring Proof Of Vaccination In These Popular Destinations

No vaccine, no hotel stay? As the delta variant fuels a new wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, some popular destinations are now mandating that hotel guests show proof of their Covid health status.

Mexico is currently reporting its highest number of new Covid-19 infections since January, with nearly 14,000 new cases reported, on average, per day, according to Reuters.

In reaction, a popular resort destination is requiring tourists to show proof of vaccination against Covid-19 or a negative test result when entering public places such as hotels, restaurants and bars. Beginning August 2, hotel guests in the beach resort town of Mazatlán will need to prove they have been vaccinated or recently tested negative to Covid-19. Mazatlán is located on the Pacific Coast in the state of Sinaloa, at the same latitude as the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. Last weekend, Mazatlán Mayor Luis Guillermo Benítez Torres said individuals must start carrying their vaccination certificates with them in all public places.

Some European countries are on the same wavelength, with several E.U. nations deciding recently to add some friction for unvaccinated travelers.

Earlier this month, hotels in Portugal began requiring guests to show proof of vaccination status or provide a negative Covid-19 test or proof of recovery from the illness. The same requirement is in place for dining indoors from Friday to Sunday across the country in 60 municipalities, including Lisbon and Porto. Nightclubs are still closed in Portugal.

Austria is using its so-called “3G rule” of “Getestet, Geimpft, Genesen” — “Tested, Vaccinated, Recovered” — to regulate entry to indoor restaurants, hotels, nightclubs, and cultural events. The rule requires patrons to show proof of vaccination status, recovery from the virus or a recent negative PCR test when entering establishments. Since mid-July, anyone breaching the law can land an on-the-spot fine of 90 euros ($106 US).

Meanwhile, more than 16 months after closing to non-essential travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Canada will begin reopening the border with the United States to fully vaccinated American citizens and permanent residents on August 9. To enter Canada, travelers must use the government’s ArriveCAN “vaccine passport” app, which allows travelers to upload passport information as well as Covid-19 vaccination records and PCR test results. It is not clear when unvaccinated and partially vaccinated U.S. residents will be able to visit Canada.

Dozens of countries now allow vaccinated U.S. travelers to visit while undergoing fewer Covid-19 protocols than unvaccinated travelers. This list includes most European nations and Caribbean destinations such as Anguilla, Bahamas, Barbados, St. Bart’s and St. Lucia.

As the latest wave of the pandemic surges through the United States, it’s possible that some U.S. hotels will start issuing vaccination mandates of their own. At least one hotel in Provincetown, on Cape Cod, Massachusetts — where cases of Covid-19 spiked this month — is now checking guests’ vaccination status at the door.

Update: An earlier version of this story said that hotels in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo will require hotels and restaurants to ask patrons for proof of vaccination. Hotels and restaurants will be required to vaccinate and test their own staff only. The government has suggested requiring guests to present proof of vaccination or antigen tests but it is not a mandate and, so far, no establishment has announced it will be implementing these measures.