La= test Mexico Travel Updates From:

A= pril 28, 2009

Travel Guard Offers

Free Assistance and Information on Swine Flu

T= ravel Guard is providing emergency travel and medical assistance services as = well as travel health information free to U.S. and Canadian travelers = affected by or concerned with the recent Swine Flu outbreak. These services = include worldwide medical referrals; up-to-the-minute updates on outbreak = status and travel areas affected; information on symptoms; prevention and = treatment and coordination of travel arrangements for those in transit. In addition, = Travel Guard will provide information and medical referrals for travelers in = transit who feel they may be experiencing Swine Flu symptoms. Travelers = seeking these services for their relatives can call Travel Guard at(1-866-644-6811 - = US and Canada toll-free or international collect at 1-715-295-1209.)

Our worldwide travel medical department is closely monitoring the = Swine Flu outbreak and its impact on travelers around the world. We have the = most up-to-date information for travelers seeking travel status updates, = health warnings, prevention and treatment tips. We are working closely with worldwide government and health agencies to help disseminate this = information directly to any traveler worldwide.

Travel Guard Assist has travel medical operations throughout the globe = and is monitoring the Swine Flu outbreak worldwide. Agents or their customers = can call Travel Guard, (1-866-644-6811 - US and Canada toll-free; = international collect at 1-715-295-1209), for information on the Swine Flu, travel = status updates, symptoms, transmission, diagnosis, treatment and prevention information.

If any travelers in transit suspect they may be experiencing Swine Flu symptoms, they may call Travel Guard for information and assistance = with locating adequate medical treatment no matter where they are traveling throughout the world (1-866-644-6811 - US and Canada toll-free; = international collect at 1-715-295-1209).

We are continuing to monitor this situation and will continue to = provide updates.

U.S. Department of State = Mexico Travel Advisory

MEXICO

April 28, 2009

The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens of the health risks of = travel to Mexico at this time due to an outbreak of H1N1 influenza("swine flu)." The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) = on April 27 issued a notice recommending that American citizens avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico at this time. CDC's notice also suggests precautions that travelers and U.S. citizen residents in Mexico can = take to reduce their risk of infection while in Mexico, provides = recommendations for those who must travel to an area where cases of H1N1 influenza have = been reported, and recommends measures travelers should take following = their return from an area that has reported cases of H1N1 influenza. The = complete CDC notice can be found at the following link: http://www.cdc.gov/travel/. = Please check this site frequently for updates. This Travel Alert = replaces the Travel Alert dated April 27, 2009 and provides updated information on closings of schools and commercial venues in Mexico and U.S. consular operations throughout Mexico. This Travel Alert will be reviewed and = updated as necessary, and is valid until further notice.

The World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Alert and Response = Network (GOARN), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have sent = experts to Mexico to work with health authorities.

The Government of Mexico has announced that as a precautionary = measure, all schools throughout Mexico from kindergarten through university level = will remain closed until May 6. All government-sponsored events involving = large crowds have also been canceled, and museums and most tourist = attractions are closed. During an April 28 press conference, the Mayor of Mexico City announced that all establishments where large numbers of the public = gather will be closed, including restaurants, bars, discos, night clubs, = movie theaters, gyms, and convention centers. The Archdiocese of Mexico City = has also closed Catholic churches for services.

Effective April 28, all nonimmigrant visa operations at all consular = posts in Mexico will be suspended until May 6. American citizen services are restricted to passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad and = emergency services. Please refer to Embassy Mexico's web page at http://mexico.usembass= y.gov/eng/main.html for the latest information on closings and service reductions. = Immigrant visa appointments in Ciudad Juarez will be cancelled for the week of May = 4th. Further information on rescheduling visa appointments is available on = Ciudad Juarez's web page at http://ciudadjuarez.usconsu= late.gov/.

The U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens in Mexico that most cases of = influenza are not H1N1 influenza. Any specific questions or concerns about flu = or other illnesses should be directed to a medical professional. Mexico City = medical authorities are urging people to avoid hospitals and clinics unless = they have a medical emergency, since hospitals can be centers of infection; = instead, those with health concerns are encouraged to stay home and call their physicians to avoid potential exposure. Although the U.S. Embassy = cannot give medical advice or provide medical services to the public, a list of = hospitals and doctors can be found on our website at the following links: http://mexico= ..usembassy.gov/sacs_medical_info.html (Spanish)  http://me= xico.usembassy.gov/eng/eacs_medical_info.html (English)

Hotels in Mexico Waive Cancellation Fees
= By: Jeri Clausing - April 28, 2009

M= ajor hotel companies have begun waiving penalties for travelers who want to = change their plans for travel to Mexico because of the swine flu = outbreak.

"In Mexico, we are starting to see a rise in cancellations and = are waiving cancellation fees for guests with reservations at hotels in = Mexico at this time," InterContinental Hotels Group said in a statement. "Currently, requests for waivers of cancellation fees for guests' reservations in the U.S. and Canada will be considered on a = case-by-case basis."

Marriott, Hyatt, Starwood and Wyndham Hotel Group also are among the = hotel companies that have waived cancellation fees.

Hotel companies say they are closely monitoring the situation and = making sure guests and employees have all the latest information needed to protect = them.

"The precautions implemented at our hotels, which are in addition = to the already stringent cleaning requirements, include employees wearing = protective masks and gloves in appropriate areas and job functions such as = housekeeping; use of special disinfectants more frequently on all phones, computer keyboards and other devices in public areas; and frequent hand-washing = with soap and water," Starwood said.

More Mexico Operators Waive Cancellation and Change = Fees
= By: Michelle Baran - April 28, 2009

P= leasant Holidays, Certified Vacations and Gogo Worldwide Vacations can be = added to the list of tour operators that have waived change and cancellation = fees for travelers booked to Mexico, following an outbreak of swine flu = there.

The Mexico travel policy announcements come as tour operators report = an influx of calls from concerned travelers.

"Our call volume is very heavy," said Sallie Rawlings, = senior director of corporate communications at Travel Impressions. "We = now have our entire reservations staff available to answer calls coming in on = the emergency line, but we still have a backup."

On Monday, Travel Impressions set up an emergency hotline to respond = to concerned callers looking for more information or to rebook their = Mexico vacations. Travel Impressions was among several operators announcing = on Monday that they were offering assistance and rebooking services.

On Tuesday, Gogo said it was doing its best to rebook customers to = alternate destinations, but for anyone who wants to completely cancel, Gogo is = waiving internal penalties.

Pleasant Holidays said Tuesday that change and cancellation fees will = be waived through May 2, 2009, for customers who have purchased a = Pleasant Holidays protection plan. For customers who change travel dates or destinations, all Pleasant Holidays fees will be waived.

Customers who have not purchased a protection plan and cancel their = trip are subject to cancellation penalties.

Pleasant Holidays CEO Jack Richards said it was too early to tell how = big an impact the swine flu news would have on bookings.

"All this information is just now drifting to the American consumer," he said.

Nevertheless, Richards added, "I would not classify the call = volume as heavy."

He said that many of the questions were regarding specifics about the = swine flu virus and how widespread it was in Mexico -- questions that = Pleasant Holidays could not answer.

Richards had just returned from Acapulco, where hundreds of travel = industry officials had been attending Mexico Tourism Board's annual Tianguis = Turistico trade fair, scheduled to run though April 29.

Upon returning to the U.S., Richards said U.S. immigration authorities = were asking passengers returning from Mexico how they felt and whether they = had a fever.

In a quick email from Acapulco, Steve Bennett of SBRP Corp., the = public relations firm representing Certified Vacations, wrote that Certified = was waiving change fees on Future Vacations and Damron Vacations packages = to Mexico.

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