One of the seven wonders of the world, the Kukulkan Pyramid, exists in Chichen Itza on the Yucatan Peninsula. People from all over the world travel to Yucatan just to tour the wondrous ruins and climb the standing pyramids all the way to the top.
In fact, Chichen Itza is the second most visited ancient archeological site in Mexico and was entering its busy tourist season when coronavirus surfaced. They decided to proactively close earlier than most places because the spring equinox brings in more than 50,000 tourists from all over the world each year.
Fortunately, tourist safety was foremost on the site’s mind and Chichen Itza shut their doors to tourism in March of 2020, protecting tourists and workers from what could have been catastrophic.
But now with places over the world opening back up, Chichen Itza is considering opening up to tourists once again. So, you might want to know when you can visit the famed ruins for yourself. The big question on everyone’s mind is: When will it be safe?
Reopening Plans for Tourists
Yucatan takes their tourism seriously and so hasn’t taken any risks to compromise the safety of their patrons. Since other states and surrounding businesses are opening up; however, Chichen Itza and other tourist attractions feel pressure to open as well.
That said, they’ve decided to open cautiously in a step by step process. That will keep its tourists safe, the workers safe, and protect the tour companies, who bring the tourists, too.
Step by Step
The first step to reopening is to follow Governor Mauricio Vila Dosal to develop a program that provides a healthy environment for the local population and tourists. Since the archeological site of Chichen Itza is outdoors, this won’t likely involve a parcel audit or issues you’d deal with in a retail or food service environment, but rather the training of staff, analysis, and implementation of new procedures, and training online.
Next, they want to keep any tourist offerings by tourist companies and surrounding hotels intact. These businesses are important to the area and they need to survive and thrive.
Following these two steps is an order by the governor to reopen the state. Chichen Itza and much of the surrounding tourist spots will follow the governor’s lead for safety. They don’t want to open early and risk any of their patron’s health and they want to be medically prepared in case anyone needs medical attention.
The final step is to train the tourist companies because, as you may know, Chichen Itza is in the middle of the jungle and most people use tour companies to visit. These companies must be properly trained and have health protocols in place for their own safety and the safety of every tour member.
Once all of those are in place, it will be time to re-open the famed tourist attraction for visitors. The exact timing of Chichen Itza’s reopening will depend on how the virus is affecting the Yucatan as a whole and compliance with the steps outlined above.
The Ruins Are a Sight to Behold
Although tourists and locals missed the spring equinox on March 21st, 2020, of Kukulcan descending his pyramid steps and fertilizing the ground, there’s still plenty to see in Chichen Itza. From guided tours through the jungle to climbing pyramids, tourists and locals are anxious to get back to this ancient archeological site.
As soon as the staff and tourist companies receive complete training and safety protocols are in place, Chichen Itza will follow the governor’s recommendations for re-opening. Until then, the site will remain closed and those who missed the equinox phenomenon this year will have next year’s to look forward to.
