I Started a Tour Company in Mexico and Then There Was a Pandemic …

For most of 2018 my business partner and I worked on getting our tourism experience company, Breaking Bread PDC, up and running. We had assembled an amazing team of tour hosts, organized and secured transportation contracts and began proof-of-concept testing with clients and our bakers (hosts). We even won a county government and local business sponsored competition to find the top 10 best new tourism companies in the area. We were so close to what we hoped would become a well-known and original tourism company. Then came pandemia!

At the start of the pandemia the Mexican government took very swift and strict measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. Businesses, other than those deemed essential (banks, pharmacies, grocery stores, building supplies, etc) were required to close. Masks, social distancing, temperature checks and sanitizing gel at all stores and businesses became the new normal. Masks were required for all public transportation as well as while walking in the streets. Police patrols increased and you could be fined for not wearing a mask. Even the beer factories were shut down to help prevent locals from gathering in groups.

One of the toughest measures was the reduction of hotel occupancy. At the start of the hotel capacity reductions it was reported that 65,000 hotel workers left the area. The exodus of workers was so great that the local municipal government chartered buses to help get workers back to their hometowns and villages.

For our fledgling tourism company, we knew we had to shut down. Not only was tourism grinding to a near halt, but the social aspect of our experiences involved introducing visiting guests with residents — in the local’s home. With the quarantine and social distancing rules as well as the concern for our hosts it just wasn’t possible to continue.

Fast forward almost three years from our tourism competition win and we are just now able to begin preparing for what we plan to be a triumphant return to our tourism experiences. Though the government health and safety measures were strict I do believe that they were successful. Throughout the pandemia the air borders to Mexico never closed. Tourism here in Cancun and Playa has flourished. The airport has more than 400 daily arrivals and numbers are continuing to increase. I have seen local reports that in June and July hotel occupancy in Cancun has been at nearly 100%, and in Playa/Riviera at mid to high 80%. The upcoming winter season is on track to be the busiest in the past 10 years!

For us at Breaking Bread it is at least a little easier restarting than it was in the creation and testing process we originally experienced. Once we can complete our interview and home visit protocols, as well as a website remodel/refresh, we are planning to restart our experiences in time for the upcoming holiday season.

We look forward to welcoming you and your clients to Playa del Carmen and a Breaking Bread experience.

For more info please contact us at BreakingBreadPDC@outlook.com