COZUMEL, MEXICO PREPARED FOR HURRICANE DEAN

COZUMEL, Mexico (Aug. 20, 2007) – As forecasted by the National Weather Service, Hurricane Dean is expected to move through Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula early Tuesday morning (Aug. 21). While no longer projected to be in the direct path of Hurricane Dean, Cozumel expects tropical storm conditions and has instituted several hurricane preparedness initiatives in compliance with government safety and planning guidelines to ensure the safety of the community and travelers.

According to Raul Marrufo, Director of the Cozumel Tourism Promotion Board, the island is fully prepared for the storm. “The safety of the local community and tourists visiting the destination is our utmost priority,” says Maruffo. “We were able to evacuate the majority of tourists from the island with the help of our air partners including Air Canada, Delta, American Airlines and Continental Airlines, who arranged flights just to bring travelers back home.”

Current updates from the island as of 6:00 p.m. Central Time:

- The Cozumel airport officially closed today (Aug. 20) at 6:00 p.m. CDT.

- All passenger ferry services between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen ceased operation at 6:00 p.m. CDT on Sunday, Aug. 19.

- Cruise ships scheduled to visit Cozumel have been re-routed, with the last cruise ship arriving to the island on Saturday, Aug 18. Cruise ships will continue to be re-routed over the next few days, and are expected to return on Thursday, Aug. 23, pending conditions from the storm.

- The majority of tourists have been evacuated from Cozumel, with 350 domestic and international travelers remaining on the island.

- Several hotel properties, including the Cozumel Palace, Iberostar Cozumel Hotel, Occidental Grand and Occidental Allegro Cozumel, have evacuated their guests to sister properties located on Mexico’s mainland.

- Travelers remaining in Cozumel will be staying at hotels that have been officially designated as safety shelters and are equipped with necessary supplies for the storm.

For more information contact YPartnership:

Noel Perkins, YPartnership Public Relations, 407-838-1797 or noel.perkins@ypartnership.com
Jeanette Chin, YPartnership Public Relations, 917-538-3266 or jeantte.chin@ypartnership.com

August 20, 2007   Posted in: Travel Advisory