Dear Tourist,

Please consider the following recommendations before paying for any tourism services:

 

Travel Agencies.

It is worth requesting the following information before paying for packages or tourism services such as guided tours:

 

      Is the travel agency a retail or wholesale operation?

      Printed itineraries.

      Detailed explanation of services included (food, drink, tours, lodging, transportation).

      Total price.

      Payment conditions (advances and reimbursements).

      Cancellation conditions.

      If the contract is revoked, the agency must reimburse the amount received, less expenses incurred for basic administrative costs, in accordance with the terms and conditions agreed to in the corresponding contract.

      For tourism packages including guided tour services, these must be accredited by the Ministry of Tourism, as well as the language that they will use.

      When you pay for other tour services such as water sports or recreational or leisure activities, it is safe to organize them through the hotel itself.

      If you pay for the services of a scuba diving company, you must ask them to show you the internal regulations with information on safety conditions, physical state of the equipment and other technical data.

      It is safer to always use taxis from authorized taxi ranks.

 

Tour Guides.

      The Ministry of Tourism accredits guides’ knowledge with an ID badge. Guides should give information about their rates, length of tour, language spoken and – where applicable – the maximum number of people in the group. This number must never exceed 25 people. The guide must also present a document detailing about the services included in the price.

Lodging

      All lodging service providers must honor the prices, guarantees, interest rates, charges, payment terms, dates, reservations and other conditions offered and agreed with the client.

      The lodging establishment must display the applicable rates and included services at the reception.

      All lodging establishments must clearly display the establishments’ internal regulations in its rooms.

      All establishments with a bureau de change service must display the current exchange rate.

      If you have made a prior reservation and you are not provided with the service, the establishment is obliged to provide you with a service of the same type and rates.

      All lodging establishments must have civil liability insurance for the protection and safety of users. (This norm is not applicable for campsites or RV parks).

      It is compulsory to have available in clear and easily visible place the forms and paid envelopes for suggestions and complaints.

 

Catering Establishments.

      Catering establishments must clearly display the following information:

      Price list of food and drinks offered by the establishment.

      If a certain dress-code is required by the establishment.

      Information under what circumstances the establishment has the right to refuse entry.

      Have available in a clear and easily visible place the forms and paid envelopes for suggestions and complaints.

 

Note: It is important that all information displayed or given by tourism service providers in their establishments is in the Spanish language, regardless of the use of other languages.

 

 

            

For more information about this information, please contact the Regulatory Improvement Department

        Tel. (55) 3002-6300  Ext. 1244

             E-mail: hcontreras@sectur.gob.mx

 

Last updated/ revised: October 2007.