Want To Travel To Latin America This Summer? Think Again.

Want To Travel To Latin America This Summer? Think Again.

Cancun. Empty. (Photo by Medios y Media/Getty Images)



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Want to travel to Latin America this summer? Tickets are cheap! There's a reason for it, of course. First, few are going unless they have legal residency. Even less are going because the coronavirus is still on a tear throughout the biggest tourist destinations south of the Rio Grande.



Moreover, things are not functioning at normal capacity. Social distancing orders are still in place. Who wants to wear a face mask on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro? Save your travel money for better odds. The pandemic is a buzz kill.



BNP Paribas said on Monday that they expect Latin America's tourism industry to be the hardest hit out of all the emerging markets, and for longer.



One look at Brazil's coronavirus infection curve and the story is told: it's stable. It's plateauing. It's not coming down. This thing just won't go away.



Foreigners aren't going to fly to Rio and Cancun in the middle of a pandemic. The vibe is gone.



At least one major airline in the region, LatAm airlines, has already filed for bankruptcy outside of its Brazilian unit. Local airlines have not benefited