Hoping to kickstart a much-needed tourism industry that provides 11 million jobs, Mexico has begun to reopen its ancient ruins sites around the county, with most set to begin hosting tourists this coming week.
All sites will be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, and all visitors will need to navigate lowered ticket sales, wear face masks, use hand sanitizer and stay at least four-and-a-half feet from other guests, according to the Associated Press.
Admission will be limited to just 30 percent of the sites' capacities. Mayan ruins like Tulum and Cobá will reopen Monday, Sept. 14; Chichen Itza will apparently reopen later.
The pyramids of Teotihuacan just north of Mexico City have already opened but visitors are limited to 3,000 per day and are not allowed to climb up the Pyramids of the Sun or Moon, which used to draw tens of thousands of visitors for the Spring and Fall equinoxes each year. Teotihuacan was perhaps the most important and influential city in the region during its apex between 100 B.C. and A.D. 750, when it had about 100,000 residents.
Great archaeological sites like Chichen Itza are a key part of the country's attractions and certainly a huge part of tourism. Many people who arrive in Cancun for the hotels and beaches and nightlife, often find themselves taking excursions to the Mayan ruins.
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