Mexico City — Mexico’s Tourism Secretariat promoted Cancún as the country’s top vacation destination on social media, but the image it used to illustrate the claim was generated by artificial intelligence and does not resemble the actual resort city, nor do the images it posted for Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta.
In a Facebook post, the secretariat said Cancún ranked first in Allianz Partners’ “Top Spring Break Destinations 2026” list, followed by Los Cabos in second place and Punta Cana in third. But the accompanying image showed an imaginary version of Cancún, with sea and beaches on both sides of the Hotel Zone instead of the Nichupté Lagoon that separates it.
The post also referred to Los Cabos as San José del Cabo, which is technically the municipal seat of the destination that also includes Cabo San Lucas. The image used for that entry depicted a fictional El Arco de Cabo San Lucas with two arches, though the actual rock formation is located in Cabo San Lucas, not San José del Cabo.
The Puerto Vallarta image likewise showed invented buildings and architecture, including a version of the city’s landmark Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe missing its iconic tower.
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