Travel Agencies Group Urges Mexico to End Manual Customs Inspections at Airports

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The head of Mexico’s travel agencies association is calling for an end to manual customs inspections at the country’s airports, describing the practice as unnecessary, irritating and out of step with international standards.

Sergio González Rubiera, president of the Mexican Association of Travel Agencies (Amatur), said the bag searches amount to a negative experience for travelers and hold Mexican airports back from global norms.

“It should be done away with. It really has no reason to exist. In no other country do they search your suitcase — what happens in Mexico is truly absurd,” he said. “I just got back from a trip and had the misfortune of having my suitcase searched. You’re tired, you just want to arrive, and they tell you, ‘Come through here, put your suitcase up, open it.’ It’s really embarrassing.”

González Rubiera argued that luggage already passes through X-ray scanners before reaching the baggage belts, where prohibited items would be detected. He said the delays travelers experience stem from poor service by the companies involved, and that scrapping customs checks at air terminals would require a legal change pushed by the executive branch or Congress.

Comparison With Other Airports

The industry leader compared the situation with airports such as Madrid’s, which he said offer accessible prices, while calling Cancún’s airport extremely expensive. He did acknowledge progress in immigration processing and a reduction in harassment by informal vendors.

Still, he reiterated that customs is the main area in need of improvement within Mexico’s airport infrastructure.

Concerns Over Tulum Airport

González Rubiera also voiced concern about flight cancellations and airlines pulling out of Tulum’s Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport. He attributed the problems to the airport’s location about 40 minutes from the city, the high cost of transportation to reach it, a lack of incentives and management by military officials with no experience in tourism.

“It’s regrettable. There are many causes and reasons why the airport is collapsing, but the main one is that they handed it over to the military to run. What do they know about airports, and what do they know about tourism? Nothing. And they don’t let themselves be helped either,” he said. “It needs a commercial area, but a commercial area with aviation expertise, and they don’t have it.”