The A(H1N1) outbreak in Mexico, from which 58 have died, has sparked mass cancelations of tourist bookings to one of the world's top tourist destinations.

"The 'flu-free guarantee' assures three years of free holidays to travelers who present flu symptoms eight days after returning from their trip," said Fernando Garcia, director of one of the participating hotel groups.

Some 5000 hotel rooms were so far involved in the promotion which Garcia said he hoped would grow to demonstrate confidence in Mexico's beach resorts.

The hotel owners would also send letters to the US government, to be published in US newspapers, calling for a lifting of an alert against non-essential travel Mexico due to the flu epidemic.

Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova underlined on Tuesday that several top Mexican beach resorts, including Cozumel on the east coast and Puerto Vallarta on the west coast, had not registered any A(H1N1) cases.

"Tourist destinations are safe in Mexico, people can return calmly, we are carrying out intensive checks," Cordova said.

But the health minister said Monday that three foreigners — one Scot and two from the United States — were among more than 2000 swine flu infections identified in Mexico, including two who had been in the beach resort of Cancun.

With hotel occupancy down across the country, the swine flu crisis caused 25 hotels to close in and around Cancun, local officials said Monday.

The affected hotels in Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel accounted for some 12 000 rooms, Quitana Roo state governor Felix Gonzalez told local radio on Monday.

In Cancun itself, nine out of 144 hotels were closed, according to tourism officials.

Cancun's hotel occupancy has fallen to 20 percent in the third week of alert for the influenza A(H1N1) epidemic, said the president of the local hotel association.

The flu's impact, including on tourism, was expected to cost Mexico's economy around $2.3-billion, around 0.3 percent of gross domestic product.

AFP