How Many Expats Live In Mexico? We Still Do Not Know.

I was a little disturbed this weekend when I was told that the 1,000,000 expat numbers that we had been promoting could be incorrect.

Well we did a little research and even contacted “INEGI” which is The National Institute of Statistics and Geography for Mexico and they sent us a document drafted in 2000 stating that there was a total of 492,617 foreigners living in Mexico, 69.7% of that population is coming from the U.S. (INEGI “Los Extrangeros en Mexico”, page 17).

Take a look at these articles and viewpoints from these publishers in regards to “How Many Expats Live In Mexico”

Point Of View #1
There are “Millions of Americans Living in Mexico”

One Million Americans in Mexico Can’t All Be Wrong

Reports are that approximately one million Americans live in Mexico. While it’s hard to verify that number, it’s not hard to imagine that it’s true. Some are working, of course, for U.S., Mexican, or other foreign corporations. You’ll find them in cities like Mexico City, Queretaro, and Monterrey.

And some live in Mexico just part-time…spending winter months in vacation homes where the weather is always warm and the cervezas are always cold.

The Great Escape: Are One Million More Americans Moving to Mexico?

I keep hearing this number from various sources. I don’t know just how they estimated this, but I do know one thing for sure.

Of those who are considering a move to Mexico, you could do no better than choosing our beautiful area right here at Lake Chapala, Ajijic.

Finding the American Dream - In Mexico

At some point last fall, the one millionth American established residency here in Mexico. That makes Mexico the host nation for the largest American expatriate community in the world. There are now more Americans living in Mexico than there are in the U.K. or Canada.

This trend is accelerating as the U.S. recession deepens and job losses across the United States accelerate. “We’ve seen an increase of almost 40 percent in the number of American citizens making inquiries about the requirements for moving to Mexico,” said an official at the Mexican Consulate in New York. “There are definitely more Americans emigrating to Mexico than this time last year.”

Point Of View #2
There Are NOT Millions of Americans living in Mexico

The One Million Person Lie

"A lie told often enough becomes the truth." Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

One thing you will see everywhere when reading up on Mexico is the oft told lie that one million Americans have retired there. This is the bandwagon approach to promotion, e.g. get on the Mexico bandwagon, one million Americans cannot be wrong. Travel guides and promoters repeat that figure constantly. Even a casual look reveals these headlines.

How many Americans live in Mexico? 600,000? 500,000? Less? More? Part 1

Americans (as well as the rest of the world) are becoming more comfortable with Mexico. As the relationships between the North American countries grow closer, more Americans than ever before are considering a move to Mexico, whether it be for retirement, to start a business, look for work or just to travel. One of the key factors that comes into play when most people consider moving to another country is how many of their fellow countrymen are already there. For all of our professed desire for independence, when push comes to shove, most of us really want to be in relatively close proximity to some people who are similar to us.

How Many Americans Live In Mexico? National identity cards for foreigners Part 2

One million Americans now live in Mexico, and 600,000 of that number are in Mexico City, according to research conducted by a university professor in Mexico. These new projections, substantially greater than what both the Mexican and U.S. Government agencies heretofore have suggested, appear to be nothing more than the byproduct of sloppy research. While the guessing game continues, Mexico has announced a national identity card program for foreign residents, and the creation of a database to track their whereabouts. The national identity card program may finally produce an the answer to the question, "How many Americans live in Mexico?"

So now that we have cleared that up… I guess!

Tell us, how many expats do you think are living in Mexico?

Brazil and Mexico win in Olympic soccer

By: sfgate

Source: www.sfgate.com/sports/

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — Neymar inspired Brazil to a 3-1 victory over Belarus on Sunday to reach the quarterfinals of the Olympic men's football competition, while Mexico got its campaign back on track by beating Gabon 2-0.

In Sunday's other early match, Egypt played a to 1-1 draw against New Zealand in Group C, a result that means both sides must win their final game to stand a chance of progressing.

Brazil, seeking its first Olympic gold, went behind on eight minutes, but Alexandre Pato tied it up with a header in the 15th after a cross by Neymar. The Brazilian star scored with a right-footed shot in the 65th minute and then set up the final goal for recently signed Chelsea playmaker Oscar in injury time.

"I'm so glad that we won the game," said Neymar. "We played very well in the second half and now we are another step closer. It was very hard for us against a good Belarus team."

The victory in front of 66,000 people at Manchester's Old Trafford Stadium gives Brazil six points in Group C, three more than Belarus.

Mexican substitute Giovani Dos Santos scored twice in the second half to give the South Americans their victory in Coventry. Mexico, also considered a title contender, was held to a scoreless draw by South Korean in its opening game. The win puts Mexico top of Group B with four points, while Gabon has one. The top two teams in each of the four groups advance.

New Zealand forward Chris Wood opened the scoring from just in front of the goal on the 17th minute, and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah equalized following a counterattack in the 40th. Both teams had great chances at the end but couldn't capitalize on them.

"It was an excellent game for the supporters to watch," New Zealand coach Neil Emblen said. "In the second half both teams were desperate for a win. We had chances up to the last minute."

The teams now have one point each after two rounds. New Zealand will next face Brazil and Egypt will play Belarus.

Later Sunday, Uruguay can progress if it beats Senegal. Japan will also get through if it beats Morocco.

Hosts Britain, which tied its opening game against Senegal, play the United Arab Emirates at Wembley.

Biological Dentistry Directory

By: Sanoviv

Source: www.sanoviv.com/medicalservices/

Biological Dentistry is the bridge between oral health and overall health. We know that the mouth is part of the body and they cannot be addressed as two separate entities. Dental treatments, materials and procedures done without considering whole body health can affect your well being.

We can identify each dental problem with any current health condition you may be experiencing. Many oral diseases are associated or can contribute to chronic degenerative diseases, central nervous system diseases, heavy metal load, heart and blood circulatory problems, just to name a few.

Biological dentistry is a more natural approach to treat oral maladies bearing in mind your overall health state.

What set Sanoviv's Biological Dentistry apart?

The greatest benefit of having an oral evaluation at Sanoviv is the fact that you will not just be assessed by a dentist, but rather by a whole team of health professionals committed to biological and alternative medical care. After your initial oral appointment is over, your assigned dentist will share all relevant findings in a joint medical meeting where doctors, dentists, psychologists, nutritionists and chiropractors meet daily to discuss your health conditions and come up with a customized therapy program with your whole body, not just your teeth and oral cavity, in mind. Thus, the recommendations are given with the knowledge of how these will affect all aspects of your health.

Three things to know about the Consulate of Mexico's health fair

By: Chelcey Adami

Source: articles.ivpressonline.com

The Consulate of Mexico in Calexico hosted a health fair for four hours Friday afternoon at the Imperial Valley Mall. Its goal is to host at least one a month in different venues around the Valley with different focuses, said Adriana Buelna of Ventanilla de Salud.

Seventeen different agencies were involved with the health fair Friday including three new participants including Vantage Oncology and Healthy Homes. Roughly 200 people of all ages stopped at the health fair to speak with health specialists as well as to get informational materials and promotional items.

Buelna said diabetes, asthma and various forms of cancer are the most critical health issues facing the Imperial Valley.

El Centro resident Curt Pettijohn stopped in at the health fair Friday with family including his young daughter. He said he felt the health fair is a great idea to better educate people, especially children, on how to make healthier choices. He hopes that a similar health fair will be held in local schools.

Mexico, S.Korea sign cooperation agreement on tourism

By: Agencies

Source: www.globaltimes.cn

Mexico and South Korea on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation in tourism, Mexico's Tourism Ministry announced.

The bilateral agreement signed by Mexican Tourism Minister Gloria Guevara and Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of South Korea, Kwak Young-Jin, aims to strengthen the sector and increase the flow of visitors, because "this activity is key to economic development in both countries," said the ministry.

According to Guevara, South Koreans are frequent visitors to Mexico. In the first five months of the year, the number of Korean visitors has increased 11.3 percent, compared with the same period last year.

"With the signing of this memorandum, Mexico is pursuing the strategy of market diversification, strengthening the goals outlined in the National Agreement on Tourism," said Guevara.

For his part, Deputy Minister Kwak said that the Maya world, cultural tourism, gastronomy and adventure had attracted the interest of Korean tourists, therefore, "Mexico has become one of the main destinations in the Americas."

He acknowledged Mexico's leadership worldwide in the tourism sector and the strong impetus given to the activity to include the sector in the final declaration at the meeting of leaders of the Group of Twenty (G20).

"Both countries will work to increase tourist flows, mainly involving the medical, culinary, luxury, adventure and nature, and sports tourism, sun and sand and culture," the Tourism Ministry said.

Metallica Holds Press Conference, Declares Love Of Mexico

By: Chris harris

Source: www.gunshyassassin.com/news

Metallica’s four members held a press conference on Saturday, just before the first of their eight concerts at Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City, Mexico.
During the press conference, Lars Ulrich — dwarf drummer — said Metallica love Mexico.

“We have had a longstanding love affair with all things Mexico, starting back in ’93 when we came down here and played five shows at the place we’re playing tonight, which resulted in the Binge & Purge box set, which was fantastic,” Lars says.

“We came back in ’99 and played at Foro Sol and did another three nights at Foro Sol a couple of years ago. So when we wanted to do the world premiere of this crazy new show, which is the first new show that we’ve done since we did Death Magnetic four years ago, we couldn’t think of a better place to do it than right here in Mexico City. And obviously, also, we have so many friends here, so many fans, a lot of people who come from Latin America and from a lot of different places. So we figured parking ourselves in Mexico City for a couple of weeks and playing all these shows and premiering this stage and kind of getting the Mexican fans to be part of the initiation of this new stage, we couldn’t think of a cooler place to do.”

The new stage setup sort of replicates one the band used decades ago, and marks the beginning of the Metallica 3D movie project. Some folks pointed out to me yesterday that the collapsing stage was intentional. No shit, dude.

Actor Robert Redford says adios to Baja California

By: Sandra Dibble

Source: www.utsandiego.com/news

Robert Redford left Baja California last weekend, as quietly as when he first arrived in June to film J.C. Chandor’s “All is Lost” at Baja Studios south of Rosarito Beach.

A few days before returning to the United States, the 75-year-old actor shared some thoughts during a brief meeting with a small group of local Baja California reporters.

Redford told them about his fondness for Mexican culture, his need for privacy, and the pleasure he had taken in working on the film with Chandor.

“The reason I did this film was that he had created a vision that’s fresh and new but was also very bold, and I thought that this was a good thing for me to do at this time in my life,” Redford said.

In the movie, Redford is the lone actor, playing a man fighting for survival at sea.

A video released Friday by the Baja California Tourism Secretariat shows the actor relaxed, frequently joking and laughing while speaking with the reporters.

Redford told them of growing up in Los Angeles, in a neighborhood where most of his neighbors were Mexican. “I’ve always loved enchiladas,” he said, then quipped, “my favorite food is tequila.”

He said “more people should know” about areas of Mexico that are safe, and accused U.S. media of overplaying the violence. “It’s unfortunate since there are so many areas of Mexico that are safe to visit, that more people should know this,” Redford said.

Mexico's Pena Nieto backs stronger trade ties with Asia

By: Dave Graham

Source: ca.reuters.com/article/topnews

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico must look to increase its trade with Asia, especially if the U.S. economy does not improve, President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto was quoted as saying on Monday.

In an interview with Mexican newspaper El Financiero, Pena Nieto said Latin America's second biggest economy needed to reduce its dependence on the United States, where nearly 80 percent of Mexico's exports are sent.

"We have to take advantage of the United States' geographical proximity, but if the economic situation there does not improve, Mexico is obliged to look for other markets to strengthen growth," Pena Nieto said.

"Asia, it's a region with a lot of consumers and where the spending power of the market has grown and improved. This is an opportunity for the Mexican presence."

China is Mexico's third-biggest export market after the United States and Canada. The balance of trade between China and Mexico is heavily tilted in favor of the Asian giant, which provides Mexico with roughly 15 percent of its imports.

Should You Move to Mexico?

By: David Simmonds

Source: www.mexicotoday.org/article

It seems like a simple enough question, doesn’t it? You are at point in your life when a major change is possible. You’ve traveled to a few places in Mexico, kicked back on the beach at sunset with a cold cerveza and thought “I really like this place – the weather is perfect, prices are good, the people are amazing – yes, maybe I could make this happen.” And then, of course, most of us go back home and dutifully fall into the familiar daily grind, only occasionally allowing ourselves to remember that day on the beach and the possible plan that always seems…just out of reach.

But now, more and more of us are acting on those elusive dreams. For many that time in life has arrived when the impossible becomes the possible, the impractical becomes “just maybe.” The Baby Boomers, those ‘60’s counterculture rebels-in-waiting, have worked for 40 years and are finally ready to be the people they remember they were. At the core, they are still the backpackers and wanderers, the idealists and the dreamers. And Mexico, after all, is so close, and it has all those warm beaches, and history, and food carts serving those mesquite tacos…just maybe.

And it’s not just the Boomers. The internet has changed everything over the past 20 years. Today you find younger gringos, many with families, living in Mexico. They have web-based businesses they can run from anywhere, or they have started a physical business in Mexico – a restaurant, a tour business, a real estate office. They live in a Mexican neighborhood and are learning Spanish. They have discovered the concept of community, a soul-satisfying lifestyle that has all but disappeared in many towns and cities north of the border. 

Moving to another country, without doubt, is a big deal, and requires extensive research and planning. That beautiful little colonial town in the highlands seemed like a place you could call home forever when you visited for that one idyllic week last year. As did the fishing village where you spent two weeks last Christmas – well before the rainy season with all the bugs and humidity that no one thought to mention to you. Finding your spot, the place that you could live, requires that you spend some time there, summer and winter. You need to see if you can adjust to the pace, the daily life challenges, the Mexican way. 

800 U.S. Citizens Are Seriously Injured or Killed in Their Bathtubs

By: WorldFootPrints

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwbx_eECpoc

Peter Greenberg continues sharing some important travel tips. This clip showcases things we should know when traveling internationally. Make sure to listen to our interviews with Peter on the World Footprints radio show.

Total Recall's Colin Farrell sets temperatures soaring in Mexico with his action hero muscles

By: Daily Mail Reporter

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz

Colin Farrell was once as famous for his hard partying lifestyle as he was for his movies Phone Booth and Minority Report.

But the former hell raiser has swapped hard drinking for rigorous gym workouts in recent years, and the results are there for all to see.

The 36-year-old Irish actor took time out over the weekend to hit the beach at the Mexican resort town of Cancun, where he was seen parading his toned and tanned torso.

The handsome actor strolled the beach and then went for a dip in Cancun's tropical turquoise waters.

Colin wore a pair of navy board shorts, the drawstrings hanging loose so that the shorts rode very low on his waist, revealing his fit and tattooed torso.

He was joined on the beach by his sister Claudine, who works as his personal assistant.

The Hollywood A-lister has been on a promotional tour for Total Recall, a remake of the 1990 film originally starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Speaking at Comic-Con earlier this month, the in-demand actor said the movie would be different in style and tone to the original movie, meaning he wasn't simply copying the Schwarzenegger character.

'I didn't feel the need to fill those size 16 shoes or 18 shoes or whatever size foot Arnie has,' Farrell said. 

'The film felt different enough that I could go and make it my own.'

Baja's gastronomy at LA Street Food Fest

By: SanDiegoRed.com

Source: www.sandiegored.com

SAN DIEGO - Baja California's gastronomy will be the center of attention Once Again When its main Promoters meet at the 3rd edition of the LA Street Food Fest to be Held at the Rose Bowl This Saturday.

Food from California's Both will be the Protagonist of the event with over 75 Exhibitors from lunch places to restaurants, street food carts, wines and events the best ice cream of the LA region.

The event WAS created 3 years ago by LA residents Shawna Dawson and Sonja Rasula hoping to Promote local food and venues.

This time, due to the success Achieved by the gastronomy of Baja California, a special section will be Designated to present it; Low-Med Gastronomy Has Been Praised by Internationally renowned chefs like Anthony Bourdain who events shot an episode of historical TV show's latest season in the area.

Why Investors Love Mexico

By: Kenneth Rapoza

Source: www.forbes.com

For many investment firms, Mexico has become a number one overweight in their global portfolios.

And it has paid off. As measured by the broad iShares MSCI Mexico (EWW) exchange traded fund year-to-date, large cap Mexican equities have risen 17.5 percent, beating the MSCI Emerging Markets index’s rise of 2.29 percent and the S&P 500′s rise of 9.49 percent.

The economy has been doing well, though that was partially because of the U.S. in the first half of the year. The next two quarters are expected to be much worse for the U.S., and so Mexico will feel some drag on its economy because of it.   Newly elected politicians from PRI are more pro-growth than they have been in the past, singing the praises of the private sector.  And wage growth in Mexico is flat, while it is rising in China.  The population is young, so Mexico has a demographics edge that China does not have. Or Russia for that matter. Earlier this month, Nomura Securities even forecast that Mexico would overtake Brazil as the largest economy in Latin America.

Mexico is currently the 12th largest economy in the world. Brazil is around No. 6.  Mexico’s GDP last year was $1.65 trillion, up from $1.59 trillion in 2010 and $1.51 trillion in 2009.  By comparison, Brazil’s GDP in 2011 was $2.2 trillion.

“Mexico is not some flavor-of-the-month economy. It might be some flavor of the month in different years, but overall this is a very important economy and will continue to be so, even more so than it ever has been,” says Heiner Skaliks, portfolio manager at the Strategic Latin America fund (SLATX) based out of La Paz, Bolivia. The fund has 40 percent of its fund in Mexican equities or dollar denominated bonds. “A lot of people were waiting for the elections to be over. Now we know the PRI is in. They want private sector investment. They want to be a global player from an economic perspective. The questions about the election are behind us and now you can do the very difficult work of putting the policies in place to help position Mexico in the emerging markets,” says Skaliks.

Mexico artist Minerva Cuevas is giving away phone calls

By: Daniel Hernandez

Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now

MEXICO CITY -- The pay phone is tucked into a colonial-era doorway facing a busy sidewalk downtown. It happens to draw attention only because the phone is bright red. “Free calls,” reads a plain sign taped inside, along with instructions on how to dial any number in Mexico or in the world.

An installation conceived by artist Minerva Cuevas, the phone also features a photograph of a chimpanzee picking up an old rotary phone, like an open invitation. One recent day, this reporter stumbled upon the phone and did what millions of others might do when faced with a free call. I called my mother.

“Hey, mom! I'm calling you for an art piece!”

“Oh, that's great, mi'jo,” she replied, before launching into the latest local gossip.

Few artists in the world challenge the penny-for-penny profits of global capitalism as bluntly as Mexico City native Cuevas. She puts revolutionary slogans inside mass-produced fortune cookies and hands out bottles of water taped with the word “Egalite” instead of “Evian,” because shouldn't water always be free?

Her free pay phone is a new work produced for an exhibit at the Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico, or Museum of Mexico City. The show, on view until Aug. 5, covers a career defined by Cuevas' knack at turning art into giveaways for ordinary people hustling to make ends meet in a tough city. They are particularly subversive gestures for Mexico, the artist says, a society where the very wealthy and connected usually get all the shortcuts and giveaways they might wish.

Cuevas' Mejor Vida Corp. is perhaps her most well-known conceptual project. This Better Life “corporation” distributed subway tickets inside underground stations, handed out low-price barcodes to sneak onto items in stores, and produced fake student ID cards (for transit and entertainment discounts) by request from strangers.

As might be expected, the public responded approvingly. Mejor Vida Corp. went on to become an icon of contemporary Mexican art in the 1990s.

The exhibit on Cuevas also highlights works that are surprising for their almost formal expressions in painting and performance. In a 1995 video, the earliest piece in the exhibit, Cuevas films herself through the process of drinking an entire bottle of tequila.

Mundo Maya Positioned as Principal Tourist Destination 2012

By: Yucatan Times

Source: www.theyucatantimes.com

The Secretary of Tourism, Gloria Guevara and the Tourist Promotion Council of Mexico (CPTM) have just returned from a visit to Texas, North Carolina and New York, where they promoted Mexico as a principal tourist destination for the U.S. Market.

Guevara and the general director of the CPTM, Rodolfo Lopez Negrete worked with tour operators and business executives who are interested in the tourist promotion of Mexico.

Dallas, Austin, and Charlotte opened events called Mexico Day, where the principal tour operators of Texas and North Carolina met.

Meanwhile, in New York they realized an event named “Maya Calendar” organized by the magazine Conde Nest Traveler. Here they presented the program Mundo Maya and attractions in Southern Mexico.

The end of an era in the Mayan calendar is scheduled for December 21, 2012, and has awakened a grand interest in the international community, especially in the U.S.A., Guevara said upon returning to Yucatan.

The end of an era event has generated a market participation of 19%, which positions Mexico as the principal touristic destination.

The Mundo Maya region includes the states of Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, and Yucatan. These states estimate to receive more than 52 million national and international visitors, and are expected to spend more than 200 billion pesos.

The Integral System of Migratory Operation (SIOM) has affirmed that in May more than 467 thousand visitors from the U.S.A. will arrive in Mexico. This represents an increase of 2.2% in comparison with 2011.

Dental vacations booming as patients and dentists head south to Cancun.

By: PRWEB Newswire

Source: www.digitaljournal.com

Known as one of the sought-after tourist spots, Cancun Mexico is also taking pride of its line of expert health professionals. The establishment of Ocean Dental Cancun clinic in this well-known party destination would also attract a lot of local and foreign tourists; thereby making this place more popular because of Cancun dentistry not just the relaxing beaches.

Compared to the cost of dental implants and treatments in other places in the United States, the cost of dental services in Cancun is cheaper by around 65%. Surely, tourists are happy because of their tanned skin but now, they are so much happier because of their perfect smiles!

Who started Ocean Dental Cancun? 

Ocean Dental Cancun is a project conceptualized and started by no less than Dr. Irma Gavaldon. Dr. Gavaldon took up Advanced Education program in General Dentistry at the University of Michigan. After studying General Dentistry, she took up her Master’s degree Restorative Dentistry from the same university, University of Michigan. She is a legitimate dentistry practitioner and has outstanding license to practice her profession both in California, Michigan and now, in the Northern America or Southern part of United States, Mexico.

What makes Ocean Dental Cancun better compared to other dental clinics? 

“What makes Ocean Dental Cancun better compared to the rest of Dental tourism in Cancun?, asked by a new customer. The owner stated - “for new customers, the mere fact that we’re offering different dental packages, packages that are not similar to the ones being offered by other dentists all over the region, I guess that’s what makes us better amongst the others. We offer great packages at affordable prices without suffering quality of the service that we are providing.” Ocean dental Cancun is offering crowning solutions using the newest technology in the world of dentistry.

Dr. Gavaldon and her team is very certain and proud of the technology that they are using in their dental missions. They use different state of the art machines that are capable of taking photos of the crowns, veneers, and implants procedures that they do through the help of 3D mapping technology. This technology helps her team to carefully analyse the dental complaints and status of their clients.

What does Ocean Dental Cancun aims to provide? 

Dr. Gavaldon, the owner, answered – “we aim to provide excellent dental experience at an affordable cost, not just a mere dental visit”. Having this thought on her mind, she decided to put up the clinic in an undoubtedly stunning, tranquil and relaxing place somewhere in the Mexican region.

Show your beautiful and perfect smile while partying during your awesome stay in Cancun Mexico.

The clinic is fully equipped with quality dental equipment like the Cerec Cad/Cam softer, digital imaging, and specialized dentistry practitioners. For price quotations, inquiries, suggestions and other additional information, visit the Ocean Dental Cancun website owned by Dr. Irma Gavaldon at dentalworkmexico.com.

Virgin offers 'tax-free' flights to Cancun

Virgin Atlantic is to waive Air Passenger Duty (APD) on selected flights to Cancun as part of a campaign against the tax.

Its “APD free” sale takes place this weekend and will save a family of four visiting the Mexican resort £324.

Sir Richard Branson, Virgin’s founder, described APD – which is paid by all passengers flying from a UK airport – as a “disgrace” and claimed that the Government will collect around £600 million from the tax during July and August – equivalent to £10 million per day.

“In an Olympic year, it is obscene for the Treasury to be taking £10 million every day from visitors and British holidaymakers alike,” he said. “This suffocating tax has rocketed way out of control. Years of above-inflation increases have hit passengers hard, are hitting the economy hard and are impeding our recovery from the recession.”

Following the most recent rise in the tax, an eight per cent hike made in April, a family of four travelling to Europe must pay £52 in APD, while those flying farther afield are hit even harder. The cost of APD for a family of four flying to the United States or Egypt, for example, is £260; for those travelling to the Caribbean or South Africa, it is £324; and a family visiting Argentina or Australia must pay £368. Those figures are doubled for those flying in premium-economy, business- or first-class cabins.

Virgin is part of the Fair Tax on Flying campaign, a coalition of airlines and travel companies that are urging the Government to rethink its policy on aviation tax.

Last month it launched a new website which it hopes will encourage at least 100,000 Britons to register their opposition to APD. Visitors to the website, are asked to enter their postcode, name and email address. A template email is then automatically sent to their local MP expressing disapproval at the "unacceptable" level of tax paid by travellers flying from the UK.

Virgin’s Cancun offer will apply to all bookings made on July 14 and 15 for travel between August 28 and December 5, and from January 1 to March 12.