Prior to the Seventies, the vacation destination known as Cancun was out in the country.  Things got interesting when the Mexican government made the decision to create a resort that would appeal to international tourists.  In the beginning it was necessary to advertise the place with super travel deals in order to entice vacationers to the city.

It has been less than 40 years and the hotel development has been amazing along a waterfront strip known as the Hotel Zone.  You would never recognize the place now, with a major downtown area, modern shopping districts and high-end restaurants.  In the slow economy, many of the hotels are offering Cancun travel deals and you can find lodging at most any budget range.

Do be aware that the Yucatan Peninsula can be rather humid, with high heat in the summertime.  It might be worthwhile to consider a trip when it is cooler in the Spring or Autumn months.

Speaking of traveling, one creative gift idea for family or friends who are celebrating a special occasion is to give them travel gift vouchers.  You can give a voucher, or gift card, that will pay for rental car, various airlines and hotel chains and, if you give a voucher for Travelocity, they have even more flexibility in how they use the card.

We’ve observed that travel gift vouchers are less common in the U.S. than in European countries.  You must be careful to buy a gift card that is useful and flexible, so they are not for everybody.