Acapulco Cruise Ships Arrive, But Will the City Find Its Rhythm?
Acapulco's a city of contrasts: cruise ships arrive, dengue fever sways, hotels groove, fire flickers, and violence lurks. A tale of two cities, sparkling with tourism yet shadowed by fear. Will 2024 find its rhythm?
Acapulco, the once-glittering siren of the Pacific, is bringing headlines in 2024. On one hand, cruise ships like the Norwegian Bliss, a behemoth carrying over 4,000 sun-kissed souls, are preparing to waltz into port on January 17th. This, thanks to the tireless collaboration between the Acapulco government and federal authorities, all eager to resurrect the city's tourism mojo after Hurricane Otis's not-so-graceful pirouette.
But even as the champagne corks pop on the decks, a different story simmers beneath the surface. Dengue, a mosquito-borne mambo, has Acapulco in its feverish grip. Over 1,600 positive cases have sashayed in, with kids under 15 leading the conga line. Health officials are launching mega-operations to swat the pesky pests and lower the infection peaks, especially in neighborhoods like Progreso where the dengue fever is particularly hot.