Why are many Americans reluctant to use Pesos?

Steve - I think it has become a self fulfilling fact - most local(Cancun, Coz, RM) tour operators, resorts, clubs, transfer services that cater to tourists advertise their prices only in USD so therefore tourists think that the only way to pay is in USD, even if they are from Europe, Asia, Canada, etc and USD is not their home currency.

Obvious to anyone that has traveled, you can pay for any of this in the legal tender(Pesos) of the country and the business must accept that form of payment even if the prices advertised are in USD.

I can, from a business perspective, understand why the local(Cancun, Coz, RM) businesses do this - the majority of tourists are American - so make it easy for them, path of least resistance, to help get their business.

Having traveled most corners of the world, I can concur that USD are not universally accepted. No where else will you see pricing advertised in USD, it is always in the native currency of that particular country. - just try to pay for anything is USD in Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, all of the EU, etc and you will just get a blank stare from the merchant as they wait for payment in their native currency.

At this point the use of USD and advertising to tourists the prices of goods and services only in USD within Cancun, Coz, RM has become so embedded within the local business culture I think it will be impossible to move back to the way the rest of the world does business.

I hate to say it Steve, but CancunCare is just as guilty as any other local business in promoting this problem http://www.cancuncare.com/Cancun_Airport/cancun_airport_transfers.htm , etc

 

hehehe good catch!

 

U.S. Dollar

The U.S. dollar is a universal currency. It is the main world reserve currency. That doesn't mean stores within all countries will accept them but when that same country buys wheat or oil on the world market it has to pay for it in US dollars.

In recent years the Euro has started to become another major player in world transactions and took over the position the german mark had and since just about doubled in popularity.

 

I know this is all off topic

I think the US dollar took a huge hit in world reserve popularity when Iran and even OPEC switched to selling their oil in euro's instead of U.S. dollars.

 

rdubnpk
It's having to deal with those damn foreigners.....

 

rdubnpk
Well, with the Republicans poised to take over Congress again, chances are good we may invade some other axis of evil country, or maybe some non-axis of evil country, or maybe some country that had nothing to do with nothing (see Iraq) and thus continue the expansion of our currencies acceptability. Get ready Halliburton!!!

 

I think the acceptance of US currency in Mexico is no different than our acceptance of Canadian currency where I live. We are in the ski country which is about an hour and a half from Toronto and most places here will accept Canadian currency as readily as US. I think it is just a convenience thing to bring in more tourists.

 

Granted - however just because those in the US ski country accept CAD, they still advertise their services/goods in USD - unlike what has been happening in Cancun, Coz and RM in general where they advertise these local Mexican services/goods only in USD

ie:
Airport Transfers
Tours
Car Rental
etc

Doesn't this send the message that they prefer USD ??? and now with the new restrictions all tourists are getting is a confused mixed message - not the best way to increase tourism to Mexico IMHO

 

You know speaking of the clubs etc. I think I may conduct an experiment this time and try to take note of what the posted prices are in USD and Pesos at some of them. It would be interesting to show what those prices are and which one is actually less expensive (I'd bet on the peso...), then put those up on the site to illustrate which way makes your dinar go further!