Latest news with #ChichenItza
TTG
21-05-2025
- Business
- TTG
Aer Lingus to launch new winter sun route to Mexico's Cancun in the new year
Three flights a week will operate from 6 January 2026 to 29 April 2026 using a wide-body Airbus A330-300. One-way tickets from Dublin will start from £246pp and Aer Lingus will offer add-on fares from UK airports. Besides Cancun region's array of all-inclusive hotels, it is also home to archaeological sites like Chichen Itza. Lynne Embleton, Aer Lingus chief executive, said: 'Our new direct route from Dublin to Cancun introduces a vibrant new destination to our network and further increases Aer Lingus' winter sun offering. "Our research highlights a strong appetite amongst customers for new travel experiences, particularly seasonal destinations beyond the peak summer period. Mexico, with its tropical climate, caters to the growing consumer demand for winter sun, while also offering a rich blend of history, culture, and cuisine.'
New York Times
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
MrBeast's Tour of Maya Ruins Draws Criticism and Legal Threats in Mexico
The Mexican authorities threatened legal action this week over a video featuring the YouTube sensation MrBeast at ancient Maya ruins, suggesting that a production company had violated an agreement for filming at the site. The video, titled 'I Explored 2,000 Year Old Ancient Temples,' was posted online on Saturday and had been viewed more than 60 million times by the end of the week. 'Everything you guys are seeing now the Mayans didn't want us to see,' says a voice during the first moments of the 15-minute clip. 'Nobody gets to go where we're going.' They were going to the Maya city of Chichén Itzá, an archaeological site on the Yucatán Peninsula with structures more than 1,000 years old, that is considered a wonder of the world and is visited every year by two million tourists. Visitors are welcome to roam the ruins of city with a few conditions, including no climbing on the pyramids or staying past nightfall. The video featuring MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, shows him inside of ruins, at an archaeological site at night and clambering up a pyramid, with a voice saying, 'I'm climbing these stairs like a dog.' Toward the end of the video, he displays candy under his Feastables brand, which he calls 'the only Mayan-approved snack on the planet.' Not long after the video was posted online, it provoked outrage among some Mexicans, who noted that Mexico's archaeological authority, the National Institute of Anthropology and History, or INAH, forbids some of what the video appeared to show. The controversy drew even the attention of President Claudia Sheinbaum who, when asked about it, said on Wednesday she wanted a report about what had happened. 'The information is that he had permission from the INAH, and now we need the INAH to tell us under what conditions this permission was granted,' she said. 'And if the permission was violated, then what sanctions will be imposed.' Mexico's culture secretary, Claudia Curiel, went further, saying on social media on Thursday that the authorities were weighing legal action because Full Circle Media, the local producing company representing Mr. Donaldson in Mexico, had not been authorized to publish 'false information or the use of images of heritage sites for commercial advertising.' The anthropology institute soon posted a statement saying it condemned those who violated 'the terms of granted authorizations' and those who 'with commercial ambition and aims of private profit, dare to distort the value of archaeolgical zones that are he legacy of our original cultures and the pride of our nation.' A representative for Mr. Donaldson declined to comment on the record. A representative for Full Circle Media could not immediately be reached for comment. The video filmed in Mexico resembled in some ways another video Mr. Donaldson posted this year, showing him visiting the pyramids of Giza. In that video, Mr. Donaldson said he had gained 'unrestricted access to all the great pyramids of Egypt' and had gone into 'places that are literally illegal to enter.' He also displays MrBeast branded toys that he says 'are flying off the shelves.' On Monday, INAH clarified that the video filmed in Mexico 'clearly underwent extensive audiovisual post-production and alludes to events that did not occur.' Those included people spending the night in the site, descending from a helicopter into the ruins and handling a mask that, the institute said, was actually a contemporary replica. It was also not clear how much of the video was filmed at Chichén Itzá as opposed to other sites in the Yucatán Peninsula, where archaeologists have found many other ruins. Mr. Donaldson also had defenders, however, including Gov. Layda Sansores of Campeche State, who thanked the influencer on social media for visiting. She said on Wednesday that complaints about the video should be sent to her office, saying, 'We assume responsibility for showing the world the cultural and natural wealth that defines us.' The video set off a sprawling debate on Mexican social media about how it presented Mexico's history, whether it presented a romanticized vision of archaeology and who was able to gain such privileged access to national heritage sites. Nonetheless, INAH tried to put a positive spin on the controversy. 'Despite the distorted information provided by the YouTuber,' it said, 'the dissemination of this type of material may motivate young audiences in Mexico and around the world to learn about our ancestral cultures and visit archaeological sites.'
The Guardian
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Mexico demands compensation from YouTube star MrBeast after pyramid chocolate video
Mexico is seeking compensation from YouTube celebrity MrBeast's production company, accusing it of using images of the country's ancient archaeological sites to advertise a chocolate brand. A video of the social media star visiting Maya ruins has been viewed around 60m times since 10 May on YouTube, where he has 395 million subscribers. In the video, titled 'I Explored 2,000 Year Old Ancient Temples,' the influencer explores the ancient Maya cities including Calakmul and Chichén Itzá in south-eastern Mexico. 'I can't believe the government's letting us do this,' he said after entering a pyramid, prompting criticism from several users who complained that MrBeast had access to areas restricted to Mexicans. On Wednesday Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, requested clarification on the conditions under which the YouTuber was granted access. In the video, the celebrity also advertises his own brand snacks, calling them 'Mayan-approved,' prompting an official complaint from the National Institute of Archaeology and History. While Mexico is 'pleased that YouTubers and all the world's young people appreciate the value of our indigenous civilisations' it 'strongly condemns those who take advantage,' the institute wrote in a social media post. The permit issued to production company Full Circle Media did not authorise 'the use of the image of the archaeological sites for the advertising of commercial brands for private profit,' it added. Mexico is 'demanding compensation for damages and a public retraction, due to noncompliance with the terms,' it said. In Mérida, the capital of Yucatán state where Chichén Itzá is located, several residents expressed their disapproval of the access given to the YouTuber. 'Restrictions and regulations should apply to everyone: domestic tourists, foreign visitors, as well as us locals,' said tour guide Jose Elias Aguayo, 53.
Reuters
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Mexico brings suit against media company over MrBeast pyramids video
May 15 (Reuters) - Mexican authorities have filed a lawsuit against a firm they say worked with popular YouTube creator MrBeast after he produced a video at the nation's ancient pyramids, including Chichen Itza, that violated the terms of government permissions. Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) said in a post late on Wednesday that it had given a firm representing MrBeast, who boasts 395 million subscribers on YouTube, permission to film at the sites but not monetize the video. MrBeast, whose real name is James Donaldson, uploaded a video on May 10 entitled "I Explored 2000 Year Old Temples". In the video's caption, he thanks local authorities, including the INAH, for allowing him to film, while he also touts products. INAH said it was lodging the suit against a firm called Full Circle Media. "The permission granted to Full Circle Media ... did not authorize ... the use of images of the archeological site for for-profit advertisements of private brands," INAH said. Reuters contacted a local production firm with that name but did not immediately receive a response. MrBeast also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In MrBeast's video, the YouTuber and his team climb on pyramids and explore hidden tunnels in the southern states of Campeche and Yucatan. They are escorted through the pyramids by several guides, including one person identified only as Arthur, who is seen wearing an INAH vest. "I can't believe the government is letting us do this," MrBeast says at one point in the video.
RNZ News
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
US YouTuber MrBeast sparks controversy by filming at Mexico's archaeological sites
By Uriel Blanco , CNN MrBeast attends Love, Death + Robots - NY Special Screening at the Paris Theatre on 13 May in New York City. MrBeast is at the centre of controversy involving Mexico. Photo:via CNN Newsource Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, is at the centre of another controversy, and this time it directly involves Mexico. MrBeast, who is by far the YouTuber with the most subscribers in the world (surpassing the second-place user by almost 100 million), published a video on 10 May in which he visited some of Mexico's most important archaeological sites, including Chichén Itzá in the state of Yucatán, home to the Temple of Kukulkan pyramid, known as El Castillo, one of the seven wonders of the modern world. MrBeast also visited the archaeological sites of Calakmul in the state of Campeche and Balamcanché in Yucatán. The video, which as of Wednesday afternoon (local time) has accumulated more than 55 million views, shows MrBeast and his team in the surroundings of Kukulkan, but also inside other archaeological structures, in cenotes and temples. Some of these sites are not permanently accessible to the public, as the Mexican government has acknowledged. The controversy centres on the fact that the YouTuber was allowed entry to sites considered sacred to Mexico's pre-Hispanic cultures, which in many cases are restricted. In one part of the video, MrBeast himself says: "I can't believe the government is letting us do this. It's truly crazy. Not even archaeologists are allowed in here." In response to the controversy, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) - an agency attached to the Mexican government's Ministry of Culture - declared on Monday that both the visit and the recording were carried out through "formal requests". These requests, however, were not made by MrBeast, but rather by "the federal Ministry of Tourism and the governments of" Yucatán and Campeche, the INAH indicated. In the description of his video, MrBeast claims that the publication is a "collaboration with the Mexican Ministry of Tourism". Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday that there were permits for the "broadcast," but asked the INAH to report "under what conditions this permit was granted". "And if the permit was violated, then (it must be determined) what sanctions apply," the president added. Other points have also caused controversy, such as a drone shot that appears to be inside the temple at the top of El Castillo in Chichén Itzá. Regarding this, the INAH said that this did not occur and that the shot was in fact recorded outside the structure. There are also scenes where MrBeast appears to descend to the archaeological sites by helicopter or where he holds a pre-Hispanic mask in his hands. All of this, the INAH says, is either false or was edited after the recording: "Clearly, the video involves extensive audiovisual post-production work and alludes to events that did not occur, such as the fact that the producers never descended from a helicopter, spent the night inside the archaeological site, or possessed a pre-Hispanic mask, as the one presented is clearly a contemporary reproduction. All of these are false assertions that reflect the theatricality of the YouTuber in question." Exploring, filming, and broadcasting in Mexican archaeological sites is a restricted activity that few are allowed to do. The INAH stated that, while institute personnel were supervising MrBeast's activities at all times, access was granted to an area that is not permanently accessible to the general public. "The tours were conducted in publicly accessible areas without affecting visitor access. In the case of Calakmul, the substructure of the Structure II was also visited. Although it is not permanently open to the public, it does provide access by arranging a scheduled visit in advance and with justification, as is the case with tours conducted with the communities surrounding the archaeological site," it said in its Monday statement. Sheinbaum asked the INAH to provide information on the nature of the permit for the MrBeast video. Until it is announced, its scope and the points it covers are unknown. However, by law, exploration of Mexico's archaeological sites is permitted for a very small group of institutions. In September 2024, the INAH responded to a request for citizen information requesting the "requirements and steps" necessary to enter the Kukulkan pyramid at Chichén Itzá. In this request, the director of the Chichén Itzá Archaeological Zone, José Francisco Javier Osorio León, mentions that "in accordance" with the provisions of the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic, and Historical Monuments and Zones, "all types of material work to discover or explore archaeological monuments will only be carried out by the National Institute of Anthropology and History or by scientific institutions or those of recognized moral standing, with prior authorization." Likewise, Article 31 of this law states that the authorisations granted by the INAH must specify "the terms and conditions to which the work must be subject, as well as the obligations of those who carry it out". While the details of the permits for MrBeast's video are still unknown, the INAH stated that, although the YouTuber's video offers "distorted" information, its dissemination "may motivate interest among young audiences in Mexico and around the world to learn about our ancestral cultures and visit archaeological sites". Meanwhile, Federal Culture Secretary Claudia Curiel de Icaza spoke out against the activities carried out by MrBeast and his team at the archaeological sites. "This isn't the first time this type of incident has happened, and it's been clarified. Of course we don't agree, and of course there will be appropriate sanctions because that's not what these spaces are for," Curiel de Icaza said Tuesday at a decorative and utilitarian art event. CNN has reached out to MrBeast for comment. - CNN
