Perceptions changing on Mexico travel?
Has the tide been turning for the positive for Mexico tourism? A substantial decline in drug-cartel-related murders was reported in the first quarter of this year in Baja California, as mentioned in the L.A. Times Outposts blog. And the sentiment lately among visitors to Mexico is that resort towns feel as safe as ever as long as common sense is used (check out the post “Readers Weigh In on Mexico Travel,” if you missed it).
For those still needing some convincing that a trip south of the border isn’t a reckless idea, the Mexico Tourism Board recently launched a website hoping to address misconceptions.
The public relations effort, www.mexico-update.com, includes video testimonials from smiling, sun-tanned vacationers; travel tips; and positive articles related to Mexico tourism. A “true or false” page covers such topics as the locations of drug cartels and centers of violence, the U.S. government’s travel warnings to Mexico, and perceived versus actual dangers to Americans.
The homepage features a map (shown above) with both areas of concern and safe tourist areas. The areas currently marked as risky are, as you can see, Tijuana, Nogales, Chihuahua and Ciudad Juarez, and destinations marked safe for travel are Los Cabos, Mazatlan, Riviera Nayarit, Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, Hualtulco, Cancun, Riviera Maya and Cozumel.
To further emphasize the point, if you scroll over one of the green-dotted tourist destinations on the website, a box will pop up that tells how far the city is from each of the four trouble spots. For instance, Los Cabos is 1,085 miles from Tijuana, the geographic equivalent of Los Angeles to Denver. Good point.
Still, it comes down to the comfort level of the individual traveler. After all, there’s no point in planning a resort getaway in a place that makes you anxious and scared. Though said violence has not been targeted toward tourists, a look at a long list of articles about a war that has left more than 7,330 dead since January 2007 is sobering, to say the least. If considering a trip to Mexico, stay informed and, as one reader put it, “exercise common sense.” And keep those comments coming. We appreciate hearing about your experiences.
— Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times
[Image: Mexico-Update.com]
6 Comments on “Perceptions changing on Mexico travel?”
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April 15th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
I was just in Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende for 11 days and felt perfectly safe, especially during the day. I equate it to traveling in any other urban/semi-urban area in Latin America. If anything, I felt less safe in Quito and Belize City.
The locals we met were all extremely friendly, helpful, proud to share their city, and always responded to greetings of “hola” on the street. More than can be said for the U.S.
April 16th, 2009 at 9:50 am
Not only are the resorts of Mexico safe, they are a safe haven from the stress we are all experiencing in the midst of global financial unrest. Mexico has always been known for an unusally warm welcome, great value, breathless miles of compelling coastline and the possibility of immersion in another culture that expands our minds. A crime outbreak in New York would not lead to cancellation of a vacation in Florida or California. It stands to reason that issues at the border should not mar your plans to enjoy the “end-of-the-earth tranquility of Los Cabos, the peace of La Paz, the missions of Loreto, the cobblestone streets and art of Puerto Vallarta, the colonial charm of San Miguel Allende, the ancient history of the pyramids and more. We just need to get a better grip on geography and pack a bag!
April 16th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
I think the Mexico vacation threat has been overblown by the media. No one (expect prospective drug dealers) vacations on the border.
I’ve heard of no threats of violence at the normal Mexican vacation spots, but I’m sure their numbers have slipped anyway.
April 18th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
We have had absolutely no problems with drug cartels or violence against tourists at all. However, the media attention with regards to the border states is dealing a devistating blow to the entire countries turism business.
I find it to be amazing. It is the same thing as saying that when there are riots in Watts (Los Angeles, California), you would not be safe to visit the Grand Canyon.
The only difference is that the Grand Canyon is much closer to Los Angeles then Juarez is to Cozumel, Mexico (1,200 miles away)!
Warm Regards from our safe and wonderful island paradise!
Bob Rodriguez
Cozumel’s original “Roving Reporter”
April 19th, 2009 at 8:30 am
The AP story today is there was an attack on a prison transfer convoy just outside of the Nayarit airport. I think most people commonly identify this as the Puerto Vallarta Intl Airport. I wonder why the press wouldn’t connect the dots and inform the travelling public?
May 15th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Mexico threats have been overblown but I do think things are changing. In fact being in the real estate business down here, we are seeing more and more people feeling comfortable about moving to baja.