Tag Archives: Travel Warnings

The State Department’s Travel Advisory for Mexico Clears the Top Tourist Destinations

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Map of MexicoMexico is a beautiful tourist destination, and it would be a shame to let the problems in a few specific regions put a damper on enjoying the rest of this friendly country. From time to time, the State Department issues Travel Warning reports to make sure U.S. citizens are aware of any international security concerns. The most recent report dated February 8, 2012 highlights areas that are considered safe for travel as well as areas without a current travel advisory.

The State Department Has Cleared these Lovely Mexican Destinations for U.S. Travelers

If you’re considering sunny Mexico for your next luxury vacation, these exciting destinations have absolutely no travel advisories. Why not fly south for a little relaxation and adventure?

  • Northern Mexico including Baja California and Cabo San Lucas
  • Southern Mexico including Campeche, Chiapas
  • Central Mexico including Estado de Mexico, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Leon and Hidalgo, Puebla, Queretaro
  • Mexico City
  • Oaxaca including Huatulco and Puerto Escondido
  • Quintana Roo including Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Riviera Maya, Cozumel and Tulum
  • Tabasco including Villahermosa
  • Tiaxcala
  • Yucatan including Merida and Chichen Itza
  • Riviera Nayarit

Millions of US Citizens Safely Travel to Mexico Each Year

Every year, millions of travelers from the United States cross into Mexico for business, pleasure or educational purposes. In fact, over 150,000 U.S. citizens venture into Mexico on a daily basis. The Mexican government spends a considerable amount of resources to protect tourists from both the U.S. and other countries. As a result, resorts and other tourist destinations do not have the type of drug-related crime that is seen in the border regions or along the primary trafficking routes. Plus, the State Department has found that there is no evidence that any organized criminal group in Mexico has targeted U.S. citizens based on their country of origin.

More Information is Available

Journey Mexico encourages everyone to review the latest Mexico Security Update released by the U.S. Embassy to learn more. This information will ensure that you’re fully aware of any recent security events that could impact your safety during your stay in Mexico. The State Department’s Country Specific Information for Mexico provides even more information about safety issues in this charming country.

Don’t forget that Journey Mexico’s president, Zach Rabinor, is the top-rated in-country travel specialist. Because he literally lives and breathes Mexico, we can give you first-hand accounts and expert advice to make sure you fully enjoy your trip to this exciting country.

Travel Authorities Comment on Safety in Mexico

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Travel Experts Talk Safety in Mexico

Peter Greenberg, a highly regarded authority in the international travel industry, posted an article titled Is it Safe to Travel to Mexico Now? on his blog a few weeks ago in which he and Robert Reid, U.S. travel editor for Lonely Planet, discussed the current state of Mexico in regards to safety and tourism.

Both Greenberg and Reid travel to Mexico frequently and their conversation offers some great insight into the matter (you should definitely read the entire article), but I just want to point out some of the stand-out quotes I came across.

  • Robert Reid: “You need to consider that Mexico is about the size of Western Europe. There’s an area that’s bigger than Britain and Ireland that is not on the travel warnings.”

  • Robert Reid: “The Washington Post had an article last year that the homicide rate in our nation’s capital is four times greater than Mexico City.”

  • Peter Greenberg: “Look at Cozumel. It is probably the most popular cruise ship port in the world. And yet anytime somebody hiccups the cruise ships say we’re pulling out of Mazatlan or we’re pulling out of Cozumel. Guess what happens a week later? They’re back. It’s so fickle and capricious. It’s not based on real facts. It’s based on fear.”

  • Robert Reid: “During the swine flu crisis a couple of years ago, some cruise ships stopped going to places like Puerto Vallarta, where there were no reported cases of the swine flu. Instead, the ships went to places like San Francisco where there were reported cases of swine flu. It is worth listening closely to reports.”

  • Peter Greenberg: “I’ll call a spade a spade here, Mexico has been seen in an almost racist way by Americans for so many years. They imagine dusty border towns, guys wearing sombreros and doing shoot ‘em ups. They see it how it was portrayed in the movies. If you couple that perception with the drug cartels or with the swine flu or with select crime reports, suddenly everybody starts running for the border.”

  • Robert Reid: “I’m in this business because of Mexico. I think it is an asset to be close to such a diverse, wonderful and friendly country. I’m sad that more people don’t take advantage of it.”

  • Peter Greenberg: “Isn’t it ironic that we’re talking about crime and murder in Mexico and I’ve spent so much of the year enjoying the ocean, the beaches and the beautiful sunsets in Mexico?”

Another Study Confirms Safety of Mexico

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The safety of traveling to Mexico is a redundant topic for those of us living here, but Americans still don’t seem to be getting the message (especially my mother).

When explaining the situation to friends and family back home (about 30 miles north of Philadelphia), I always draw an analogy along the lines of: “Do you not feel safe living outside Philly because some got murdered in a back-alley in Memphis, Tennessee?” Obviously, the answer should be no as Memphis is more than a 20 hour drive from Philadelphia just as Mexico City is much more than 20 hours away from these boarder towns (Juarez specifically) where murders are occurring.

A new study from Brookings Institute compares Washington D.C. with the country of Mexico in general, strengthening my point. Apparently, Washington D.C. has a murder rate of 31 people per 100,000 inhabitants, where as the country of Mexico has a murder rate of approximately 11.5 people per 100,000 inhabitants. New Orleans’s murder rate is 74/100,000!

It’s a shame that the American media creates such a biased portrait of the safety of traveling to Mexico, when there are so many unbelievable trips to be taken and incredible sites to be seen in this breathtaking country.

You can find the full article via the Miami Herald Online