Understanding the Mexico Travel Alert

(Dive Travel Business News May 27, 2011) -- The most recent U.S. State Department alert, issued April 22, expanded the areas in Mexico that are experiencing drug-cartel-related violence and advised U.S. travelers to exercise caution in visiting some parts of Mexico. One of the more confusing things about the State Department’s warning was that it sometimes named cities, sometimes states,sometimes vaguely delineated portions of states, sometimes roads, routes or border areas: The result leaves many travelers with the impression that entire states posed a security risk for visitors.

As Mexico continues to be a mainstay on the U.S. State Department Travel Alert list, Mexico Secretary of Tourism Gloria Guevara sought to bring order out of the confusion over whether or not Mexico is a safe destination to visit.  In a recent Travel Weekly interview, Guevara stated that Mexico’s major tourism destinations are, for the most part, located hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles from crime areas, and are areas not visited or frequented by tourists; in a large country of 2,500 municipalities, only 80 are affected by gang violence. Drug-related violence affects less than 5% of the country, and none of it is in tourist areas.  The Mexico Department of Tourism has created a map that shows the areas of gang-related violence.

“More than 60% of our visitors go to the known tourist areas, including Cancun, the Riviera Maya, Cozumel, Los Cabos and the Riviera Nayarit," Guevara said. "Add Mexico City, Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta and that number is 90%. None of these areas have problems, and all are safe for our visitors."

The secretary pointed out that a survey that tracks visitor satisfaction is done every year; 2010 results showed a 98% return-visitor rate.

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