Although most of the drug-related violence has been in the northern border region of Mexico, far from the Mayan temples of the Yucatan, the regional cuisine of Oaxaca or the beaches of Baja California Sur, violence has also erupted in tourist destinations, including Acapulco and the state of Michoacan, home to the famous monarch butterfly sanctuaries. Even Cancun’s safety was questioned earlier this year after eight employees of a strip club there were killed when a group of men threw Molotov cocktails into the building in an area not frequented by tourists.
Increasing Safety in Mayan Riviera
To combat the perception that violence has been widespread, tourism officials in Mexico have invested $30 million in advertising and social media initiatives to spread the word that much of the country is safe for tourists.
“Visitors have the right to be well informed,” said Alfonso Sumano, regional director for the Mexico Tourism Board for the Americas. Many of the affected areas, he said, “are very far from the destinations tourists visit.”
The latest travel warning, issued by the State Department in September, urged American citizens to defer unnecessary travel to Michoacan and areas along the northern border, including Tamaulipas, and parts of Chihuahua, Durango and Coahuila, where tourists generally don’t go. Yet, ever cautious, it stated, “violence has occurred throughout the country, including in areas frequented by American tourists.” Visitors were encouraged to stay on main roads in daylight hours and to remain in well-known tourist areas.
Crime Stories Hurt Mexican Travel Industry
All of this has made travel to Mexico a hard sell lately, but travel agents say the negative publicity has also made Mexico among the best values out there as resorts lower rates or add free incentives. When asked where agents are recommending travelers go to get the most for their dollar this year, 70 percent said Mexico, according to Travel Leaders, a major network of agents.
“A lot of clients will come here and say, ‘I’ll go anywhere except Mexico,’ ” said Kate Rosevear, owner of a Travel Leaders agency in Plymouth, Mich. “Quite often we’ll be able to talk them back around to it based on the value.”
The deals include Villa del Palmar Cancun, a new all-inclusive resort in Playa Mujeres with a Greg Norman-designed golf course. It’s offering rates of $142 a person a night — up to 60 percent off. And St. Regis Punta Mita is offering butler service, a third night free, a $50 resort credit per room and a glass of champagne with its Welcome to Paradise deal from $580 a night for stays starting Jan. 11.
Mexican Destinations, the Mexico Villa brand of the rental company VacationRoost, says its villas are far from reported violence, and it’s offering specials of 25 percent to 50 percent off. One deal is Casa del Sol, a four-bedroom, five-bath property on the Pacific Coast in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, where rates have been slashed to $750 a night, from $1,500 for early this month.
Many resorts say safety is at the top of their guests’ minds.
“When our reservations manager receives requests, the first question …is if there has been violence in this area,” said Giorgio Brignone, proprietor of Costa Careyes, a luxury resort two hours south of Puerto Vallarta, which has added free airport transfers to and from Manzanillo. To put jittery travelers at ease, the company’s website highlights the resort’s 24-hour security.
Many travelers are unclear about where the violence has occurred and how it might affect their vacation, Brignone said.
“People don’t realize that there are many regions and areas in the country that are not affected by the violence and drug wars,” he said. “It’s like saying I will not go to Dallas, or New York, because there are problems or riots in Los Angeles.”
Still, there are some tourist destinations travelers should steer clear of, at least for now. “I would not encourage my family to visit Acapulco right now,” said Josh Miller, who lives in Mexico City and is the general director for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean for Control Risks, a risk management firm.
Travelers should also hold off on visits to Michoacan, in central Mexico. The state is a stronghold of La Familia, a drug cartel known for bold ambushes.
Popular resort areas, including Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa and Cancun’s resort strip are generally safe for travelers, Miller said, particularly if visitors stay within the resort’s boundaries.
“Mexico is a volatile place,” he said. “You have to have your itinerary planned out quite well, consider transportation and stay abreast of latest developments.”
Some travelers who have been to Mexico before are surprised when friends express safety concerns.
“Everybody was like, `What? You are going to Mexico?’ ” said Tina Youtsey, a dog groomer from Milan, Mich., who went to the Riviera Maya with her teenage daughter last month. “Seriously,” she said, “the drug lords aren’t hanging out at the resort.”
