Violence in Mexico Affecting Travel
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009
Violence along the border of the United States and Mexico has given travelers a reason to rethink their plans. The U.S. Department of State has issued a warning for American citizens traveling to Mexico. There has been an increase in violence that has been caused by a number of factors but mostly related to drug wars.It is the border communities (like popular destinations Tijuana, Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juarez) that are getting hit the hardest. The alerts that have been issued bring up the number of kidnappings that have occurred in recent years.
The alerts are focused on the border regions but many travelers are not taking chances. Those travelers that have not made reservations or that are in a position to cancel or change reservations are choosing to stay away from Mexico completely.
Mexico's Tourism Board CEO Oscar Fitch Gomez issued a statement concerning the government alerts. He emphasizes that the troubles have been isolated and that they have been occurring away from the main tourist destinations. He reminds consumers that Mexico is still the tenth most visited tourist destination in the world and that it is still number one for American tourists. "It is a large country with safe destinations to visit."
Tourism is one of the top sources of income for Mexico. It is important to the economy for travel from America to continue at the average rate. The alerts from the U.S. State Department are designed to inform citizens and not to scare them away from travel to Mexico.
Most experts agree that travel to most of the top tourism destinations in Mexico (particularly those in the central region of the country) is as safe as they have always been. Using basic safety habits will help to decrease the chances of having violence affect travel to Mexico.
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