Winter, 2012
Mexico Tourism Board – Security Talking Points, February, 2012
On February 8, 2012 the U.S. State Department provided an updated Travel Warning on travel to Mexico. The warning is very specific – providing advice on travel to individual states, cities and districts.
• Mexico remains the most popular international destination for Americans. The warning highlights that millions of U.S. citizens travel safely to Mexico every year, for tourism, business and study, including 150,000 border crossing every day:
“Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year for study, tourism, and business, including more than 150,000 who cross the border every day. The Mexican government makes a considerable effort to protect U.S. citizens and other visitors to major tourist destinations, and there is no evidence that Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) have targeted U.S. visitors and residents based on their nationality. Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major trafficking routes”
• Mexico is a large country, roughly the size of Western Europe. The warning acknowledges that the vast majority of incidents have occurred in the border areas. Major tourist destinations like Cancun and Los Cabos are located more than a 2 hour flight away from the border and are recognized in the warning as safe.
• For specific travel advice travelers should refer to the state-by-state advisories, these provide detailed information on states, cities and areas within these cities.
• The U.S. State Department recommends that travelers consult the map on their website. This will give travelers an accurate perspective on the location of tourist resorts and the distance between these popular destinations and areas where incidents have taken place, concentrated near the border.
• There are no travel advisories in place for popular tourist destinations like Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya and Tulum, the Riviera Nayarit, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara and San Miguel de Allende and Leon.
• There is no advisory in place for Mexico’s capital and biggest city, Mexico City.
• Travelers are also advised that the tourist areas in Ixtapa, Mazatlan, Monterrey and Zihuatanejo are safe to visit.
• The safety of visitors and citizens is the Mexican Government’s number one priority. The Mexico Tourism Board recommends that travelers follow the recommendations in the U.S. State Department document.
Download to your computer: Security Talking Points.pdf
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