WHEN Alex Trettin and his wife, Jenn, suggested to family and friends that they take a group vacation to Mexico, the reaction was mixed. About half of
the group of 29 immediately signed on for the November trip to the Riviera Maya, south of Cancún, where they would visit Maya ruins, fish and lounge
by the pool at an upscale resort for the bargain price of $150 a person a night. The other half hesitated, citing concern about Mexico’s continuing
drug war.
“My aunt stated she hoped we didn’t have any issues with the drug cartels,” said Mr. Trettin, a Mexico-travel specialist in Tacoma, Wash., who assured
everyone that the beach resort they were going to near Playa del Carmen was far from the violent clashes they had seen on television. Ultimately, they
all went, but the concerns that some in the group expressed are indicative of the quandary many travelers face when they consider the safety risks
versus the convenience and affordability of a vacation in Mexico.
While most of the drug-related violence has been in the northern border region of Mexico, far from the Maya temples of the Yucatán, the regional
cuisine of Oaxaca or the beaches of Baja California Sur, violence has erupted in tourist destinations like Acapulco and the state of
Michoacán, home to the famous monarch butterfly sanctuaries. Even Cancún’s safety was questioned earlier this year after eight employees of a strip
club there were killed when a group of men threw Molotov c-cktails into the building in an area not frequented by tourists.
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, the
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 specifically to Michoacán
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.
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 to entice travelers. 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.”
Some of the deals agents and tourism officials point out include Casa Ticul, a boutique hotel in Playa del Carmen, which is offering 20 percent off
rates of $171 a night to travelers who book a January stay by the end of December. Villa del Palmar Cancún, a new all-inclusive resort in Playa
Mujeres with a Greg Norman-designed golf course, has rates from $186 a person a night during the holidays and a rate of $142 a person a night after
that — 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, has trained its agents to educate clients who call with safety
concerns about how far its villas are from reported violence, and is offering specials of 25 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, in early
January.
The pricing strategy seems to be working. The number of international tourists arriving in Mexico by air from January to October was 8.2 million,
according to the latest data from the Mexico Tourist Board. That is an increase of 17.8 percent compared with the same period last year, when Mexico
endured a down economy, H1N1 scares and drug violence. Visitors are up 6.4 percent over the same period in 2008, which was considered to be one of the
best years for travel to Mexico. The number of American travelers increased by 13.4 percent, compared with the same time period in 2009.
Many resorts say safety is at the top of their guests’ minds. “When our reservations manager receives requests, the first question that is asked is if
there has been violence in this area,” said Giorgio Brignone, the 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 has placed ads in magazines promoting “a
different Mexico.” In addition, the company’s Web site highlighted the 24-hour security at the resort.
Part of the problem is that many travelers are unclear about where the violence has occurred and how it might affect their vacation, Mr. 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. “While a wonderful place to visit,” he said, “violent confrontations have been spilling over from the military effort against the
cartels.” Travelers should also hold off on visits to Michoacán, in central Mexico. The state is a stronghold of La Familia, a drug cartel known for
bold ambushes.
Popular resort areas, including Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa and Cancún’s resort strip are generally safe for travelers, Mr. 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.” Having visited Mexico two times before, she added, “I wasn’t really worried.”
Great stuff here
mcfez - 12-23-2010 at 09:12 AM
A better report....honest and researched!
......"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.”
How true!!!!!stevelaubly - 12-23-2010 at 09:22 AM
I feel MUCH safer driving through Mexicali and staying in in San Felipe than driving through south ease Fresno.
Sometimes it's tough being a white guy with a red neck
Recneck ?
djh - 12-23-2010 at 09:39 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by stevelaubly Sometimes it's tough being a white guy with a red neck
My cover has been blown here in N. Idaho
(where redneck is one of the squares you check on birth certificates, drivers license, etc.)
Several of my local friends conferred and decided that I only have a ponytail to conceal my redneck.... The good news, I guess, is in Idaho you
don't need a "concealed permit" if it's right there in the open...
