The travel business is tough right now for American tourist and travel businesses, and for our friends south of the border, it’s even tougher. I know a lot of people avoid talking about the subject, but the Mexican tourist business has been hit not only by the recession, but by reported drug wars and the swine flu. Recently I was informed that many resorts in Mexico were shut down for months, and in addition, thousands of workers have been laid off. But what does all of this mean to travelers thinking of going to Mexico?
First, put things in perspective. While Mexico certainly has its crime problems, consider that Mexico has a murder rate of 13 people per 100,000 in population. How does that compare to the United States? Well, it depends upon where you live but let’s look at some examples. In Oakland California the murder rate is 30 people per 100,000, in St. Louis its 40, in Baltimore its 45 and Washington D.C. its 31. Now I haven’t heard of anyone warning tourists they shouldn’t visit our nation’s capital, and while our news media jumps at the opportunity to portray Mexico as dangerous, is it really any more dangerous than a lot of American cities? Also, just like in America, the highest crime rates are in big cities and border towns, not in resort destinations. Honolulu only reports a murder rate of 2 per 100,000 which is the same as reported by Quintana Roo, the province in which Cancun is located.
As for the swine flu, a July 2009 bulletin from the World Health Organization reported that the swine flu had accounted for 119 deaths in Mexico. It also reported the swine flu had accounted for 170 deaths in the United States and the United States was experiencing the largest reported increase in cases in the whole world. Heck, maybe we should all move to Mexico. Oh, and get this. The US Center for Disease Control reports that in 2006 56,000 people in the US died from influenza and pneumonia. Hang on, 170 dead from swine flu, and 56,000 from regular flu? Yes, there is swine flu in Mexico but it’s also right here in the US and you’re over 300 times more likely to die of regular flu than swine flu anyway. The whole issue would be comical if it weren’t for the harm it is doing to the Mexican resort business. On a recent trip to Cancun I did an informal survey asking people if they knew of anyone who had gotten the swine flu. I couldn’t even find anyone who knew anyone who knew someone who had gotten the swine flu.
The bottom line is that both the drug war problems and the swine flu are completely overblown by the US media and have unfairly prejudiced American travelers against Mexico. In Miami you can find warm weather, great beaches, great resorts, and plenty to do. But you can find the same thing in Cancun, except Quintana Roo, where Cancun is located, has a murder rate is 2 per 100,000, compared to Miami at 20 per 100,000, and Cancun is a heck of a lot cheaper! And with the triple whammy of a recession, swine flu and drug wars, there simply could not be a better time to book a trip to Mexico. The prices are lower than they have been for years, and resorts are clamoring to provide great vacation experiences to American tourists. The prices are down and the service is up!! So do yourself a favor, and do our friends to the south a favor. Get out that credit card and book a Mexican vacation today!!
Safety Tip - Don't forget, even when traveling in the safest of countries crime still exists. Your risk of being a victim of a crime can be significantly affected by your personal behavior. So, think a little when you travel. Don't wear expensive jewelry when out in public areas, don't carry large sums of cash, if unfamiliar with areas you plan to travel ask about them, hire a guide or go with a group, and don't be wandering seedy parts of town in the dead of night. Common sense goes a long way in travel safety.
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