Spokane7
59°
February 14, 2012 in Nation/World
Mexico tourism up despite violence
But enduring drug war still scaring off Americans
MEXICO CITY – Mexico attracted a record number of foreign visitors last year despite a frightening drug war that is prompting travel warnings for many areas around the country.
Mexico’s tourism agency released new figures showing that the number of foreign travelers arriving by air in 2011 rose to 22.7 million, the most since the Bank of Mexico began keeping track in 1980. There was growth in each of the last five months of the year, officials said.
Tourism also got a boost from Mexican travelers, who registered 167 million visits to tourist spots. The total of Mexican and foreign tourists was 2 percent higher than for 2008, which had been the best year on record.
The number of air travelers from the United States to Mexico fell by 3 percent last year, but tourists from other countries – especially Brazil, Russia, Peru and China – registered sizable increases over 2010.
The enduring carnage of the drug war, with about 50,000 dead in the last five years, has generated substantial media coverage abroad.
Travel operators and Mexican resorts have sought to fill rooms by offering discounts in places such as Acapulco, now among the deadliest spots in the country, though most of the violence occurs far from the main tourist strip. Mexico remains a relatively affordable destination and, generally speaking, the tourist centers of well-known resort areas such as Cancun and Los Cabos have not suffered drug-related slayings.
The State Department’s latest travel warning for Mexico says Americans should avoid travel in parts or all of 14 states around the country, and several others where travelers should exercise caution.
Last week’s warning is more detailed than prior announcements about potential trouble spots and the perils there. Few major tourist areas are mentioned, though travelers are urged to exercise caution in Acapulco, Ixtapa and Zihuatenejo – all in the violence-plagued state of Guerrero – and in Mazatlan, a popular beach spot in the northwestern state of Sinaloa where killings have soared since 2009.
Tourism is one of Mexico’s top sources of foreign income.
Salmonella linked to chicken handling 
DickAdams on February 14 at 7:04 a.m.
Spring break and our youth throw caution to the wind and head to Mexico. Haven’t they learned anything in college?? Dumb and dumber comes to mind.
liberal_in_right_wing_land on February 14 at 8:25 a.m.
Amazing whats going on in that country. When I was kid in elementary school I actually use to live down in Zihuatenejo for about a year, it was such a small, safe, beautiful town, so hard to believe what is happening to my former home. I remember walking all over the city by myself, walking to the bus stop for school alone with never a worry, now, I wouldn’t even vacation there as we passed on Mexico and went to the Virgin Island last winter and Hawaii this winter.
DickAdams on February 14 at 11:00 a.m.
Liberal:
A friend of mine, who many years ago, went into partnership with a Mexican citizen in Zihuatenejo. I remember him telling me in order for an American to invest there (I think it was a steak house), it was required he have a partner with Mexican citizenship (I`m a little fuzzy re the details). Long and short of the story is my friend lost all the money he had invested because his Mexican partner took advantage of his naivety. My friends name was Dennis Molstad. Small world re your talking about the city.
RedCedar on February 14 at 11:51 a.m.
I suspect Mexico isn’t nearly as dangerous as US media reports make it out to be. Some years ago I gave a ride up the coast to a tourist from Germany. She had a German guidebook to traveling in the US that warned against camping out anywhere in this country because you would likely be set upon by robbers and quite possibly be murdered. It’s human nature to think of any foreign country as being dangerous and to pay special attention to any reports of crime there, but let’s remember that it’s the job of the news media to report news, and as the old saying goes, “if it bleeds, it leads”.
DickAdams on February 14 at 12:10 p.m.
Red, as I recollect reading and remember their were quite a few Americans killed so far this year in Mexico. I`m not saying its a cake walk in the good old U. S. of A. and America has more than its share horrific crimes, its a sad commentary.
SMARTGUY on February 14 at 12:28 p.m.
Maybe we should try this in Spokane, if we get the murder rate up, bring in more drugs, and some violent drug lords. Shooting down judges in the street, and burning down the homes of the police. I am sure this will encouage tourism, just change the slogan, Near anarchy, near violence. Another great example of a country with “less government”.
RedCedar on February 14 at 12:55 p.m.
SMARTGUY, don’t forget making it effectively illegal for law-abiding citizens to own guns, so that only the criminals will be armed, and paying the cops so poorly that the only way they can support their families is by working for the gangsters on the side. Then make sure all the significant politicians are profiting in one way or another from the unending war on drugs, and are thus unwilling to see things truly change.
analeeco on February 14 at 3:27 p.m.
As one of thousands of U.S. & Canadian citizens who live either part or full time in Mazatlan with no fear, it’s important for readers to know that the warning stated “You should defer travel to the state of Sinaloa EXCEPT Mazatlan where you should exercise caution late at night & early morning.”. Isn’t this good advice to follow in any large city? Arrivals of foreigners here dropped 10% last year mainly due to fewer flights and the U.S. economy. Interestingly the Canadian West Jet service is cutting summer flights, but adding winter service.
The high murder rate in Sinaloa has not included foreigners thus has not served as a deterrent to those who, in the past month, purchased full-time evidences in the building where I own. They want to enjoy the climate, beaches, restaurants, historic center , & rich cultural life of the city as I’m doing right now.
carnuts55 on February 20 at 2:16 p.m.
What a croc. Just returned from 2 weeks in Ixtapa, spent many evenings and days in Zihua and you would have to look long and hard to find the underbelly of either place. Have been traveling to Ixtapa for several years and 7 of the last 8. The people are wonderful, the restaraunts cheap and fantastic, golf is relatively cheap and very good courses. Tourism is probably down by over 50% since 2008. Town is almost quiet by 2008 standards. The police presence is high but not threatening. The comments I have read are typical of American’s right now. If you are afraid of Ixtapa you should vacation in Detroit, LA, Atlanta, NY or any other major city in the US. Good luck, I’ll take Ixtapa any time any day! And Dick who’s fault was it your brainiac friend invested in a foreign country with someone he obvously didn’t know without the knowledge to understand what he was getting into. Sounds like another dumb liberal American