As my good Mexican friend said, tourists are okay in Cancun and other major resorts. He is hoping that Americans don’t overreact and stop going to Mexico.
My friend is right — millions of U.S. tourists enjoy Mexico and return for more.
Nevertheless, there is bad news, from the massacre last week to other events, as Nathaniel Parish Flannery wrote:
Cancun has been hurt by a troubling increase in violent crime.In March, 2018 criminals planted a bomb on a ferry in Cancun, injuring at least 24 people.In 2017 three tourists were killed while visiting a beach in Baja California Sur by gunmen with automatic weapons. Perhaps no city has been hit harder by violence than Acapulco.In January 2018 a Chilean tourist was killed in shoot-out in a beach-side bar.In March, 2018 another tourist was killed in a shooting at a public event near the Caleta beach in Acapulco.On a number of occasions in 2018 gunmen have targeted tourists arriving in Acapulco via bus and car.Mexico’s tourism industry still presents a strong upside, but is also being affected by serious security problems.
Again, these are small numbers in contrast to the millions who go to Mexico. In other words, the overwhelming of U.S. tourists in Mexico don’t see violence or anything like that.
Mexico must keep two things in mind:
1) Word of mouth is good and bad. It does not take long for people to say that they’ll skip Mexico because of what they heard in the news; and
2) A lot of Americans drive to Mexico. The real danger for U.S. tourists, or even Mexican nationals going home for holidays, is that cartels are stopping cars and robbing people.
For example, I heard a man say recently that he is not driving anymore but rather taking a bus to see his family. Why? He did not want the cartels to stop him and steal his van or truck.
I drove in Mexico several times back in the 1980s. It was very safe and easy. Most of the roads were fine and I never felt unsafe. I recall many times driving at night from Monterrey to Saltillo on business and never gave it a second thought.
As the song goes, those were the days “mi amigo.” I would not drive that route anymore for fear of being stopped by criminal elements.
It’s up to Mexico to present a message that makes people feel safe.
President Andres Lopez-Obrador’s nonsense of “hugs rather than bullets” is not going to do it!
PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
