Monthly Archives: January 2011

For many people, making a decision to visit Mexico involves weighing the value, convenience, and diversity of attractions with concerns for safety and security.  A recent article in The New York Times chronicles the ongoing divide between travelers who are jumping to take advantage of the many travel deals being offered in Mexico right now, with those who are concerned about safety risks and Mexico’s ongoing drug war.

Though drug-war violence is mostly concentrated along the northern border, the U.S. State Department’s latest travel advisory remains cautious, and travelers remain wary.  The article points out that “the negative publicity has also made Mexico among the best values out there as resorts lower rates or add free incentives to entice travelers.”  According to travel agent network Travel Leaders, 70% of agents are recommending Mexico as the travel destination “to get the most for their dollar this year.”

From the article:

“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.”

As always, travelers should stay up to date with State Department travel advisories and exercise caution and common sense.  However, tourist areas in Mexico remain far removed from drug-war violence, and an excellent value for both deal-seeking and luxury tourists alike.  To read the full article from The New York Times, go here.

After the tourism comeback in 2010, Mexico is expected to continue to draw increasing numbers of travelers in 2011.    Mexico’s tourism secretary Gloria Guevara Manzo has set a 2011 goal of boosting tourism by 15%.  According to the L.A. Times, overall travel to Mexico has risen significantly since 2008.  In the first 10 months of 2010, Mexico officials say the country received 8.2 million international visitors by air, including both business and leisure travelers – a 17.8% increase from the same period in 2009, while the number of American visitors has risen 13.5% since 2009.

Says the L.A. Times:

Those numbers don’t mean the tourist trade is thriving; the continuing deep discounts on Mexican cruises in 2011 are a clear sign that it takes price-slashing to fill beds. But for many businesses, 2010 marked the beginning of the long crawl back after a disastrous 2009, when the drug wars and a spate of fatal flu cases scared away million of travelers.

Along with Mexico’s tourism comeback, come increased flights to Mexico by major airlines and new hotels popping up all over the country, from Rosewood in San Miguel de Allende to the Grand Solmar Land’s End Resort & Spa in Cabo San Lucas.  Read more here.