Mexico, one of the most popular winter travel destinations for Minnesotans, is apparently become more and more dangerous. So much so that the U.S. State Department earlier this week advised Americans that "non-essential travel" to much of the country should be deferred until further notice. Back in April a similar, but less extensive travel warning was issued, alarming Mexico's crucial leaisure travel industry and potential vacationers.
Since the popularity of charter flights in the 1970s from the Twin Cities made the country easily accessible and continuing today, beach resorts such as Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco have become an affordable escape from Minnesota's usually harsh winters. But with the new warning that 14 of Mexico's 31 states are now places to be avoided for safety's sake, now may be the time for consideration of other warm vacation spots such as Florida, Arizona and the Caribbean. Delta Air Lines and Sun Country Airlines both offer frequent non-stop service from the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport to numerous Mexican destinations.
While many of the most dangerous regions lie along the U.S.-Mexico border and are based on whether it is safe for U.S. diplomats and government employees to travel, the expanded warning just issued includes Sinaloa, home to the very popular Pacific Coast resort city of Mazatlan. Mazatlan proper is not included in the warning, but visitors are strongly advised to remain within the tourist zone during their vacation.
Moving farther south on the Pacific coast, with the exception of the beach resorts of Riviera Nayarit, Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo, travelers are advised to avoid the states of Nayarit and Guerrero where they are located. As for Acapulco proper, the State Department warning is very specific and very troubling; "In Acapulco, defer non-essential travel to areas further than two blocks inland of the Costera Miguel Aleman Boulevard, which parallels the popular beach areas." This very specific warning is likely to deter travel to Acapulco altogether.
If you're still determined that Mexico is the place to go, the Caribbean resort areas of Cancun, Riviera Maya and Cozumel are considered much safer, as is Mexico City proper. But bear in mind that the number of Americans murdered in Mexico last year spiked to 120, up from 35 in 2007.
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