Mexico’s tourism secretary rejects U.S. report citing safety issues for U.S. travelers

By Yucatan Times on December 13, 2017

Recently, the U.S. State Department released a report of U.S. tourist deaths in 2016. Of the 843 American fatalities that occurred across the globe last year, Mexico leads the list with 264—and 75 of them were caused by homicide. But Mexican Secretary of Tourism Enrique de la Madrid Cordero told Newsweek he is not aware of American or other foreign demises due to insecurity.

“In Mexico’s main tourist areas for foreigners—Cancun-Riviera Maya and Los Cabos—we haven’t heard of foreign tourists’ casualties that stemmed from insecurity in the last two years, so I would like to see those [death] cases and provide an answer based on that,” he said. Despite the department’s data on homicides, de la Madrid Cordero added “they may not be tourists because I don’t know those numbers. It may be anecdotic cases where one tourist kills his or her significant other or vice versa. These are not acts related to violence.”

Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism Enrique de la Madrid Cordero gives a speech during a meeting with members of the diplomatic corps in Mexico City, Mexico November 22, 2017. (Reuters)

However, some tourists visiting Cancun have fallen prey to violence. According to Spanish newspaper El Pais, the tourist haven has witnessed deaths at the hands of drug cartels. In January, the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación killed five people—two of them from Canada, one Colombian and another from Italy—at the Blue Parrot club in Playa del Carmen. U.S. and international tourists visiting Cancun have requested local authorities to halt crime and guarantee security, Mexican newspaperEl Universal reported.

Click here for full article on Newsweek

Source: Newsweek

Comments

comments

Yucatan Times

Cancun crime in mexico tourists' safety

2 Reactions on this Article

Jeff says:

December 14, 2017 at 1:17 pm

I went to Cancun July 2016, It’s has the potential to be a very beautiful place to visit, however, the local crime situation that inexperienced was unbelievable.. I’ll never return to Mexico until they remedy the situation.. Taxi crime is rampant, customs officials terrifying, police corruption out of control. This place is more of an adventure than a relaxing getaway… Everyone wants a tip for most all basic service. It’s really not any fun

Reply
1. Mike says:
  
  December 20, 2017 at 9:24 am
  
  That’s total BS. My family have been going to the Mayan Rivera for 15 years and have never had a bad experience. I have rented a car many times to visit various sites and have had an all around positive experience.
  
  Reply