Given the plentitude of cheap travel options including cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation specials to a wide variety of destinations, tourists should be more cautious in deciding whether to visit Mexico given that violence in Mexico is spreading.
The U.S. State Department has warned that Americans should avoid all but critical travel to all or parts of 14 Mexican states. Carjackings, kidnappings, and shootouts are on the rise.
Because of its many cheap travel options, Mexico remains a popular tourist destination to millions of Americans who safety visit Mexico each year. Nevertheless, the State Department is saying that Mexicos ongoing violence and security concerns are creating risks for U.S. citizens.
Mexicos drug cartels are struggling violently to gain an upper hand in operating drug trafficking routes and other criminal activity. The State Department alert says in part that crime and violence are serious problems throughout the country and can occur anywhere. U.S. citizens have fallen victim tohomicide, gun battles, kidnapping, carjacking and highway robbery.
Over 47,000 people died from drug related violence in Mexico between December 2006 and September 2011. Although most of those murdered were involved in criminal activity, innocent people have also been caught in the violence.
120 Americans were murdered in Mexico in 2011 vs. 35 in 2007.
The U.S. travel warning recommends that Americans defer nonessential travel to all or parts of the following 14 states: Aguascalientes, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacan, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Potosi, San Luis Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas.
Included in the travel warning is advice to exercise caution in visiting all or parts of Baja California, Colima and Morelos.
The prior (dated in April 11) U.S. travel warning concerning Mexico advised Americans to avoid travel to all or parts of 10 Mexico states. www.cheapfares.com