Don’t Fear Mexico, Other Countries Don’t

There is no need to fear a Mexican vacation. The tourist areas and resorts are completely safe and free of all the dangers the media keeps shoving down our throats.  In the article, posted below, it seems we are the only country that’s a little timid when it comes to traveling to Mexico. According to the article last year tourism from the US to Mexico dropped 3% while other countries tourism rate to the destination have increased.

-Richie-

Mexico enjoys record arrivals despite decline in U.S. visits

By Gay Nagle Myers

Mexico’s international tourism numbers
broke records in 2011 with nearly 22. 7 million
visitors. That represented a 2% jump
over 2010 and a 0.2% increase over the previous
high-water mark: 22.6 million visitors
in 2008.
While the number of U.S. visitors fell by
3% last year, markets such as Russia, China,
Australia, the U.K., Brazil, France, Japan
and Canada registered significant increases.
“These figures clearly demonstrate that
the bold diversification strategy we have
implemented, promoting a broad tourism
offering and targeting an expanded breed
of global consumer, is succeeding,” said Rodolfo
Lopez-Negrete, COO of the Mexico
Tourism Board .
Tourism officials also are confident that
U.S. numbers will be strong in 2012, given
the increases charted in the last quarter of
2011, which helped push the overall U.S.
source market share from 14.1% to 15%.
The late surge kept Mexico in the top slot
as the most popular international destination
for U.S. visitors.
Bookings from the U.S. during the current
winter season are also up over the
same period a year ago, echoed by high
occupancies reported by properties in the
resort areas, officials said.
Secretary of Tourism Gloria Guevara referenced
the economic recession in the U.S.
as well as the collapse of Mexicana Airlines
in August 2010 as “factors that influenced
the behavior of 2011.”
The Mexico government had declared
2011 the Year of Tourism in an effort to
bolster inbound and domestic travel and
to counter the effects of headlines about
drug-related violence that has plagued
nontourist parts of the country since 2006.
A key focus for tourism officials this year
is to capitalize on and celebrate the start of
the new Mayan calendar in December, with
specific promotions targeting the five states
that comprise the Mayan World: Quintana
Roo, Campeche, Tabasco, Chiapas and Yucatan.
That focus, combined with aggressive
marketing campaigns and strong value added
promotions, are expected to drive
numbers even higher.
“Building off an exceptionally strong
2011, we are confident that with programs
such as Mundo Maya and the diversification
strategy to promote Mexico as more
than just a sun-and-beach destination,
growth from and strength in the U.S. market
will continue,” Guevara said.
That optimism was undiminished by a
new travel warning for Mexico issued by
the U.S. State Department on Feb. 8, replacing
the April 2011 advisory.
The wording this time was far more specific
and the warnings more targeted than
in the past. More importantly, Mexico’s top
resort areas are considered safe for travel.
Following efforts to attract a more diverse
range of visitors from targeted international
markets, Mexico’s visitor increases break
down as follows: Brazil was up 66%; Russia,
55%; China, 30%; Colombia, 23.2%;
Italy, 13%; Australia, 13%; the U.K., 11.6%;
France, 10%; Japan, 3%; and Canada, 7%.
Foreign tourists last year also spent 7%
more money while visiting Mexico than a
year earlier, averaging $158 per person, per
day.

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