Mexico Travel Alert Update

The revised Mexico Travel Alert issued by the U.S. Department of State was updated on February 20, 2009 and is designed to inform travelers of the issues and common sense precautions to “ensure that travel to Mexico is safe and enjoyable”. We do not take this alert lightly, but it needs to be taken in the proper perspective.

The media has painted the country of Mexico (population over 100 million, and the 14th largest country in the world) with one brush, when in fact the drug related violence that triggered the update is centered in small border towns hundreds of miles from the tourist destinations frequented by our customers. We agree with the position taken by the Mexico Tourism Board that “Mexico remains a safe tourist destination.” In 2008, 18.34 million U.S. visitors traveled to Mexico and came home with experiences that only Mexico can offer. It has been, and will continue to be, Berwick Travel's #1 destination.

Read a letter from the CEO of the Mexico Tourism Board

What does the Mexico Travel Alert really say?
The Mexico Travel Alert dates back to April of 2008 and was UPDATED on February 20, 2009 as a result of increased violence along the US border towns of Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua City. While millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year, violence in the country has increased recently, predominantly amongst the Mexican drug cartels. To review the actual alert, visit: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_3028.html

What is the difference between a travel alert and a travel warning?
Travel Alerts, as issued in the case of Mexico, are issued to disseminate information about short-term conditions, generally within a particular country, that pose imminent risks to the security of U.S. citizens. Travel Warnings are issued to describe long-term, protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable.

Is Mexico an unsafe place to travel?
The safety of our passengers is of paramount interest to our company. We have sent thousands of happy vacationers to the destination of Mexico and believe that our core leisure destinations remain some of the safest places for vacationers. There have been no reports of incidents in Cancun's Hotel Zone or the Riviera Maya, where Berwick Travel's featured all-inclusive resorts are located. Border towns including Chihuahua and Tijuana, which are the focus of such violence, are more than 1,500 miles and 2,000 miles from Cancun/Riviera Maya, respectively. The isolated, drug-related incident that took place west of Cancun's city area earlier this month was more than 100 miles away, and did not involve everyday citizens or tourists. While travel to the core leisure destinations remains safe, Berwick Travel, as we always have, encourages our customers to take proper precautions when traveling anywhere, not just Mexico. Travelers should stick to main tourist areas and be aware of their surroundings.

Wasn’t there a travel advisory cautioning travelers about popular tourist areas like Los Cabos and Cancun?
No, the Mexico Tourism Board maintains that Mexico remains a safe tourist destination, further reassuring that popular tourist destinations including Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, and the Riviera Maya, all remain safe for visitors. The U.S. Department of State issued a travel alert warning U.S. citizens about dangers in border towns.

Reports of drug violence in Mexico have been widely circulated. Have these stories affected tourism to the country?
This is not a new alert nor is this drug violence something new to Mexico. It was simply updated on February 20, 2009 to advise Americans of a recent increase in the drug-related violence along US border towns. This violence had not affected the decision of tourists to travel to Mexico, which received thousands of tourists in the past months - the violence associated with drug trafficking is concentrated in cities that are far away from tourism destinations. Mexico is the most popular international tourism destination for Americans, with more than 18.34 million US visitors in 2008.

What are the resorts doing to ensure the safety of current guests?
Mexico's resorts are committed to providing guests with exceptional and memorable experiences and their satisfaction is our top priority. The all-inclusive resorts Berwick Travel handles are closed to outside persons, and employ 24-hour security to help ensure the safety of guests. In addition airport transfers are handled by professional well-established transportation companies. Mexico's resort areas remain safe tourist destinations and there have been no reports of violent incidents in the area.

What if something were to happen when on vacation?
Berwick Travel's suppliers and partners work diligently to ensure that our customers have a great vacation experience. That said, we know that sometimes the unexpected can happen on vacation. Our partners' in-destination representatives are available in all of our key leisure destinations and are equipped to assist passengers on all fronts. We also offer 24-hour care here in the US to assist customers with all aspects of their vacation, pre and post travel.

The distance from the closest border towns to Cancun and the Riviera Maya is more than 800 miles, the same difference between Chicago, IL and New Orleans, LA.