Feeling the Latin heat, Mexican crime shouldn't deter U.S. travelers
The Internet (Abridged)
Clint Fullen
Issue date: 3/4/09 Section: Opinion
Mexico's outlaws might be making headlines, but if tourism declines too dramatically, the United States might begin to share more with the country than a border.
America's southern neighbor certainly isn't a safe haven. The Department of State recently released a travel alert to warn travelers of the dangers of voyaging across the border.
USA Today reported that Mexico has experienced "a wave of beheadings, grenade attacks and shootouts as drug cartels battle each other for supremacy."
One syndicate has claimed the lives of more than 5,000 people, according to The Los Angeles Times.
This problem directly affects the United States. The Los Angeles Times reported that 730 people have been arrested in the past two years in connection with a single cartel.
Late CIA Director Michael Hayden said that Mexico ranked alongside Iran as a top security risk to the United States, according to USA Today.
On the other hand, if travelers avoid the country in significant numbers, the situation might create a paradox of crime. Less tourism leads to greater poverty. Financial hardship ushers in more lawlessness. Fears of this delinquency then prevent even more vacationers from making the trek. The cycle goes on.
The Latin nation is already experiencing effects of the economic downturn.
Close to 30 percent of Mexican adults cannot find full-time work, according to USA Today.
According to The Washington Post, "tourism is one of Mexico's main sources of income, and the country that sends the most tourists is the United States."
And the gangster lifestyle continues to be a powerful temptation for Mexican youth as television shows and songs glamorize the culture, according to USA Today.
Experts say that common tourists are no more likely to experience violent crimes in Mexico than in their own home country - that is, if sightseers practice what the State Department calls "common-sense precautions."
The State Department suggests Americans can stay safe by staying near tourist regions and avoiding districts where protests, prostitution and drug deals occur.
The Washington Post reported that the alert for Mexico focuses on border towns and makes no mention of "Cancun and other Caribbean resort areas" and that crime bosses and street dealers have little interest in harming tourists.
And Mexico is not experiencing this crime surge because of a lack of laws. The reason is actually from an increase in regulation.
USA Today reported that the recent spur of violence was caused by a resistance to Mexican President Felipe Calderon's war against drug smuggling, and according to The Washington Post, Mexico is "fighting to keep drugs from heading into the world's largest consumer nation - the United States."
What a strange situation North America has gotten itself into. One country has endangered the lives of its own citizens and police force in order to keep a wealthier nation safe. Money really does make the world go round.
Horror stories are likely to occur at every holiday destination. Mexico is definitely not the most dangerous place to travel, but if Americans do not continue to share important tourism funds, Mexico's crime might visit more frequently.
Clint Fullen is a columnist for The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every other Wednesday.
America's southern neighbor certainly isn't a safe haven. The Department of State recently released a travel alert to warn travelers of the dangers of voyaging across the border.
USA Today reported that Mexico has experienced "a wave of beheadings, grenade attacks and shootouts as drug cartels battle each other for supremacy."
One syndicate has claimed the lives of more than 5,000 people, according to The Los Angeles Times.
This problem directly affects the United States. The Los Angeles Times reported that 730 people have been arrested in the past two years in connection with a single cartel.
Late CIA Director Michael Hayden said that Mexico ranked alongside Iran as a top security risk to the United States, according to USA Today.
On the other hand, if travelers avoid the country in significant numbers, the situation might create a paradox of crime. Less tourism leads to greater poverty. Financial hardship ushers in more lawlessness. Fears of this delinquency then prevent even more vacationers from making the trek. The cycle goes on.
The Latin nation is already experiencing effects of the economic downturn.
Close to 30 percent of Mexican adults cannot find full-time work, according to USA Today.
According to The Washington Post, "tourism is one of Mexico's main sources of income, and the country that sends the most tourists is the United States."
And the gangster lifestyle continues to be a powerful temptation for Mexican youth as television shows and songs glamorize the culture, according to USA Today.
Experts say that common tourists are no more likely to experience violent crimes in Mexico than in their own home country - that is, if sightseers practice what the State Department calls "common-sense precautions."
The State Department suggests Americans can stay safe by staying near tourist regions and avoiding districts where protests, prostitution and drug deals occur.
The Washington Post reported that the alert for Mexico focuses on border towns and makes no mention of "Cancun and other Caribbean resort areas" and that crime bosses and street dealers have little interest in harming tourists.
And Mexico is not experiencing this crime surge because of a lack of laws. The reason is actually from an increase in regulation.
USA Today reported that the recent spur of violence was caused by a resistance to Mexican President Felipe Calderon's war against drug smuggling, and according to The Washington Post, Mexico is "fighting to keep drugs from heading into the world's largest consumer nation - the United States."
What a strange situation North America has gotten itself into. One country has endangered the lives of its own citizens and police force in order to keep a wealthier nation safe. Money really does make the world go round.
Horror stories are likely to occur at every holiday destination. Mexico is definitely not the most dangerous place to travel, but if Americans do not continue to share important tourism funds, Mexico's crime might visit more frequently.
Clint Fullen is a columnist for The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every other Wednesday.
Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 6
Libby
posted 3/04/09 @ 10:50 AM CST
Timely article..."Sleeping giant" comes to mind.
Dennise
posted 3/04/09 @ 11:57 AM CST
Incredibly SMART article!... Wake up fellow Americans! Don't let fear and uneducated assumptions stop you from LIVING!
Alioth
posted 3/04/09 @ 4:13 PM CST
I'm going to Mexico in April. I was a little worried at first; but then I got to thinking. I've made all this money selling Columbia cocaine...why not invest in a nice high quality fire arm. (Continued…)
Bman
posted 3/04/09 @ 11:35 PM CST
So let me get this straight, in order to mitigate the beheadings and mass violence across our border being fueled by drug cartel power struggles, we need to go over there and vacation and spend our money in Cancun and Acapulco? Please tell me you were on a deadline and wrote this article in an hour. (Continued…)
Golf Guru
posted 3/10/09 @ 8:50 AM CST
I just spent 11 days in Acapulco with 3 friends....it was safe, [except for the crazy driving]...and very inexpensive. I'm in my 50's, but there were a decent number of Spring Breakers. (Continued…)
Alex
posted 3/10/09 @ 1:48 PM CST
While our troops fight terrorists halfway around the world, terrorists cross our borders daily, killing in the thousands, and we prosecute border agents for defending themselves. (Continued…)
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