Thumbs up for Mexican travel

Despite all the bad publicity, travel in Mexico continues on an upward swing. Expedia, for example, recently reported that travel bookings made to Mexico from its various brands, such as Hotels.com, was up nearly 25 percent in the last 12 months.
 

Visa also noted that the amount spent on its credit cards by inbound visitors had increased from US$4 billion in 2009 to $4.4 billion in 2010. Visa described Mexico as being a "sought after destination."
 

Part of that is due to Mexican tourism officials’ efforts boost the country’s profile as a top Latin American tourism destination.

Mexico’s Tourism Secretary Gloria Guevara Manzo also said that the country had "made real and sustained progress in making Mexico safe and secure," which has been its biggest problem in recent months.
 

Its beautiful beaches and rich cultural heritage remain its major attractions for visitors, maintains Max Katz of Baja Real Estate Group.
 

"With the extra dollars being invested into safety and security, we are looking forward to a more prosperous year ahead of us," he said.
 

Mexico has also been targeting the media to tout its safety. The public emphasis has been on pointing out that there are only a few areas that might be somewhat dangerous for tourists.

Mexico released an official data base last January of drug-related deaths that showed modest homicide rates prevail in much of the country.
 

Some areas that are certified safe have been using the publicity in a reverse way: to offer specials to entice visitors.

The adults-only Tides Riviera Maya resort, for example, is offering Sol y Mar packages starting at US$455 that it says offer various savings including 30 percent on room rates and 30 percent on spa services, among other perks.
 

An enclave on Mexico’s vast Pacific coastline, The Tides Zihuatanejo sits on the tranquil bay waters of Playa la Ropa, one of the country’s most pristine beaches. Tucked mountainside, above the picturesque fishing village of Zihuatanejo, the Tides is just four miles from the resort destination of Ixtapa and 150 miles northwest of Acapulco.
 

“Stay away from the trouble spots and exhibit some common sense, and you’re more likely to perish in a tequila-fueled Jet Ski mishap than at a homicidal drug trafficker’s hands,” writes the San Francisco Chronicle.
 

As the Chronicle points out:
 

“Drug gangs are not targeting tourists now any more than they ever were. And even if the barrage of headlines makes it sound as if the entire country were in flames, the violence that feeds Mexico’s death toll takes place primarily in just nine of 31 states.”
 

The newspaper identifies the five safest areas in Mexico, which include:
 

1) Tlaxcala, which is an agricultural state where the tourist industry is mainly Mexican visitors. Highlights are 1,000 archaeological sites such as the capital city of Tlaxcala. It’s tailor-made for culture-seeking travelers.
 

2) Yucatán, the land of the Mayas and possibly the country’s most beguiling state. It has a well-developed tourist infrastructure and uncrowded beaches.
 

3) Puebla, the home of both mole poblano and chiles en nogada, both well-known national dishes. It’s also home to the twin volcanoes, Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl, and site of the battle commemorated by Cinco de Mayo.
 

4) Querétaro, one of the most geographically varied areas in Mexico. It ranges from desert to tropical rainforest. It’s a Mecca for history buffs who want to see where Mexicans plotted to overturn Spanish rule and such events as Maximilian’s execution.
 

5) Baja California Sur, which is 900 miles from drug-dominated Tijuana. “In fact, Baja Sur has been barely touched by drug violence,” says the Chronicle. If Los Cabos isn’t is not a visitors style, visitors can travel to artsy Todos Santos, or take in the urban longings in the authentic Mexican city of La Paz or repair to the East Cape, a still-rugged area favored by divers and fishermen, the newspaper says.
 

Among new projects set to open this year is Naos Living, which plans 144 five-star hotel rooms within a year to complement its luxury condos in Rivera Baja. Sol Melia also plans two flagship resorts on the country’s eastern Caribbean coastline.
 

The majority of developer interest is from the US, Canada and the UK, according to a report from Expedia, which described the country as one of its top three destinations in terms of traveler feedback.
 

By David Wilkening