This story is the first of two articles relating to the recent unrest in Mexico. A second story will feature advice from travel agents on how to field questions and concerns from clients about traveling to the destination.
As the dust settles in Mexico following the violence spurred by the death of the head of a drug cartel on Feb. 22, travel advisors who are in the country – albeit not in Jalisco – noted that their trips to destinations such as Cancun and Riviera Maya remain unaffected by the unrest.
“I left for the Cancun area for a stay at Live Aqua, Cancun on Feb. 23, traveling by myself to get out of the cold for a week,” said Laura Critchfield, founder of Beyond the Dreams Vacations.
“Our flight was close to full from Denver, and going through customs/border control was easy and the same as it always is,” she added. “If I had not heard about the chaos, I wouldn’t even know there was any.”
Meanwhile, several travel advisors participating in a Classic Vacations fam trip in the Riviera Maya region expressed similar sentiments.
“From what I’m experiencing here, it is very much business as usual in the main tourism areas like Cancun, Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya,” said Jessica Church, owner of Sands & Skylines Travel.
“Resorts are operating normally, flights are on schedule, and the overall atmosphere feels calm and typical for this time of year,” she added.
Another member of the fam group, Cheryl Bailey, owner of Yellow Umbrella Events, who books 90 groups to Mexico annually, was of the same mind.
“I come here all the time, and there was no difference on Monday morning,” she said, adding that resorts did an excellent job of ensuring that guests remained safe.
Puerto Vallarta, in the state of Jalisco, however, did not escape the violence wreaked by the drug lord’s death.
The violence was not directed at tourists or locals, said Chad Simpson, owner of Creating Travel Experiences, who is also participating in the Classic fam trip, and resides in Puerto Vallarta.
The purpose was disruption and attention,” he said. “No one was storming resorts.”
Simpson, a destination wedding specialist, had clients who arrived in Puerto Vallarta on Feb. 22 for a stay at the Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa to iron out details before their impending destination wedding at the hotel.
Even though it was a Sunday, the event planner met with the couple to discuss wedding details, including a menu tasting.
“The resort took good care of them – and they felt well taken care of,” he said.
Simpson, who is scheduled to return to Puerto Vallarta on Feb. 27, said the violence in the city shocked him. “Puerto Vallarta is my home. You don’t think of something like that happening at your home.”
With businesses reopening, Simpson feels it’s safe return to the city.
“It’s always been such a great destination,” he said, adding that he views the recent violence as an unexpected setback for Puerto Vallarta.
Nonetheless, he noted that it would be foolhardy to guarantee that Puerto Vallarta, or any destination, is completely safe.
Simpson stressed the importance of urging clients to purchase travel insurance and to always remind them to be aware of their surroundings.
“We can’t say everything is safe and not worry about it,” he said.
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