If recent-mostly negative and even ill-advised-media coverage has got you second guessing Mexico for your upcoming spring break vacation, take a moment to review and consider the facts.
The most recent U.S. State Department travel advisory for Mexico was issued in November 2018 and the Level 2 advisory (exercise increased caution) is on par with a handful of destinations most Americans wouldn't think twice about traveling to, including France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.
It's also important to remember that there are four travel advisory levels in all: Level 1 (exercise normal precautions); Level 2 (exercise increased caution); Level 3 (reconsider travel) and Level 4 (do not travel).
Right now, the State Department only warns Americans not to travel to five of Mexico's 31 states due to the threat of crime. Those include Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa and Tamaulipas.
Meanwhile, the states of Baja California Sur and Quintana Roo, which account for a bulk of Mexico's tourism, remain under a Level 2 advisory. The State Department even points out that there are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in those states, which include the nation's most popular tourist areas such as Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Riviera Maya, Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo and La Paz.
"It is a safe destination. You get out of your plane, go to your transfer and then go to your resort. There are 1,000 hotels and resorts in the Cancun and Riviera Maya region so there are tons of options," travel expert and travAlliancemedia President and CEO Mark Murphy said during an appearance on FOX & Friends First last year. "If you go to those resorts you'll find that there's a lot of security just to get into the resort."
"You don't go to certain areas that you know are hotbeds for either gangs or drugs. There are areas outside of the tourist zones themselves that have that and that's what they want you to stay away from," he added.
Murphy, who frequents Mexico's and has brought both his company and family there within the past few months, said "you would literally have to imagine that you're on a completely different planet if you try to separate what you see in the media versus what you actually see as a traveler in the destination."
Travelers on the ground echoed that sentiment this past fall.
"Anyone who had been to Mexico said 'don't worry about it,'" the Buehler family said. "I think today's media is controlling a lot of people. They can make you think something without thinking for yourself."
The reality is that Mexico is a safe and affordable destination for spring break and any other time of year.
The country continues to report growth in international tourism arrivals while new hotel and resort openings and improved air connectivity only add to its appeal to American travelers.
If you're planning a spring break getaway to Mexico this year, check out TravelPulse's 2019 Travel Guide.
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