Mexico's most popular tourist destinations remain safe and secure for visitors despite some ill-advised media reports.
To prove it, travel expert and TravelPulse founder Mark Murphy recently journeyed the entire state of Quintana Roo-unwinding on laidback Isla Mujeres, touring Playa del Carmen and even exploring Cozumel by Jeep-talking to tourists to uncover the real sentiment on the ground.
"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," said Murphy.
"You can certainly take my opinion because I have been here more times than I can recount and I never once had an issue with safety despite what you're hearing from the mainstream media. Instead of just hearing from me on the ground, we decided to get out and talk to everyone from single women traveling alone to couples with small babies. The recurring theme throughout was one of feeling completely safe, feeling like they're getting a great vacation at a great value and enjoying the hospitality that Mexico and the local people deliver," he added.
The Theuer family described their experience as "amazing" and "awesome."
"Normally at home, I don't go places by myself but here I've been completely comfortable taking the kids and going places by myself," said Katie Theuer.
Other tourists pointed out that the people warning them of potential danger on their vacation were the ones who hadn't yet visited Mexico for themselves.
"Anyone who had been to Mexico said 'don't worry about it,'" the Buehlers added. "I think today's media is controlling a lot of people. They can make you think something without thinking for yourself."
"I would probably be harassed more in the U.S. than I would be down here. People just leave me alone and they let you do your own thing," said another tourist Murphy met in Cozumel.
You can watch Murphy's entire journey through Quintana Roo and firsthand encounters with tourists in the video above.
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