The U.S. State Department's recent travel advisory for Mexico has likely given some tourists pause when planning travel to the booming destination.
On Friday, travAlliancemedia President and CEO Mark Murphy appeared on FOX & Friends First to set the record straight on the recent U.S. Embassy security alert for Playa del Carmen and reassure Americans that Mexico remains a safe destination.
"It turns out that was a political attack based on a former governor. So, it's very isolated. They've now walked that back," he said. "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."
Murphy said he plans to continue visiting Mexico and will be there as soon as April.
"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," he added. "If you go to those resorts you'll find that there's a lot of security just to get into the resort."
Acknowledging that crime exists, Murphy pointed out that tourists are rarely the victims.
"I think the people being impacted by the corruption and drug cartels are the Mexican nationals, not the tourists. Last year, 20 million Americans went to Mexico. How many had an issue? And why do they [Mexico] grow from the 15th most visited destination in the world to No. 8 in the last decade?" he asked.
You can view Murphy's appearance on FOX & Friends First in its entirety below.
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