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LM
1/23/2012 2:38:32 PM
Today, I asked this question: "Do the reports of murders and beatings of foreigners in Mexico make you think twice about going there on vacation?"
The latest report is of a Canadian woman who was beat up in an elevator in a resort.
Last month a Canadian student was found dead and partially buried in the sand.
I spoke with a couple people who said, yes, these reports make them wary of going to Mexico. Helen says she took Mexico right off her 'to-visit' list.
Others said, well, it depends on where you go!
But, I also received a couple emails that equated these stories to heading 'bad' stories about Toronto or Barrie.
Korrine wrote this to me:
Consider this - would you travel to Toronto? There are beatings, drug and murder stories on the news weekly if not nightly about our own country. Let alone a city that is only an hour away, where millions of us travel to daily.
The stories we are hearing from Mexico are foreigners being beaten up and/or killed. The latest one was at a resort! In countries where tourism is a main industry it's kind of unusual for visitors to be hurt or killed. Like I said, Jamaica is a very dangerous country if you look at murder rates but I can't remember the last time I heard about a visitor to the country being murdered. That's because they know that visitors are very important to the country's economy. Sure, they'll bug the heck out of tourists to buy this or that or try to sell them drugs but ... kill them? No. That's why Mexico worries me. Something odd is going on if tourists are now being targeted. I wouldn't exactly equate Toronto to Mexico. Toronto is one of the safest large cities in North America. It has a murder rate of 3.3 per 100 000/year people. Mexico has a murder rate of 18 per 100 000/year and, like I said, it seems like visitors are becoming targets. Anyway, thanks for responding to the question. I'm not saying people shouldn't go to Mexico. I was wondering if anyone has changed plans because of the news. I just know, for me, I wouldn't bother risking it at this point especially since I like to explore when I travel... wouldn't feel safe doing that in Mexico right now!
The stories we are hearing from Mexico are foreigners being beaten up and/or killed. The latest one was at a resort! In countries where tourism is a main industry it's kind of unusual for visitors to be hurt or killed.
Like I said, Jamaica is a very dangerous country if you look at murder rates but I can't remember the last time I heard about a visitor to the country being murdered. That's because they know that visitors are very important to the country's economy. Sure, they'll bug the heck out of tourists to buy this or that or try to sell them drugs but ... kill them? No. That's why Mexico worries me. Something odd is going on if tourists are now being targeted. I wouldn't exactly equate Toronto to Mexico. Toronto is one of the safest large cities in North America. It has a murder rate of 3.3 per 100 000/year people. Mexico has a murder rate of 18 per 100 000/year and, like I said, it seems like visitors are becoming targets. Anyway, thanks for responding to the question. I'm not saying people shouldn't go to Mexico. I was wondering if anyone has changed plans because of the news. I just know, for me, I wouldn't bother risking it at this point especially since I like to explore when I travel... wouldn't feel safe doing that in Mexico right now!
So, what do you think? Have you ever changed travel plans because of stories you heard on the news or from friends?
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Lynda 23 Jan