Los Cabos Remains Safe Travel Destination Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico
México covers 761,000 square miles, and its population numbers more than 110 million strong. Nevertheless, the actions of a relatively small group of people have earned the country a bum rap. This is not to belittle the very real problems that México faces. But these issues are concentrated in specific areas and do not affect the country as a whole. Those of us who know and love Los Cabos understand and appreciate your safety concerns. So we’ve reached out to government officials—both in México and Stateside—to answer your most frequently asked questions.
Q: Is México safe?
A: While there has been a spike in high-profile, drug-related violence, it’s been generally limited to the Mexican states of Sinaloa and Chihuahua and near the border in Baja California, roughly a thousand miles north of Los Cabos.
Article is continued at the link below.
Is Los Cabos Safe? Your burning safety questions asked and answered.
CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO - Article from Los Cabos Magazine, Issue #25, April 2011. By Ashley Alvarado
México covers 761,000 square miles, and its population numbers more than 110 million strong. Nevertheless, the actions of a relatively small group of people have earned the country a bum rap. This is not to belittle the very real problems that México faces. But these issues are concentrated in specific areas and do not affect the country as a whole. Is Los Cabos Safe? article continues ...
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Safe Harbor: Los Cabos Remains Smart Choice for Travelers January 2011 - CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO - Los Cabos Magazine Issue #24 - By Ashley Alvarado
The headlines are heartbreaking and seemingly never-ending. Day after day—paper after paper—reports of horrific crime and violence in México are blasted across American broadsheets and airwaves. And, yes, it’s true. México is a country at war. Its leaders, police, and military are every day fighting a battle against drug cartels, corruption, and senseless violence. Safe Harbor article continues ...
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Safe & Sound: Despite misleading reports, Los Cabos remains a secure travel destination. Article from Los Cabos Magazine Issue #23, September 25, 2010 - By Sandra Berry
Although Los Cabos is already one of the safest places to vacation and live, the government’s local agencies are overhauling its policies, prioritizing the security of its visitors and residents. From the director of tourism to the federal police, their mission is to protect and to serve: at the airport, beaches, marina, and on the roads and city streets. Safe & Sound Article continues....
In March, Alonzo Pena, the U.S. Homeland Security Department’s attaché to México, told Congress that reports in the media were misleading. He said the violence is in isolated areas of the country and affects only the people already involved in criminal activity. “Violence in México is not as dangerous to U.S. tourists as has been portrayed,” he said. “Violence is not affecting U.S. citizens visiting México, and Americans should not cancel their vacations in the country.”
Tourists can take extra comfort in knowing that Baja California Sur, the state that includes Los Cabos, was recently ranked the second safest state in all of México. This is due in no small part to the government’s 2008 overhauling of its public safety policy and technology system. Governor Narciso Agúndez in March announced the completion of the revamping, which included improvements in the security infrastructure at all points of entry as well as new training for those working in the area of public safety. Those wishing to visit Los Cabos can bypass any problematic area and fly directly into the international airport conveniently located just north of San José del Cabo.
Many in the travel industry are continuing to book trips for Los Cabos and promote it as a safe and fun destination. Funjet Vacations, a tour operating company, in March partnered with Travel Impressions to host an interactive webcast called “Mexico: Facts About Safety,” in which more than 1,400 travel professionals participated. The overwhelming verdict: Media reports had grossly exaggerated the situation, ignoring the distance between the actual incidents and most tourism destinations. A March Funjet survey shows that early 2009 travelers to México actually felt safer than those making the trek in late 2008, and 97 percent of respondents said they would return in the future. In fact, the Funjet website goes as far as to say that “now is the best time to take a Mexican vacation. Not only are the popular México tourist destinations very safe, but the value you can receive right now has rarely been seen before.”
Travel writers concur, saying there is little reason for concern. On Fodors.com, writer Doug Stallings reports that “For the average traveler, Mexico is just as safe today as it was a year ago…While I can't tell you that a vacation in Mexico will be crime-free, I can tell you that I actually believe Mexican authorities who tell us that the crime is not a pervasive, all-encompassing problem throughout the country; rather, it's isolated and limited in scope. And even though crime is on the rise, people do travel every day even to Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez without incident.”
In a March letter, Mexico Tourism Board CEO Oscar Fitch wrote that travelers must not be misguided by the many news reports: “Images of drug cartel activity are being used incorrectly, making it seem as if it is happening in the whole country when in fact, the areas experiencing drug-related issues are concentrated in specific cities located in the northwestern border of México…What they fail to mention is that there are thousands of travelers who are currently enjoying their stay in our tourist destinations located at least hundreds of miles away from any drug-related incidents.” He went on to point out that the U.S. State Department issued a travel alert, not a warning, which is used to describe prolonged conditions. And, perhaps most importantly, there has been no single report of tourists being injured, kidnapped, or killed in resort towns or throughout México because of the drug cartels’ activity.
Nobody can ensure a crime- or problem-free vacation, but what those in the tourism industry, travel journalism field, and more and more government officials are making clear is that the area encompassing Los Cabos is as safe as ever, if not safer. As long as vacationers remember to pack their common sense along with their sunscreen and swimsuits, there’s no reason they shouldn’t expect to enjoy a fun-packed and incident-free trip.
By Ashley Alvarado - 17 May 2009 - www.LosCabosGuide.com
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Below is a paragraph and link from an updated version of this article:
Safe and Sound: Los Cabos Remains a Secure Travel Destination By Ashley Alvarado - 21 April 2010 - www.LosCabosGuide.com
While international news outlets continue to report on the crime and violence afflicting northern México border cities such as Tijuana and Juárez and the U.S. State Department has issued travel warning after travel warning regarding those same areas, tourist hot spots such as Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, collectively known as Los Cabos, not only remain safe travel destinations for families, singles, and couples looking for a sunshine-filled vacation south of the border but are actually safer options than many U.S. metropolises. Safe and Sound: Los Cabos Remains a Secure Travel Destination
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Smart Travel Dos and Don’ts. Reports on the recent violence in northwest México have led many to unnecessarily cancel their trips to some of the nation’s best resort towns, including Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo in the Baja Peninsula.
