The following is a Travel Statement from the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau:
The Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau strongly disagrees with the statement issued today by the Texas Department of Public Safety advising against spring break travel to Mexico. The Department’s advisory generalizes safety in the entire country and provides contradicting information to the latest Federal Travel Warning, which states there is no advisory in effect for Cancun. As it stands, the Texas DPS alert may cause unnecessary fear to the more than 20,000 tourists that are scheduled to visit Cancun this Spring Break season.
Cancun prides itself for being a safe place to travel, and the #1 international tourist destination for Americans in 2011 as stated by Orbitz. According to a recent statement by the Hon. Roberto Borge, Governor of the State of Quintana Roo, Cancun and the entire state remain one of the safest zones in all of Mexico, and no North American traveler has been affected in the entire Yucatan Peninsula by issues plaguing other parts of the country.
In fact, Cancun is located more than 1,300 miles away from affected areas mentioned in the Federal Travel Warning and at a similar distance to those regions than that between Miami and New York City.
The safety of our visitors is the biggest priority for the Cancun CVB and State authorities. In anticipation of heavy travel periods like Spring Break, precautionary measures are expanded and security is increased along Cancun’s public beaches. The following are preventative actions the destination takes to provide spring breakers added safety and security during their stay:
— Increased number of security rounds along the beaches
— Increased number of lifeguards stationed on public beaches
— Local authorities and Cancun International Airport distribute extensive information, including safety tips, as well as rules and regulations for appropriate behavior on Cancun’s public beaches and entertainment areas
— Emergency units patrol the hotel zone and public beaches on a nightly basis to provide rapid emergency care and first aid should emergency situations arise
— In conjunction with the Aquatic Rescue of the Mexican Red Cross and the Mexican Association of Lifeguards, an aid and security watch station will be located directly on the public beaches
Cancun also encourages all visitors to abide by all local, state and federal laws when visiting Mexico, and any other foreign country, to ensure a safe and memorable vacation.
Cancun also continues enforcing safety measures such as the toll-free 911 emergency service hotline that operates 24 hours a day with bilingual operators, as well as the C4 Center, a special unit that coordinates police efforts in order to provide immediate response during emergency situations using a system of strategically-located cameras.