A veteran Ontario travel agent says the outbreak of violence in different parts of Mexico earlier this week will likely make some Canadians leery about visiting the country in the near future but those concerns will later fade away, leading to a tourism rebound.
Violence erupted in different parts of the country Sunday after Mexican security forces killed a prominent drug trafficker in the state of Jalisco, with the popular tourist resort of Puerto Vallarta — located in Jalisco — being a focal point of the unrest.
Images of burning vehicles in that city appeared around the world and the Mexican government sent the military in to restore order.
Violence was reported in numerous states Sunday.
Airlines cancelled service to Puerto Vallarta but resumed operation shortly after as the unrest subsided.
Global Affiars Canada on Tuesday was telling Canadians to exercise a high degree of caution if they are in Mexico and to avoid non-essential travel in several states, saying that the security situation “could deteriorate rapidly” across the country.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford was among politicians who weighed in on the violence, advising Canadians not to visit Mexico now.
Sheila Aue of TPI–Trevello Travel Group in Mississauga conceded the violence would make some Canadians uneasy about choosing Mexico for a vacation but she doubted the hesitation will be long-lasting.
“I believe some people are nervous to travel to Mexico right now,” she told Travel Press Today. “But I think those nerves will calm when they see other travellers share their experiences of no issues in destination. It might take a little while.
“The situation in Mexico is concerning and needs to be monitored,” Aue continued. “Travellers need to familiarize themselves with the geographical location of where the actual problem is taking place in relation to where they are going. Often times there is no impact to wherever they are going. Although the situation could arise anywhere in Mexico, as easily as it could happen in their home cities. It’s always advisable to monitor what is happening wherever you go.”
Pat Probert of the Bob Family Travel Team at Travelonly in Toronto said Monday his clients have a wait and-see stance when it comes to Mexico and he wasn’t receiving any cancellations. “At the same time in the last couple of days have not had new bookings,” he said. “We presently have clients, including long-stay clients, in Puerto Vallarta and we have been in touch. They were hunkered down but today the area was calm.”
Those clients weren’t planning to leave their resorts until heading to the airport Feb. 26, he said, adding “hotels are being very generous.”
The Bob Family Travel Team has clients going next month and none have yet called with any concerns.
“Clients love Mexico and the people and look forward to going back after this ends. This is totally unprecedented for the areas affected,” Probert continued.
Ethel Hansen Davey of Uniglobe Enterprise Travel in Toronto reported she contacted her clients in Puerto Vallarta this week.
“Things remain calm” in the city on Tuesday, she continued. “Certainly they all listened to the advice of authorities and stayed in their accommodations and are still staying in.
“Friends staying in Playa del Carmen report that there were a few cars torched there as well but again it was a short-lived protest that was quelled quickly.
“My clients that were not snowbirds arrived home from Puerto Vallarta last week so were not affected. The other clients, with bookings in early-mid March, are going to be checking day to day with the Canadian government advisories to keep abreast of what is happening and to see if they need to reevaluate their plans.”
Hansen Davey agreed with the temporary suspension of air service, saying it’s good to err on the side of caution.
“It is a shame to see that a necessary action to take out a drug lord can have such far reaching consequences when the affected areas depend so much on tourism. We can only hope that this is a flash in the pan and that it does not reignite,” she added.
