Talking Points – Safe Travel to Mexico

Copyright © 2017 – Travel Leaders Group LLC. All rights reserved.

The following Talking Points can be used in conversations with the media and clients when discussing travel to Mexico. (Updated August 22, 2017)

1. While the U.S. State Department updated its longstanding Travel Warning for Mexico, it does not warn against Americans traveling there, rather it further clarifies the relative safety of each state within Mexico.

2. Mexico has been included in recent news stories regarding tainted alcohol at resorts. Mexican authorities have seized alcohol from various resorts, and investigations are ongoing. These allegations are not part of the updated Travel Warning.

3. All travelers, no matter what country they visit, can take precautions to help ensure their safety and well-being. Safety is our top priority for our clients.

Below you will find additional information, supporting material and statistics to help further illustrate each talking point.

1. While the U.S. State Department updated its longstanding Travel Warning for Mexico, it does not warn against Americans traveling there, rather it further clarifies the relative safety of each state within Mexico.

 The State Department does not explicitly say, “Do not travel to Mexico.”

 Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year for study, tourism, and business, including more than 150,000 who cross the border every day. The Mexican government dedicates substantial resources to protect visitors to major tourist destinations, and there is no evidence that organized criminal groups have targeted U.S. visitors and residents based on their nationality.

o Major resort areas where Americans like to go, such as Cancun, Cozumel, the Riviera Maya and Cabo San Lucas are quite safe.

 The U.S. Department of State “warns U.S. citizens about the risk of traveling to certain parts of Mexico due to the activities of criminal organizations in those areas. U.S. citizens have been the victims of violent crimes, including homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery in various Mexican states.”

o “There is no evidence that criminal organizations have targeted U.S. citizens based on their nationality. ”

o “Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the level of drug-related violence and crime that are reported in the border region or in areas along major trafficking routes. ”

o “U.S. government personnel are prohibited from patronizing adult clubs and gambling establishments in the states of Coahuila, Durango, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, San Luis Potosi, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, Jalisco, Colima and Nayarit.”

o “U.S. citizens have been murdered in carjacking and highway robberies, most frequently at night and on isolated roads. Carjackers use a variety of techniques, including roadblocks, bumping/moving vehicles to force them to stop, and running vehicles off the road at high speeds. There are indications that criminals

 

target newer and larger vehicles, but drivers of old sedans and buses coming from the United States are also targeted.”

o “The Mexican government has deployed federal police and military personnel throughout the country as part of its efforts to combat organized criminal groups. U.S. citizens traveling on Mexican roads and highways by car or bus may encounter government checkpoints, staffed by military or law enforcement personnel. In some places, criminal organizations have erected their own unauthorized checkpoints, at times wearing police and military uniforms, and have killed or abducted motorists who have failed to stop at them. You should cooperate at all checkpoints.”

 Major resort areas where Americans like to go, such as Cancun, Cozumel, the Riviera Maya and Cabo San Lucas are quite safe.

o According to the U.S. State Department, there are no travel advisories in place for:

 Cabo San Lucas/Los Cabos (Please note that the State Department does advise Americans to exercise caution in Baja California and Baja California Sur)

 Campeche

 Guadalajara (Please note that the State Department does advise Americans to defer non-essential travel to areas of Jalisco state along its border, and exercise caution in rural areas and on secondary highways.)

 Guanajuato (San Miguel de Allende and Leon)

 Hidalgo

 Mexico City

 Puebla

 Puerto Vallarta (Please note that the State Department does advise Americans to defer non-essential travel to areas of Jalisco state along its border, and exercise caution in rural areas and on secondary highways.)

 Queretaro

 Quintana Roo (Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya and Tulum)

 Tabasco (Villahermosa)

 Tlaxcala

 Yucatan (Merida and Chichen Itza)

 For Baja California Sur, the State Department suggests Americans exercise caution due to the high rate of homicides, which has increased since 2016.

o The Travel Warning notes that “While most of these homicides appeared to be targeted, criminal organization assassinations, turf battles between criminal groups have resulted in violent crime in areas frequented by U.S. citizens. Shooting incidents, in which innocent bystanders have been injured, have occurred during daylight hours.”

 The U.S. State Department advisory for Chiapas (which includes Palenque and San Cristobal de las Casas) states “U.S. government personnel must remain in tourist areas and are not allowed to use public transportation.”

 

 Quintana Roo, the state which contains Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, and Tulum, has also experienced an increase in homicides. The State Department notes that most of these murders are among organized crime members, but there is still the potential for bystanders to be hurt. Again, there is no advisory with additional warnings for Quintana Roo.

 For Nayarit, which includes the Riviera Nayarit coast, the State Department allows government personnel to travel to Riviera Nayarit, San Blas, Santa María del Oro, Tepic, and Xalisco using major highways. Intercity travel at night is prohibited and all other non-essential travel to the state should be deferred.

 The State Department advises that travelers to Oaxaca City “remain in tourist areas” and U.S. government officials are not allowed to use public transportation there and from traveling on Highway 200 throughout the state, except transit between the airport in Huatulco and hotels.

 Still in effect, travelers are advisories for Acapulco, Ixtapa, Zihuatanego and Mazatlan:

o For travel to Acapulco and Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo:

 “Personal travel to the entire state of Guerrero, including Acapulco, is prohibited for U.S. government personnel. Self-defense groups operate independently of the government in many areas of Guerrero. Armed members of these groups frequently maintain roadblocks and, although not considered hostile to foreigners or tourists, are suspicious of outsiders and should be considered volatile and unpredictable.”

o For travel to Mazatlan:

 “One of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations is based in the state of Sinaloa, and violent crime rates remain high in many parts of the state. Defer non-essential travel to the state of Sinaloa, except the cities of Mazatlan, Los Mochis, and the Port of Topolobampo. Travel in Mazatlan should be limited to Zona Dorada and the historic town center, as well as direct routes to and from these locations and the airport. Travel in Los Mochis and Topolobampo is restricted to the city and the port, as well as direct routes to/from these locations and the airport.

o For travel to Monterrey:

 “U.S. government personnel may travel outside the city of Monterrey only during daylight hours on toll roads. Between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m., U.S. government personnel must abide by the Embassy-imposed curfew and remain within the municipal boundaries of San Pedro Garza Garcia or Santa Catarina (south of the Santa Catarina river). Travel to and from Monterrey airport is permitted at any time.”

 Mexico is a huge country. Based on geographic size, it is among the top 15 largest independent nations in the world.

o The distance between the U.S./Mexico border, where much of the violence takes place, and Cancun – which is one of the top land-based international destination for Americans – is over 1,400 miles. That’s roughly the driving distance from Philadelphia to Dallas.

o The flying distance between the border and Cabo San Lucas is the same as between Oklahoma and Indiana.

2. Mexico has been included in recent news stories regarding tainted alcohol at resorts. Mexican authorities have seized alcohol from various resorts, and investigations are ongoing. These allegations are not part of the updated Travel Warning.

 There is a news story that is being widely circulated regarding at least one resort with possibly tainted alcohol.

o The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel specifically cited the IBEROSTAR Paraíso del Mar in its recent story about two American siblings found unconscious in one of the resort’s pools. One of the individuals died after drinking several alcoholic drinks.

o The story also includes information that “the national health authority in Mexico has seized more than 1.4 million gallons of adulterated alcohol since 2010 — not just from small local establishments, but from hotels and other entertainment areas, according to a 2017 report by the country’s Federal Commission for Protection against Health Risks.”

 “The bootleg liquor could be infused with grain alcohol or dangerous concentrations of methanol, cheaper alternatives to producing ethanol, government reports warn.”

 “And the mixtures are capable of making people extremely sick.”

 In the U.S. State Department’s Country Information page for Mexico, it notes “There have been allegations that consumption of tainted or substandard alcohol has resulted in illness or blacking out. If you choose to drink alcohol, it is important to do so in moderation and to stop and seek medical attention if you begin to feel ill.”

 On August 12, 2017, USA Today reported that “Mexican authorities swept through 31 resorts, restaurants and nightclubs in Cancun and Playa del Carmen in recent days, suspending operations at two for unsanitary alcohol and in the process discovered a sketchy manufacturer that was supplying tourist hot spots.”

o “Regulators seized 10,000 gallons of illicit alcohol from the company, noting its ‘bad manufacturing practices,’ according to government officials. They did not release the company’s name.”

o “Among those suspended: the lobby bar in the Iberostar Paraiso Maya, a resort in the complex where Abbey Conner, a 20-year-old Wisconsin woman, drowned amid suspicious circumstances while on vacation with her family in January.”

 In a statement to its partners on August 14, 2017, IBEROSTAR clarified the alcohol seizures, saying: “In recent days, the Mexican consumer and health authorities, Profeco and Cofepris, have carried out inspections across five IBEROSTAR hotels in Mexico, examining 43 bars and restaurants on site. Their findings concluded that only the lobby bar in the IBEROSTAR Paraiso Maya did not meet regulations and has been temporarily closed. It is important to clarify that the closure of this one bar was the result of sanitary compliance (for instance a trash container lid missing, leak from ice machine, etc.), not related to tainted alcohol allegations.”

o “All other bars and restaurants in IBEROSTAR Paraiso Maya and the remaining nine IBEROSTAR hotels in Mexico remain open and operating normally.”

o “The safety and well-being of our guests and personnel are IBEROSTAR’s top priorities. IBEROSTAR undergoes normal routine inspections performed by Profeco and Cofepris. In addition, external audits are conducted at IBEROSTAR hotels on a monthly basis, which certify our diligent and responsible handling of all sanitary and hygienic measures, following federal legislation, local regulations,

 

and the standards of the FTO – Health & Safety Technical Guide, Codex Alimentarius, and HACCP system.”

3. All travelers, no matter what country they visit, can take precautions to help ensure their safety and well-being. Safety is our top priority for our clients.

 We provide the facts so our clients can make informed decisions about their travel plans.

 If our clients are going to pack one thing, we’d strongly recommend it be common sense. No matter what our clients’ age or destination, they should always use good common sense when it comes to their personal safety, just as they would at home.

 We highly recommend that all travelers purchase travel insurance to protect themselves if they become ill or injured, particularly in a foreign country, and require medical treatment and/or evacuation.

 To maximize one’s personal safety and security while traveling in Mexico or any other international destination:

o Drink alcohol carefully and in moderation.

o Follow your instincts and avoid any areas or situations that seem as though they could become dangerous.

o Stay in the well-known tourist areas of the cities.

o Know and respect the laws in the country you are visiting.

o Visit only legitimate businesses and tourist areas, and avoid areas where prostitution and drug dealing might occur.

o Leave your itinerary with a friend or family member back home.

o Check with your cell phone provider prior to departure to see if your phone is capable of roaming on GSM or 3G/4G international networks.

o Do not display expensive looking jewelry, large amounts of money or other valuable items.

o Make every attempt to travel during daylight hours, and stick to main roads.

 We recommend that U.S. citizens follow the advice of the State Department and register their travel plans at https://step.state.gov. This will help the State Department contact travelers if there is a family emergency in the U.S., or in the event an emergency transpires in the place where the individual is traveling.

 We closely monitor the U.S. Department of State website for travel alerts for all destinations, including those that are most popular with our clients.

 Should we become aware of an issue for a specific destination, we alert clients who may be planning to travel there so they can make determine for themselves if they still wish to travel.

 

Talking Points – Spain

Copyright © 2017 – Travel Leaders Group LLC. All rights reserved.

The following Talking Points can be used in conversations with the media and clients when discussing travel to Spain and recent terror attacks. (August 18, 2017)

1. On August 17, 2017, numerous people were killed and injured in vehicle attacks in Barcelona and in the town of Cambrils. The U.S. State Department has no Travel Warning or Alert in effect advising Americans against travel to Spain.

2. All travelers, no matter what country they visit, can take precautions to help ensure their safety and well-being.

3. Safety is our top priority for our clients. We provide them with the facts so they can make informed decisions about their travels.

Below you will find additional information, supporting material and statistics to help further illustrate each talking point.

1. On August 17, 2017, numerous people were killed and injured in vehicle attacks in Barcelona and in the town of Cambrils. The U.S. State Department has no Travel Warning or Alert in effect advising Americans against travel to Spain.

 In the late afternoon of August 17, a vehicle entered Las Ramblas at a high speed, hitting numerous pedestrians. Las Ramblas is an iconic area of Barcelona, popular with tourists and locals. More than a dozen people were killed in the attack and over 50 were injured.

o The attack was confirmed by Barcelona police as an act of terrorism and the van’s driver is still at large.

o One American was killed in the Las Ramblas attack. The New York Times noted that, “The victims came from at least 34 countries, the Spanish authorities said, highlighting how the assailants chose to target one of Europe’s busiest tourist centers, at the height of the summer season.”

 Early Friday morning, there was also an attack in the seaside resort town of Cambrils, near Barcelona, where one person was killed and six injured.

o NPR reports: “Around 3 a.m. local time Friday, five men drove a car through a roadblock and plowed down a walkway along the beach in the resort town that is about 75 miles south of Barcelona”.

o “They hit pedestrians and a police officer, and then flipped the vehicle …They got out of the car, they stabbed another pedestrian. Police shot and killed all five of these men, and they were wearing fake explosive vests.”

o “Four of the five suspected terrorists were killed by a single police officer, the Mossos police of Catalonia said Friday. The men had been armed with knives and an axe.”

 It’s important to note that no Travel Alert or Travel Warning has been issued by the U.S. State Department cautioning Americans traveling to Spain. The U.S. Embassy in Madrid issued two security messages stating, in part:

o “Spanish police are treating the incident as terrorism. U.S. citizens in Barcelona are urged to avoid the areas and to follow local media and other information sources for additional guidance.”

 

o “Review your personal security plans, remain aware of your surroundings, especially in crowds or at large events, and monitor local news sources for updates. Be vigilant and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security.”

o “If you are a U.S citizen in Barcelona and you are safe, please let family and friends know, including by updating your status on social media.”

 Facebook’s safety feature has also been activated so that people in Barcelona can use the social media site to let their loved ones know they are all right.

 The United Kingdom’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office does not warn against travel to Spain, but it does advise the following:

o “Over 12 million British nationals visit Spain every year. Most visits are trouble-free.”

o “Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Spain. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners. The Spanish authorities take measures to protect visitors, but you should be vigilant and follow the instructions of the local authorities.”

 The Government of Canada indicates, “There is no nationwide advisory in effect for Spain. Exercise normal security precautions.”

 NPR reports: “Kiosks are reopening on the promenade that was the scene of Thursday’s terror attack …Heavily armed police continue to block the area to vehicle traffic … [and] the Barcelona airport this morning was packed with arriving passengers from around the globe, suggesting many vacationers refuse to be deterred by terrorism here.”

 Forbes reports that most cruise ships still plan to use Barcelona as a port of call, saying that “Barcelona calls scheduled for liners from Oceania Cruises, MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line will take place as normal on Friday and over the weekend.”

 According to Cruise Critic, several cruise lines have issued statements:

o Oceania said in a statement: ‘Oceania Cruises is monitoring the situation in Barcelona and our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected. The safety and security of our guests and crew is our top priority. We have strict safety protocols in place and cooperate with local authorities regarding security matters at the destinations our ships visit. Port and onshore facilities, infrastructure, and passenger security and services in destinations are strictly scrutinized prior to a ship call. In the event of any safety concerns, we have the flexibility to alter our itineraries as needed to avoid areas of concern.’

o Meanwhile, a spokesperson for MSC said: “In the wake of yesterday’s attack all MSC Cruises shore excursions due to take place in Barcelona today have been cancelled. The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority and we are working closely with the local authorities to ensure this.”

o Disney Cruise Line has not altered plans for its ship, Disney Magic, which is slated to be in Barcelona Saturday.

2. All travelers, no matter what country they visit, can take precautions to help ensure their safety and well-being.

 We recommend that U.S. citizens follow the advice of the State Department and register their travel plans at https://step.state.gov. This will help the State Department contact travelers if there is a family emergency in the U.S., or in the event an emergency transpires in the place where the individual is traveling.

 

o The U.S. State Department also offers a helpful guide called Traveler’s Checklist which provides additional travel tips.

o Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained through the Consular Information Program documents, by downloading the free Smart Traveler iPhone App, following the State Department on Twitter or the Bureau of Consular Affairs page on Facebook. Citizens can also call 888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 202-501-4444 from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, Eastern Time (except U.S. federal holidays).

 We highly recommend our clients purchase travel insurance. Personal medical insurance may not cover individuals while traveling abroad, if medical attention and medical evacuation are needed.

 While no one can say with certainty that any destination is 100% safe, we strongly encourage our clients to use care and common sense – no matter where they travel – to maximize their safety and security. For example:

o Leave your itinerary, and passport data page, with a friend or family member back home so you can be contacted in case of an emergency.

o Know and respect the laws in the country you are visiting.

o Remain alert to your surroundings at all times. Follow your instincts and avoid any areas or situations that seem as though they could become dangerous.

o Avoid all demonstrations, as even peaceful ones can quickly become unruly and a foreigner could become a target of harassment. If caught unexpectedly near a demonstration, obey instructions from police and leave the area as quickly as possible.

o Do not display expensive looking jewelry, large amounts of money or other valuable items. Also, do not leave luggage unattended in public areas and do not accept packages from strangers.

o Check with your cell phone provider prior to departure to see if your phone is capable of roaming on GSM or 3G/4G international networks.

3. Safety is our top priority for our clients. We provide them with the facts so they can make informed decisions about their travels.

 Our business is founded on repeat customers. Therefore, we want to be sure everything goes off without a hitch.

 We provide the facts so our clients can make informed decisions about their travel plans.

 We closely monitor the U.S. Department of State website for travel alerts for all destinations, including those that are most popular with our clients.

 Should we become aware of an issue for a specific destination, we alert clients who may be planning to travel there so they can make determine for themselves if they still wish to travel.

 We also work closely with respected airlines, hotels, resorts, cruise lines, tour operators and other suppliers to remain informed of security precautions they’re taking to guard our clients’ safety.