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Cancun is unarguably the go-to sunny getaway for hundreds of thousands of Americans. A metropolis like no different, it presents guests each the colourful environment of different equally-busy international hubs, and extra secluded seashores (if you already know the place to search for them).
On the opposite hand, Cancun’s status as a perfect summer time vacation spot has come beneath menace these days as a result of stories of elevated violence, even in traditionally-safe vacationer areas, journey scams, and even the landfall of an unprecedented quantity of seaweed.
If you’re considering of flying to Cancun quickly, and have been following carefully these highly-publicized developments, you may be questioning whether or not this massively in style seaside hotspot is certainly a perfect decide. After all, is Cancun nonetheless a secure vacation spot to go to for 2022?
There is rather a lot to unpack right here, however briefly, sure.
You may be questioning how precisely we’re in a position to nonetheless deem it a secure metropolis even after bearing in mind current stories, which we have covered extensively ourselves, and the doubts raised by many different journey information web sites about safety in Cancun. Here is why:
On Travel Scams
By being an already sought-after vacation spot that’s now experiencing overwhelmingly excessive demand, it hardly comes as a shock that ghost journey businesses, just a few ill-intentioned cab drivers, and different scammers have intensified their operations in Cancun and the broader Riviera Maya in current months.
Even although we can not overlook the truth that 250 scams happen round Mexico per hour, and a lot of these are in Cancun, vacationers additionally danger being victims of fraudulent taxis and/or tour operators just about wherever on the earth. Although Cancun isn’t any exception, that is removed from being a Cancun-exclusive challenge.
Foreigners have traditionally confronted scamming when touring all through the Caribbean, with Belize and Jamaica being two infamous examples. Even the most well-liked cities in Europe usually are not exempt from their justifiable share of journey scams. In different phrases, worldwide journey isn’t risk-free, particularly when you may’t converse the language of the nation you’re visiting and will, due to this fact, be taken benefit of.
Still, there are some precautions vacationers can take to be higher ready when flying overseas and in worry of being scammed, reminiscent of:
- Booking journey packages solely by way of licensed operators in Mexico
- Pre-book an airport switch earlier than touchdown in Cancun
- Once in Mexico, solely use licensed taxis, both by calling or requesting a driver by way of an official app
- Never get right into a cab with no seen taximeter or earlier than agreeing on a value for the route
On Violence:
We have all heard of Cancun’s current run-ins with the legislation. Gang shootings, robberies, and murders linked to organized crime within the metropolis have taken the information by storm. For that purpose, we don’t blame extra cautious vacationers for having reconsidered Cancun as their summer time vacation spot.
Having mentioned that, we want to pose a query: which huge metropolis doesn’t battle, a method or one other, greater crime ranges in comparison with less-dense areas? Cancun shouldn’t be a single seaside or a resort city: it is likely one of the largest cities within the Caribbean.
While violent incidents have undeniably elevated, main the United States to revise its Travel Advisories, Cancun is certain to document extra incidents than different smaller cities in Quintana Roo as a result of its place as a global hub.
Still, when assessing journey dangers and selecting their subsequent vacation spot, vacationers ought to at all times analysis the violence ranges of their dream trip vacation spot, however must also evaluate them to the place they presently reside.
It is value noting town of New York, which presents of the main metropolis breaks in North America, can be going through a violence surge this 12 months, with a marked enhance in each shootings and murder. The similar goes for Los Angeles, the place violent crimes were up by 60% in 2021 in accordance with LAPD knowledge.
Even although a number of cities throughout North America, each within the U.S. and Mexico, battle with crime, it’s Cancun that has been significantly pinpointed as violence-ridden these days.
However, because the U.S. State Department itself affirms, shootings usually are not directed at vacationers, and are as a substitute a results of quarrels between felony teams, although bystanders can nonetheless be injured.
Despite these dangers, that’s the exception quite than the rule.
Mexico Takes Tourist Safety Very, Very Seriously
Lately, Mexico has been investing closely in safety, deploying none lower than the National Guard to maintain vacationers secure in Cancun, and vowing to clamp down on corrupt entities extorting vacationers within the wider Quintana Roo. This is a rustic in search of to ascertain itself as a secure haven within the post-pandemic world, because it has been recognized to take safety considerations very critically.
As Dario Flota Ocampo, Director of the Quintana Roo tourism Board stated, ‘Quintana Roo remains a safe destination to visit (…) it continues to operate normally and remains one of the world’s main locations’.
On prime of that, the U.S. doesn’t advise vacationers in opposition to journey to Cancun (or the Quintana Roo state) citing violent crime, although they need to ‘maintain a high level of situation awareness’ and keep away from dangerous areas. Like wherever else, guests are urged to stay in vacationer zones and be cautious when strolling after darkish.
While we do encourage all our readers to observe this steerage whereas on trip, we are able to guarantee you Cancun isn’t any more dangerous than a number of different locations in Mexico, together with Mexico City, Baja California Sur, Oaxaca, and Chiapas.
In reality, the U.S. considers it a lot safer than specific Mexican states, reminiscent of Sinaloa or Colima.
Bottomline
Throughout the pandemic, Cancun has maintained its standing as one of many freer, and maybe most tourist-friendly locations on Earth, incomes a king-of-tourism, sort nickname. Even throughout the woeful months of December and January, when Omicron was rampant and restrictions had been the norm, it remained open and recorded a record number of visitors.
This implies that, whereas quite a few opponents throughout the Caribbean imposed strict entry necessities, Cancun went the alternative means fully and permitted all to enter restriction-free, regardless of vaccination standing. On prime of that, Cancun Airport has not seen a single relatively quieter month since Mexico determined to maintain its borders open.
Due to this bold transfer, it has been on the forefront of the minds of many vacationers – and on the radar of the mainstream media – for months on finish. To put it merely, Cancun is being carefully watched by all, which implies any native incidents shall be rapidly picked up on, and subsequently scrutinized.
Yes, shootings and robberies happen, and sure, they’ve turn out to be extra frequent in vacationer zones as gang exercise worsens, however the danger of being caught in a crossfire, or experiencing any abuse in any respect, remains to be inside acceptable ranges each by Mexican, U.S., and different worldwide requirements.
Unlike in other parts of Mexico, the place the U.S. authorities issued journey restrictions for U.S. authorities workers and has been adamant Americans ought to chorus from visiting, Quintana Roo and Cancun have not been particularly focused.
This corroborates our findings that Cancun stays a secure vacation spot with no significantly exacerbated security or well being dangers when in comparison with others.
At the similar time, we want to remind vacationers this doesn’t imply Cancun is crime-free. When visiting, you must keep in mind all the knowledge we now have given you on right here and watch out for your environment, particularly in crowded areas the place robberies and pickpocketing might happen, equally to any giant metropolis.
Read More:
Travel Insurance That Covers Covid-19 For 2022
Cancun Deploys 6000 Soldiers To Keep Tourists Safe Amid Record Arrivals
Cancun Hotel Guests Will Now Have To Sign New Form Acknowledging Laws
Cancun Beaches Are Safe, Clean And Ready For Tourists
Mexico Adding Seaweed Barriers To Popular Tourist Hotspots Including Cancun And Playa Del Carmen
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Disclaimer: Current journey guidelines and restrictions can change with out discover. The determination to journey is in the end your duty. Contact your consulate and/or native authorities to verify your nationality’s entry and/or any modifications to journey necessities earlier than touring. Travel Off Path doesn’t endorse touring in opposition to authorities advisories
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