Tag Archives: Cancun

Warning, February time change to Cancun visitors!

Heads up!

The State of Quintana Roo, the home of the famously gorgeous Cancun is changing their Time Zone from its current Central to Eastern Time Zone as of February 1st, 2015. Prepare to spring ahead.

In addition, the unique, and somewhat frightening, Chichen Itza (where the pyramids touch the sky, and you guard your heart from those who lust after it!) Tulum is also part of the deal.

Plan ahead and make sure your travel agent gives you enough time to catch the shuttle to the airport.

More sun, more fun. The clear, warm waters of Cancun are calling. Just be sure to change your watch…

We enjoy posting these tidbits for you, and hope that you too enjoy them. If you have any feedback, we would love to see it. If it is interesting, or provides help or service to those who are traveling South of the Border, we will certainly consider them.

Remember, for all of your Mexico Tourist Auto, Homeowners, Motorcycles, Boats and International Health Insurance needs, please call us at 1-800-434-3966 OR Email us at ici@mxici.com or visit us at mxici.com to issue your own policy. We appreciate your business!

Crime in Mexico: If deadly Mazatlan is out, how about Cancun?

Tourism to Cancun is down, so is travel cost to this gem in the Caribbean!

Article: Chris Owen March 28, 2011

It is an ongoing debate about Mazatlan, Mexico. Justified or not, tourism is down. Land vacations tour operators are being cautious more than ever. Cruise lines refuse to stop due to real or perceived security issues (stabbings, drug lord bombings, no bingo). But those who live there say it is safe. Now, Cancun, Mexico, former poster-city for organized crime is saying “Hey, give US a look why don’t ya?” as if the focus has shifted and they are in the clear now.

Trying to hang on to it’s self-proclaimed “No. 1 vacation destination in the Caribbean” title, Cancun is beefing up security reports USA Today.

“The safest people here are the tourists,” Erandeni Abundis of the Cancun Convention Camp; Visitors Bureau “We depend on tourism. We couldn’t afford to lose it.” Proactive Cancun has beefed up their web site too with clear, easy to find information and believable video content.

Indeed, tourism is a major factor in Mexico’s economy. Cancun alone boasts 5.9 million international visitors last year, up over 400,000 from 2009. But with tourism numbers down, rather than whining about it like Mazatlan has, Cancun is taking clear steps to send a message of safety.

Tourists can now dial 911 for an emergency rather than a confusing local number, uniformed customs officers with assault rifles stand watch over visitors at the airport and a dozen highly-visible “tourist advisors” greet visitors, directing them to approved airport transportation.

Still, news of crime in Mexico, attacks on tourists and just general worldwide unrest in the travel sector has tour operators and tourism officials working overtime to set the record straight.

Funjet vacations flew hundreds of travel agents in to see first-hand the situation on the ground hoping to beef up bookings which should be strong right now. According to Funjet, “traffic to Mexico is challenged.”

While colleges are on break, the beach is not packed. Hotel occupancy at 71% this week is down from a traditional 80+% at this time of the year reports the Cancun Hotel Association.

The up side of all this is that prices in Cancun are better than ever.

One major travel agency in Cancun laments: “every time this comes…less tourism and it causes Cancun to die slowly.” reports 630ched.com adding “So, if you’re dreaming of a spring break on the Mexican Caribbean but lack “mucho dinero”, you might want to cash in on Cancun’s misfortune.”

Many have too. In defiance of a Texas Department of Safety warning to stay out of Mexico on Spring Break, college students are flocking to Cancun, the closest Mexico destination to the border with few problems reported.

“We haven’t been beheaded,” Archer, a 26-year-old dental assistant, says with a grin. “We’ve had no problems. People need to chill out.”

For the finest in International Insurance products, specializing in Mexico, please call us at 1-800-434-3966 OR E mail us at ici@mxici.com or visit us at www.mxici.com We appreciate your business! We are your Int’l Health Insurance and Mexico Tourist Auto specialists!

Mexico Official: Resorts Far From Violence

By Rafael Romo, CNN Senior Latin American Affairs Editor

Posted: 11:25 am MDT April 27, 2011Updated: 10:12 pm MDT April 27, 2011

(CNN) — A recent wave of violence caused by turf wars between rival drug cartels and security forces in Mexico has kept many American and international tourists away from the United States’ neighbor to the south.
Recently, the U.S. State Department broaded its travel warning for Mexico, singling out 11 states and warning Americans not to drive at nighttime.
But a top Mexican tourism official says the country’s major tourists spots are “perfectly safe.”
Mexico Tourism Board’s Chief Operating Officer Rodolfo Lopez Negrete recently visited the United States to promote Mexican destinations.

In an interview with CNN, he said he is confident that more tourists will visit Mexico this year.

CNN: How much was tourism affected by the violence last year?

Rodolfo Lopez Negrete: 2010 was a very good year for Mexico. We considered it to be a rebound year. (More than) 22 million tourists visited Mexico last year.

CNN: I was recently in Acapulco and I noticed that a lot of the hotels that normally this time of the year receive spring breakers, mainly from the United States, are completely empty. So, some of the things that you’re telling me do not correspond to the reality I saw there.

Lopez: We’re working on a transformation program for Acapulco to rehabilitate Costera Miguel Aleman [the avenue that runs along the bay] which is one of the landmarks of Acapulco. We’re working on additional air connectivity out of the U.S. market and international points of origin.

CNN: But Mr. Lopez, the main problem in Acapulco is not necessarily infrastructure, but the violence. What are the Mexican government and the Tourism Board doing to solve this problem?

Lopez: Mexico is a very large country. When you take into account the distance between Ciudad Juarez [the most violent city in Mexico] and Cancun, you’re talking about 1,400 miles of distance. Puerto Vallarta is 1,000 miles away and Los Cabos about 1,600 miles away. That is equivalent to the distance between New York and Houston or New York and Dallas.

CNN: But the fact still remains that violence is a serious problem in Mexico. Wouldn’t you agree?

Lopez: Yes we agree, and we understand the fact that these episodes have created a certain level of perception that is undesirable, but these have occurred in very specific pockets of the country.

CNN: Your office says that 22.4 million travelers visited Mexico last year. What is the expectation for this year?

Lopez: We have a plan that we have put together until the year 2018. Mexico would like to become one of the most popular destinations in the world. And although we already rank among the top 10 in the world, we would like to escalate that number. For 2011 our goal is to increase our business from 22.4 to 26 million tourists.

CNN: Are Americans still visiting Mexico?

Lopez: Seventy-five percent of the total number of last year’s 22.4 million visitors originated in North America. The U.S. remains the number one market, followed by Canada.

CNN: What about those traveling specifically by air?

Lopez: Out of the 10 million tourists that we get by air into the different Mexican destinations, the United States generates 6.5 million of those 10 million.

CNN: What do you say to people abroad who watch news about the violence and have concerns about traveling to Mexico?

Lopez: We would like to tell the untold story. Although we have experienced violence, it has been concentrated in very specific parts of the country. The major tourism destinations are perfectly safe, whether you talk about sun-and-beach resorts or inland destinations.

CNN: What about risks for those traveling into Mexico by land?

Lopez: We have 50 million border crossings per year. When you take that into account, the ratio or the number of people that have suffered from violence is really minimal.

CNN: Has affordability been affected by the recent wave of violence?

Lopez: Mexico is a very diversified country. We believe that the combination of the fantastic sun-and-beach resorts coupled with the wonderful cultural wealth that we offer make it a very attractive destination for summer travel.

From a value perspective, the quality of the tourism options in Mexico over the last 10 years has improved dramatically.

If you compare that with the price that we’re charging right now, it makes it a very attractive proposition for travel.

By Gary Dickey, President Insurance Consultants International

Most of the Acapulco traffic, to be fair, is now a primary destination for the Mexican Citizen/traveler. Not the North American traveler, who apparently still prefers Cancun, Cozumel, Puerto Penasco, and both Baja Norte (North) and Baja Sur (South). That is probably one of the reasons as to why their was little to no Spring Break visitors to Acapulco.

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1-800-434-3966 OR E mail us at ici@mxici.com or visit us at www.mxici.com We appreciate your business!