With winter fast approaching there is growing temptation to book a sunspot vacation.But Canadian snowbirds planning to travel to Mexico this winter — the Canadian government says there about three million of them — might want to think twice after it raised its threat level for travellers in popular tourist spots frequented by Canucks.According to Global Affairs, Canadians are advised to “exercise a high degree of caution” due to a combination of natural disasters and increased levels of violence and kidnapping.As of November 2, it warned against all travel to Guerrero state — Acapulco — even if considered “essential” due to lingering impacts from Hurricane Otis in October..That’s not withstanding higher levels of “banditry and violence” in Guerrero along with other popular tourist spots including Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Puerto Morelos on the Mayan Riviera. That includes areas around Nayarit near the borders of Sinaloa and Durango, except Durango City.It’s also advising visitors to purchase comprehensive travel insurance before purchasing tickets. Under a colour coded system, advisories that have a Level 3 or Level 4 warning — orange or red — can be claimed under a travel cancellation plan. The kicker is they can’t claim ticket refunds if they booked flights or accommodation after the advisory was issued. .As of November 21, the Acapulco area is Level 4 while the Mayan Riviera is Level 3. The rest of the country is considered Level 2, or yellow. And that includes popular destinations such as Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan, which was the scene of shootouts last January after security forces captured alleged drug trafficker Ovidio 'The Mouse' Guzman, the son of former cartel boss Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman. At least two passenger planes were hit by gunfire in the melee, prompting the closure of the Mazatlan airport. That warning has since been lowered to yellow in Mazatlan itself but remains elevated for the surrounding areas.“Criminal groups, including drug cartels, are very active. Clashes between cartels or gangs over territory, drugs and smuggling routes are common,” it said.In some parts of the country, military, navy and federal police forces have been deployed to combat organized crime and improve security conditions..“Innocent bystanders have been injured or killed. You may be in the wrong place at the wrong time and become a victim of violent crime,”Global Affairs Canada.Recommended precautions range from street crime, being overcharged in resorts to high tides and strong currents in swimming beaches to violent assaults and homicides. Credit card fraud and ATM scams are also common. It can also be difficult to deal with police.“Innocent bystanders have been injured or killed. You may be in the wrong place at the wrong time and become a victim of violent crime,” it added. “Canadian travellers have been physically and sexually assaulted. In some cases, hotel employees, taxi drivers and security personnel at popular tourist destinations were involved. In some cases, hotel staff are not helpful and try to dissuade victims from pursuing the incident with police.”Global Affairs recommends travellers fly into the country and avoid international land crossings, particularly with the US. It also recommends travellers register with the Canadian embassy in case of emergencies.
With winter fast approaching there is growing temptation to book a sunspot vacation.But Canadian snowbirds planning to travel to Mexico this winter — the Canadian government says there about three million of them — might want to think twice after it raised its threat level for travellers in popular tourist spots frequented by Canucks.According to Global Affairs, Canadians are advised to “exercise a high degree of caution” due to a combination of natural disasters and increased levels of violence and kidnapping.As of November 2, it warned against all travel to Guerrero state — Acapulco — even if considered “essential” due to lingering impacts from Hurricane Otis in October..That’s not withstanding higher levels of “banditry and violence” in Guerrero along with other popular tourist spots including Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Puerto Morelos on the Mayan Riviera. That includes areas around Nayarit near the borders of Sinaloa and Durango, except Durango City.It’s also advising visitors to purchase comprehensive travel insurance before purchasing tickets. Under a colour coded system, advisories that have a Level 3 or Level 4 warning — orange or red — can be claimed under a travel cancellation plan. The kicker is they can’t claim ticket refunds if they booked flights or accommodation after the advisory was issued. .As of November 21, the Acapulco area is Level 4 while the Mayan Riviera is Level 3. The rest of the country is considered Level 2, or yellow. And that includes popular destinations such as Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan, which was the scene of shootouts last January after security forces captured alleged drug trafficker Ovidio 'The Mouse' Guzman, the son of former cartel boss Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman. At least two passenger planes were hit by gunfire in the melee, prompting the closure of the Mazatlan airport. That warning has since been lowered to yellow in Mazatlan itself but remains elevated for the surrounding areas.“Criminal groups, including drug cartels, are very active. Clashes between cartels or gangs over territory, drugs and smuggling routes are common,” it said.In some parts of the country, military, navy and federal police forces have been deployed to combat organized crime and improve security conditions..“Innocent bystanders have been injured or killed. You may be in the wrong place at the wrong time and become a victim of violent crime,”Global Affairs Canada.Recommended precautions range from street crime, being overcharged in resorts to high tides and strong currents in swimming beaches to violent assaults and homicides. Credit card fraud and ATM scams are also common. It can also be difficult to deal with police.“Innocent bystanders have been injured or killed. You may be in the wrong place at the wrong time and become a victim of violent crime,” it added. “Canadian travellers have been physically and sexually assaulted. In some cases, hotel employees, taxi drivers and security personnel at popular tourist destinations were involved. In some cases, hotel staff are not helpful and try to dissuade victims from pursuing the incident with police.”Global Affairs recommends travellers fly into the country and avoid international land crossings, particularly with the US. It also recommends travellers register with the Canadian embassy in case of emergencies.
