IS IT SAFE TO TRAVEL TO MEXICO? (2022 UPDATE)

Mexican travel safety has been in the news, making some travelers wonder, “Is it safe to travel to Mexico?”

Note:  This information does not reflect current safety conditions resulting from COVID-19.

According to Rich Biswell, marketing director for Journey Mexico, a Mexico-based tour operator specializing in experiential trips and tours throughout the country, “we feel confident in saying that Mexico is safe for vacationers and travelers.”  Just like travel anywhere else, travel to Mexico requires you to be smart, prudent, and vigilant, and take some precautions before you leave and while you travel. 

2022 Update: That’s still the best advice for travel to Mexico. The State Department has a long list of travel advisories and cautions for Mexico, some related to COVID and others related to crime, and while most resort areas are explicitly noted as safe, Mexico is not a country made for carefree wandering. It’s best to stick to the safe areas for the time being.

IS IT SAFE TO TRAVEL TO MEXICO RIGHT NOW?

Regardless of what you may have read in the headlines, incidents in Mexico involving tourists are extremely few and far-between.

“There has been a little misinformation [regarding travel safety in Mexico],” said Ana Sofia Lanczyner, former Midwest director of the Mexico Tourism Board.
 

Isla San Francisco - Baja California Sur | Photo credit: Journey Mexico

Lanczyner noted a news story from a very well-known publication stated the U.S. Department of State had done an update to their travel warnings and Mexico was far more dangerous to travel to, which was completely false.
 

SAFE PLACES TO TRAVEL IN MEXICO

In its December 2021 update to travel advisories for Mexico, the State Department actually gave Mexico level-three (reconsider travel) status, while noting that outside of COVID most Mexican states and many of the most popular resort areas – like Mexico City, Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Chichen Itza, and the Riviera Maya – are relatively safe for travelers.

However, the State Department specifically recommended that travelers not go to or reconsider travel to the following states:

Adventure in Copper Canyon | Photo credit: Journey Mexico

 
HOW SAFE IS IT TO TRAVEL TO MEXICO? DO THE MATH

According to a U.S. State Department official speaking on background, the main reasons behind the travel advisories are:

• An increase in homicides, mostly gang- and cartel-related killings
• Limited police presence and poor emergency response outside of major cities
• Drug and human-trafficking activity in some level-three or level-four (do not travel) states
• Roadblocks on highways in level-three or level-four states set up by criminal groups looking to kidnap bus passengers and hold them for ransom

 
None of these activities specifically target tourists, and as Lanczyner said, “I would cordially invite anyone to do the math. Almost 40 million international visitors come to Mexico each year, and we have only had a handful of incidents. That’s a pretty good ratio.”   

Still, Lanczyner said, “we take every single case very seriously.” You should too – and that means covering your trip with travel insurance.
 

 
TIPS FOR TRAVELLING SAFE IN MEXICO

Biswell said it best: “Stuff can happen in tourist destinations in Mexico, but when it does, tourists generally aren’t involved.”
 
Here’s how to lessen your chances of being involved:
 

Ask someone who knows Mexico

Know – or ask – about the safe parts of town, the safest ways of getting around, and which clubs are okay. “Have someone you can trust – whether it’s a concierge at the hotel or a guide from Journey Mexico or another reputable operator – give you that advice,” Biswell said. “They’re not going to send you someplace bad.”
 

Turtle in Riviera Maya | Photo credit: Journey Mexico

 
Don’t walk alone at night

Don’t walk the streets alone late at night. “I live in Puerto Vallarta, and there are some neighborhoods that I wouldn’t visit at four in the morning,” Biswell added. “But I wouldn’t go to most neighborhoods in major US cities at four in the morning, either.”
 

Leave the bling home

Flashy jewelry attracts the wrong kind of attention.
 

Zincantan, Chiapas | Photo credit: Journey Mexico

Trust your instincts

Never take your eyes off your personal belongings. If a situation or place makes you nervous, exit stage right by the safest means possible. Use common sense.
 

Don’t be a hero

Don’t resist if somebody tries to rob you; hand over what they’re asking for. This is no time to play the hero.
 

Be on guard for pickpockets

Watch out for pickpockets if you’re taking public transport. Split up your money and valuables, minimize your cash on hand, and keep copies of important documents in a safe place at your hotel.