We would like to give you an update on the arson incident that took place in the Cancun area and has been widely reported by the international media. In the early hours of Tuesday, August 30, an armed gang attacked a bar in the working class district of Región 229 on the outskirts of Cancún, several miles away from the Hotel Zone. They threw homemade Molotov cocktails into the building and set it alight before fleeing the scene. Unfortunately eight Mexican citizens died in the fire. A police investigation is underway and media sources are linking the incident to organized crime, also suggesting that the building did not comply with fire safety regulations.
It is important to stress that such incidents are isolated in Cancún. The bar is nowhere near the Hotel Zone or the City Center and tourists were not at risk.
It is safe to travel to Cancun, the Riviera Maya, other parts of the Mexican Caribbean and the Yucatán. Indeed, in the first six months of the year, 5.1 million tourists enjoyed their vacation in the Cancún area and Orbitz recently reported that it was the most popular destination requested for Labor Day getaways.
As reported in the August 4, 2010 edition of USA Today, this type of violent crime is extremely rare in the Yucatán. In fact, Yucatán crime rates are comparable to rural US states such as Wyoming and Montana, far below the national average in the United States.
Most of the incidents in Mexico reported by the media are taking place in the north of the country– often in sparsely populated and mountainous areas – and in cities along the Mexico-US border, thousands of miles from Cancún and the Riviera Maya.
Eighteen million Americans visit Mexico on an annual basis and nearly one million of them have chosen to make their homes in this beautiful country.
Common sense is the key to safety wherever you travel, whether at home or abroad, and may we suggest that you take certain precautions, just as you would if you were going to a new city in your own country.
There is no reason to consider changing your travel plans. Cancun’s beaches are looking beautiful and the variety of tourist attractions on offer in the area just keeps growing by the year.
We will do our best to continue to keep you informed about what is going on in the area.
