Drug Violence Hasn't Hurt Mexico's Tourism, Officials Say

Drug Violence Hasn't Hurt Mexico's Tourism, Officials Say

Mexico's international image may be taking hits because of the violence produced by drug cartels, but it hasn't hurt its tourism industry, officials say. International tourism to Mexico has increased 2.1 percent in the first five months of 2011 compared to 2010, and it remains the top destination for Americans traveling abroad.

Statistics from the U.S. Department of Commerce show that fewer Americans are traveling abroad, but a bigger percentage of those who do are going to Mexico. Mexico also reported double-digit increases in the percentage of visitors from Russia, Brazil and China, among others.

The unrelenting battles between rival drug cartels and police and cartels have provided nearly unlimited fodder for those who write off Mexico as a dangerous destination. The border area, for example, where much violence has been recorded, is 1,200 miles from the resort town of Cancun -- that's like avoiding travel to Houston because of problems in New York, he said.

According to surveys by Mexican tourism authorities, 98 percent of those who do visit Mexico say they will come back, and 99 percent recommend it to others. Much of the growth has been fueled by new programs to incentivize tourists from emerging economies, such as the so-called BRIC countries -- Brazil, Russia, India and China.

In 2011 to date, Mexico has seen a 40.9 percent increase in Brazilian tourists, a 58.1 percent increase from Russia and 32.8 percent increase from China, according to Mexico's tourism ministry. For U.S. travelers specifically, the Commerce Department's most recent data -- for 2009 -- shows that 31.7 percent of all U.S. international tourists go to Mexico.

From 2002 to 2009, while U.S. tourism to Canada fell by more than 27 percent, tourism to Mexico from the U.S. increased by 5.1 percent. This happened even though the overall number of Americans traveling abroad decreased, from a peak of 64 million in 2007 to 61.4 million in 2009.