Guess What? Mexico's Had a Lucky Year

Despite what you may have read or saw on the television, I think this was actually a pretty lucky for year for Mexico.

That’s right, you read that correctly.

Ok, sure, I too was among the long list of reporters and other media members who began to think this country was jinxed in 2009. And how could you not? It seemed as though one bad occurrence was happening after another. But now that the year is winding down and it appears as though Mexico has dodged yet another possible hurricane in the ongoing weakening of Tropical Storm Patricia (now Remnant Storm Patricia), the year doesn’t look as bleak as it did when the “negative” news first began surfacing.

Let’s re-assess the year, shall we?

Ok, there was gang violence near the Mexico border. Ok, we’re human first and professionals second, so violence anywhere is sad and tragic. But as a travel trade writer or any member of the industry, this didn’t affect (or at least should not have affected) business at all.

It was the perception of the news that affected business and not the news itself for the simple reason that not one tourist was caught in the middle of the drug war that plagued one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

I’m not breaking any news when I tell you every country has a dangerous zone. Picture that area in your city and think real hard: when was last time you vacationed there?

“Pack your bags, children, we’re heading to East L.A.”

When was the last time you saw a scenic postcard distributed from there? My guess is probably never because tourists never, or at least should never, vacation to a place that is dangerous. Or, in the case of Mexico’s U.S.-bordering towns, a place that was a bit unsafe (kind choice of words) long before 2009.

Now, the swine flu. Man, did this get exaggerated or what? The first case was discovered in Mexico. But how can say Mexico is to blame for it? I mean, that's just silly. Hypothetically, lets say I visited 15 countries in the last year, came across thousands of people who have also visited 15 countries in one year and then I got sick a few days after I return home. Would it be fare to say New York, where I work, is to blame for this?

And now the good.

Mexico was spared by Mother Nature yet again on Tuesday and Wednesday when Tropical Storm Patricia shrunk quicker than Michael Keaton’s head in Beetle Juice.

This was the second major weather threat Mexico dodged in the last few months with Hurricane Jimena being the other.

Secondly, I was in Cancun in the beginning of the summer and I noticed something. Its beaches are back. When I was there in 2008, pretty much all of the hotels’ beaches were nonexistent, completely eroded away.

And now?

Ok, there's still some work to do, but at least from the naked eye, it appeared as though one-third have returned without the need for some fake, man-made beach.

Lets put it this way: I’m visiting Mexico in December and I’m bringing my mother. If I thought Mexico wasn’t one of the greatest vacation spots in the world to visit or if it wasn’t safe, I wouldn’t be bringing my mother there.

Mother Nature has brought Cancun’s beaches back and has protected Mexico from a serious hurricane in 2009. Because of this, Mexico has had a luckier year than most think. But human nature can be stronger than Mother Nature sometimes and it’s human nature to be afraid. It’s human nature to focus on the negative. Me? I’m somewhat of a momma’s boy. I’m listening to Mother Nature and in December my mother is too.