The U.S. State Department's updated Travel Advisory system is already having an effect on the listed destinations—in this instance, it's a positive one. The Mexican Association of Hotels and Motels (AMHM) increased its initial forecast in the arrival of international travelers to the country from four percent to between eight and nine percent for this year, in wake of the updates, according to Riviera Maya News.
“The update was positive—the tourist destinations stopped being designated as dangerous,” said Rafael García, president of the AMHM. “In that way, our growth perspective (of international travelers) will be raised.”
In August of 2017, the Donald Trump administration identified Los Cabos and Cancún as dangerous travel destinations for their citizens; however, in the updates of advisories last week, these destinations as well as Vallarta and Mexico City ceased to be designated as risky by the U.S. The four destinations combine to amount to 80 percent of international travelers in Mexico.
At Level 1, destinations are considered the safest in which travelers are recommended to exercise normal precautions. At Level 2, travel recommendations are set to increased precautions, while at Level 3, travelers are suggested to reconsider travel to an area. It is at Level 4 when travelers are recommended not to travel to the destination due to the high risk caused by terrorism, conflict or criminality.
The last travel alert issued by the U.S. government was August 22, 2017 but was replaced by the update on January 10, 2018.
In September 2017, Enrique de la Madrid, head of the Ministry of Tourism, acknowledged that U.S. travel alerts reduced reservations to travel to Mexico by U.S. citizens by up to 20 percent.
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