Final Up to date
Cancun is unarguably the go-to sunny getaway for tens of millions of Individuals. A metropolis like no different, it affords guests each the colourful environment of different equally-busy international hubs, and extra secluded seashores (if the place to search for them).
Alternatively, Cancun’s status as an excellent summer time vacation spot has come below menace these days on account of reviews of elevated violence, even in traditionally-safe vacationer areas, journey scams, and even the landfall of an unprecedented quantity of seaweed.
When you’re pondering of flying to Cancun quickly, and have been following intently these highly-publicized developments, you may be questioning whether or not this massively common seashore hotspot is certainly an excellent choose. After all, is Cancun nonetheless a secure vacation spot to go to for 2022?
There’s a lot to unpack right here, however briefly, sure.
You may be questioning how precisely we’re capable of nonetheless deem it a secure metropolis even after considering latest reviews, which we now have lined extensively ourselves, and the doubts raised by many different journey information web sites about safety in Cancun. Right here is why:
On Journey Scams
By being an already sought-after vacation spot that’s now experiencing overwhelmingly excessive demand, it hardly comes as a shock that ghost journey companies, just a few ill-intentioned cab drivers, and different scammers have intensified their operations in Cancun and the broader Riviera Maya in latest months.
Regardless that we can’t overlook the truth that 250 scams happen round Mexico per hour, and numerous these are in Cancun, vacationers additionally threat being victims of fraudulent taxis and/or tour operators nearly anyplace on the planet. Though Cancun is not any exception, that is removed from being a Cancun-exclusive challenge.
Foreigners have traditionally confronted scamming when touring all through the Caribbean, with Belize and Jamaica being two infamous examples. Even the preferred cities in Europe aren’t exempt from their fair proportion of journey scams. In different phrases, worldwide journey isn’t risk-free, particularly when you possibly can’t converse the language of the nation you’re visiting and will, due to this fact, be taken benefit of.
Nonetheless, there are some precautions vacationers can take to be higher ready when flying overseas and in worry of being scammed, resembling:
- Reserving journey packages solely by way of licensed operators in Mexico
- Pre-book an airport switch earlier than touchdown in Cancun
- As soon as in Mexico, solely use licensed taxis, both by calling or requesting a driver by way of an official app
- By no means get right into a cab with no seen taximeter or earlier than agreeing on a worth for the route
On Violence:
We have now all heard of Cancun’s latest run-ins with the legislation. Gang shootings, robberies, and murders linked to organized crime within the metropolis have taken the information by storm. For that motive, we don’t blame extra cautious vacationers for having reconsidered Cancun as their summer time vacation spot.
Having mentioned that, we want to pose a query: which large metropolis doesn’t battle, a method or one other, greater crime ranges in comparison with less-dense areas? Cancun is just not a single seashore or a resort city: it is likely one of the largest cities within the Caribbean.
Whereas violent incidents have undeniably elevated, main the USA to revise its Journey Advisories, Cancun is sure to file extra incidents than different smaller cities in Quintana Roo on account of its place as a global hub.
Nonetheless, when assessing journey dangers and selecting their subsequent vacation spot, vacationers ought to all the time analysis the violence ranges of their dream trip vacation spot, however also needs to examine them to the place they presently reside.
It’s price noting the town of New York, which affords of the main metropolis breaks in North America, can also be dealing with a violence surge this yr, with a marked enhance in each shootings and murder. The identical goes for Los Angeles, the place violent crimes had been up by 60% in 2021 in response to LAPD information.
Regardless that a number of cities throughout North America, each within the U.S. and Mexico, battle with crime, it’s Cancun that has been notably pinpointed as violence-ridden these days.
Nevertheless, because the U.S. State Division itself affirms, shootings aren’t directed at vacationers, and are as an alternative a results of quarrels between prison teams, though bystanders can nonetheless be injured.
Regardless of these dangers, that’s the exception fairly than the rule.
Mexico Takes Vacationer Security Very, Very Critically
Recently, Mexico has been investing closely in safety, deploying none lower than the Nationwide Guard to maintain vacationers secure in Cancun, and vowing to clamp down on corrupt entities extorting vacationers within the wider Quintana Roo. It is a nation looking for to determine itself as a secure haven within the post-pandemic world, because it has been recognized to take safety considerations very critically.
As Dario Flota Ocampo, Director of the Quintana Roo tourism Board said, ‘Quintana Roo stays a secure vacation spot to go to (…) it continues to function usually and stays one of many world’s main locations’.
On prime of that, the U.S. doesn’t advise vacationers towards journey to Cancun (or the Quintana Roo state) citing violent crime, although they need to ‘keep a excessive stage of state of affairs consciousness’ and keep away from dangerous areas. Like anyplace else, guests are urged to stay in vacationer zones and be cautious when strolling after darkish.
Whereas we do encourage all our readers to observe this steering whereas on trip, we are able to guarantee you Cancun isn’t any extra harmful than a number of different locations in Mexico, together with Mexico Metropolis, Baja California Sur, Oaxaca, and Chiapas.
The truth is, the U.S. considers it a lot safer than specific Mexican states, resembling Sinaloa or Colima.
Bottomline
All through the pandemic, Cancun has maintained its standing as one of many freer, and maybe most tourist-friendly locations on Earth, incomes a king-of-tourism, kind nickname. Even throughout the woeful months of December and January, when Omicron was rampant and restrictions had been the norm, it remained open and recorded a file variety of guests.
Which means, whereas quite a few opponents throughout the Caribbean imposed strict entry necessities, Cancun went the alternative means fully and permitted all to enter restriction-free, no matter vaccination standing. On prime of that, Cancun Airport has not seen a single comparatively quieter month since Mexico determined to maintain its borders open.
Attributable to this formidable transfer, it has been on the forefront of the minds of many vacationers – and on the radar of the mainstream media – for months on finish. To place it merely, Cancun is being intently watched by all, which implies any native incidents might be shortly picked up on, and subsequently scrutinized.
Sure, shootings and robberies happen, and sure, they’ve turn into extra frequent in vacationer zones as gang exercise worsens, however the threat of being caught in a crossfire, or experiencing any abuse in any respect, remains to be inside acceptable ranges each by Mexican, U.S., and different worldwide requirements.
Not like in different elements of Mexico, the place the U.S. authorities issued journey restrictions for U.S. authorities workers and has been adamant Individuals ought to chorus from visiting, Quintana Roo and Cancun have not been particularly focused.
This corroborates our findings that Cancun stays a secure vacation spot with no notably exacerbated security or well being dangers when in comparison with others.
At the similar time, we want to remind vacationers this doesn’t imply Cancun is crime-free. When visiting, it is best to keep in mind all the knowledge we now have given you on right here and watch out for your environment, particularly in crowded areas the place robberies and pickpocketing may happen, equally to any massive metropolis.
Learn Extra:
Journey Insurance coverage That Covers Covid-19 For 2022
Cancun Deploys 6000 Troopers To Hold Vacationers Secure Amid Report Arrivals
Cancun Lodge Visitors Will Now Have To Signal New Type Acknowledging Legal guidelines
Cancun Seashores Are Secure, Clear And Prepared For Vacationers
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Disclaimer: Present journey guidelines and restrictions can change with out discover. The choice to journey is in the end your duty. Contact your consulate and/or native authorities to substantiate your nationality’s entry and/or any adjustments to journey necessities earlier than touring. Journey Off Path doesn’t endorse touring towards authorities advisories
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