COLUMNS

There's No Need to Panic Over the Mexico Travel Warning

Aug 31, 2017 | 08:00 GMT

Mexican federal police patrol the beach in Cancun, a resort town rarely touched by violence. But recent drug cartel battle there have resulted in spillover violence that left some tourists dead.

The Mexican federal police patrol a beach in Cancun, Mexico, on Jan. 18, 2017, the day after a shooting occurred in a nightclub. A feud between drug gangs left three tourists dead.

(STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Travelers who keep an eye on the U.S. State Department warnings may know by now that it has issued cautions for the Mexican states of Quintana Roo and Baja California Sur. The addition of those states to its periodic updates of travel dangers caused a significant stir, largely because they are the homes to two of Mexico's most popular resorts: Cancun and Cabo San Lucas. It is not surprising that these states were included the warning, which was issued Aug. 22. As Mexico's powerful drug cartels have splintered, a spiral of crime and violence has enveloped all parts of the country, to include its storied resorts. However, I believe that by understanding what drives the violence, and the types of the incidents that result, companies operating in Mexico and travelers to the country can avoid most of it....

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