Tucson News NowMexico travel alert hurting local businesses

Mexico travel alert hurting local businesses

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By Carissa Planalp - email
The State Department's advisory comes as many Arizona students are preparing for spring break. The State Department's advisory comes as many Arizona students are preparing for spring break.
TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -

A travel alert issued by the State Department claims Americans have been victims of drug violence including killings, kidnappings, and carjackings south of the border.  The advisory might put a damper on some travel plans to Mexico, but it's really wreaking havoc on local businesses.

San Xavier Mexico Insurance has been insuring motorists heading south for more than thirty years.  The upcoming rodeo week is one of the most profitable times of the year when kids get a break from school and families head to Mexico for a quick trip.

This year business is lagging.

"This year it could be diminished by at least about 50% for that week because they hit it so hard," says owner Robert Acosta.  He says the recent travel advisory urging Americans to avoid more than a dozen states in Mexico has some clients staying home this season.

"We have not had one client call us, write us, send us an email telling us they've been affected by any of the problems that are going on on the border."

Michael Huhn with Desert Divers is also frustrated by a shorter client list.

"Business in Mexico is off about 58% since the beginning of Mexico getting in the news," says Huhn.  It's the widest Mexico travel warning since the drug war heated up in 2006.  An advisory last April only spanned two Mexican states.

Huhn is doing his best to ease customer concerns.

"Nogales is one of the places in the travel alert.  The route that we take to San Carlos allows us to drive around Nogales and not through it."

The advisory comes as many University of Arizona students are preparing for spring break.  Some of them are not worried about the alert.

"Not usually because I tend to stay in places that aren't too dangerous, so no concerns," says student Emmi Edwards.  She's been visiting Mexico for spring break for the past six years.  This year she will be going to Cabo San Lucas.

"Definitely travel in numbers and don't go to sketchy places at night.  Usually I tend to stay around areas where I'm staying in like the hotels."

Copyright 2012 Tucson News Now.  All rights reserved.

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