Students must decide if a trip to sunny Mexico is worth the risk of a travel warning and rising violence with Spring Break right around the corner.

 

With over 100,000 teenagers and young adults traveling over the border and into Mexico for Spring Break each year, according to US Department of Travel, the “increase in violence” including “Mexican and foreign bystanders be[ing] injured or killed in violent attacks in cities across the country” and “dozens of U.S. citizens be[ing] kidnapped across Mexico” may cause some students to rethink this destination as a Spring Break party place.

As explained in the US Department of Travel’s Alert Mexican drug cartels are battling not only between each other, but also with local police to secure narcotic trafficking routes along the United States Mexico Border. The attacks are said to resemble, “small-unit combat, with cartels employing automatic weapons and grenades.”

Arizona’s universities have all issued a warning similar to the Department of Travel’s. University of Arizona Dean of Students, Dr. Carol Thompson, wrote, “The University of Arizona Dean of Students Office strongly advises students to avoid travel to Mexico at this time and during Spring Break.”

Some students aren’t worried

However, some students such as John Paul Devers, a junior at University of Arizona, feel comfortable enough to continue with their plans to travel to Mexico. “My parents own a condo in Rocky Point, it’s for tourists and I know my way around,” says Devers, who will travel to Mexico for the third year in a row for spring break.

Devers is not incredulous of the news reports telling of violence and dangers. “I see it as a real problem,” Devers admits. “It kind of scares me, but I’m going to treat this like it’s any other trip, only maybe be a little bit more cautious.”

Devers, along with other students in Arizona and across the nation cannot ignore the truth of the violence, but he does not see it as a direct threat.  “I don’t think they are overreacting, I just know how to stay safe,” says Devers, who is excitedly counting down to his long-awaited vacation. “I’m just not going to go looking for cocaine or hookers.”

Devers’ view of the threat the violence poses to tourists is similar to that of Doreen McDonald, owner of Your Personal Travel Service in Prescott. “I would not hesitate to send a group of college students to Puerto Penasco,” says McDonald.

Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point)

Puerto Penasco, also known as Rocky Point, the most accessible beach for Arizona students, and according to McDonald is miles from the core of the cartel violence, and has increased security since the travel alert was issued.

“It’s only 65 miles south of the border, heavily traveled, and feels safer. Drug Lords aren’t patrolling there,” says McDonald.

“More than 1,800 people have been killed in the city since January 2008.”

Despite McDonald’s confidence in the safety of Rocky Point, she says that she has seen the affect of the alert and rising violence on Mexico’s tourism. “We did not have t he bookings for Mexico this year,” says McDonald, comparing this year to the past. “Let’s put it this way, I’ve had about three for spring break this year, about 1 percent of other years.”

Ciudad Juarez

Both McDonald and the Department of Travel advisory specifically mentioned the violence in Ciudad Juarez, where as the travel alert states, “more than 1,800 people have been killed in the city since January 2008.  Additionally, this city of 1.6 million people experienced more than 17,000 car thefts and 1,650 carjackings in 2008.”

Ciudad Juarez lies 417 miles from Puerto Penasco, which is Devers’ destination and in McDonald’s opinion the safest tourist spot in Mexico. This distance is greater then that from Phoenix, AZ to Los Angeles, CA, or a six hour drive.

Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard says safety concerns around Puerto Peñasco are at a “far lesser degree” than other areas such as Nogales, Juarez and Tijuana. “They are worlds away,” says McDonald comparing the “red border zone” or dangerous cities, and Puerto Peñasco.

Some are staying away

Some students see things in quite a different way than Devers though. College student Danielle Baughman says, “If there weren’t warnings there, I would definitely consider going there, but with all the stuff going on, I wouldn’t choose to go there right now.”

This, along with a post from student Bobby1 on an azcentral.com news article about Spring Breakers ignoring the warnings show that for some, at least, the warnings have hit home. “Mexico for Spring Break? Why even chance it,” he says.

For the students who do choose to travel to Mexico, the U.S. Department of Travel offers a list of things to “Know Before You Go.”  This list includes Mexican laws on required documentation, drug and alcohol consumption, driving laws, and firearm and weapon laws.

“If I could counsel tourists on anything, it would be on the importance of proper documentation and keeping up with those changing laws,” says McDonald.

In addition to this, the U.S. Department of Travel’s notification emphasizes the importance of traveling in numbers, staying in well lit areas, and staying in places that are well populated with tourists and security.

sight make a movie

barbie fairytopia friends movie

small town folk movie crew

creepshow 2 movie characters

stone cold new movie

babylon ad kids movie

tracey fragments the once movie

shutter once movie

mr hobbs takes a vacation personalize movie

chop shop college movie