LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The U.S. State Department has issued varying levels of travel warnings for Mexico, with some states under “Do Not Travel” advisories and others carrying no warning at all, after the take down of a drug kingpin sparked violence in the Puerto Vallarta region and as spring break approaches for many college students.
A State Department map shows the highest-concern areas include Sinaloa and Zacatecas, which carry “Do Not Travel” designations. The Yucatán and Campeche regions carry no warning.
Puerto Vallarta concerns
The U.S. government is now warning travelers to reconsider plans to travel to the Mexican state of Jalisco, where Puerto Vallarta is located. As of late Monday, officials were still warning U.S. government employees to shelter in the popular tourist destination.
Jonathan Jacobs, a vacation specialist based in Las Vegas, said he has groups of clients in Puerto Vallarta now and that resort security has responded to the situation.
“The resorts that we have chosen to send people to have handled this really well in their in-house security,” Jacobs said.
Jacobs said some of his clients reported seeing smoke from the balconies of their hotels.
“I mean, honestly, it is scary. I’m scared for my clients because you don’t really know what truly is going on,” Jacobs said.
Other destinations seeing normal activity
Jacobs said other tourist destinations, including Cabo and Cancún, are not experiencing similar disruptions.
“There was nothing going on there. People have been on the beach all day,” Jacobs said.
Advice for travelers with upcoming plans
Jacobs said most of his clients with upcoming trips are taking a wait-and-see approach rather than canceling outright.
“The majority of the people are in a wait-and-see mode. They know it’s going to come back to a normal situation pretty quickly,” Jacobs said.
For travelers with trips weeks or months out, Jacobs suggested waiting until closer to the departure date before making cancellation decisions. He also recommended purchasing travel insurance.
The State Department advises travelers planning trips to Mexico to check the latest travel advisories, enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for alerts, stay in tourist areas, and keep family members informed of their itinerary.
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