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jerezano

Mar 16, 2011, 9:21 AM

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How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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Hello all,

Ouch! The "Sol de Zacatecas" reported this morning, March 16th, that 130 of the 200 hotels registered in the Hotel Union are at the point of bankruptcy. Hotel occupancy here in the City of Zacatecas is at 25% and those hotels cannot continue operating with that occupancy rate.

How is the narco violence affecting your region?

Hasta luego, jerezano

Casa

Mar 16, 2011, 11:13 AM

Post #2 of 66 (3197 views)

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Re: [jerezano] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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"The United States Olympic Committee promised to have a security plan in place before sending athletes to the Pan American Games this year in Guadalajara, which is engulfed in a deepening drug war.

The violence in Mexico's second biggest city has raised concerns about Guadalajara's ability to host thousands of athletes and tens of thousands of fans from across the Americas at the October 14-30 Pan American Games

The build-up to the Pan Am Games has been marred by violence as drug cartels battle for control of the host city.
Guadalajara has been the scene of escalating fighting with gangs attacking bars, police stations, hijacking cars and and blocking major roads and highways."

Rolly

Mar 16, 2011, 11:58 AM

Post #3 of 66 (3175 views)

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Re: [jerezano] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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My area has never been a tourist destination, so the drug wars have not changed that.

I was stunned to read this in Borderland Beat this morning:

Last year [2010], the Comarca Lagunera region that is located in Torreón, Coahuila, Gomez Palacio and Lerdo, Durango, was the second most violent place in Mexico after Ciudad Juarez, with 689 drug-related killings.

I don't think I believe that second place designation.

BTW, the article is a thought-provoking portrait of an army general who is a very gung-ho gang fighter.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

chinagringo

Mar 16, 2011, 12:00 PM

Post #4 of 66 (3173 views)

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Re: [jerezano] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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I would presume that there are others like ourselves who have altered our normal travel patterns due to narco violence. We typically have spent one Zacatecas night in each direction traveling New Mexico to central Mexico. Not so much the negative reports coming out of the immediate Zacatecas area but those coming out of Chihuahua, Torreon and the highways in between that have convinced us to fly into Guadalajara rather than drive. Granted none of our typical hotels will get rich off our four nights of hotel stays but even with the higher airfares, it is almost a wash cost wise when one keeps track of the costs for hotels, restaurants, gas, tolls, etc. We will miss our enjoyable stays in centro Zacatecas but it is all about our "personal comfort zone"!
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

Mar 16, 2011, 2:21 PM

Post #5 of 66 (3152 views)

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Re: [Casa] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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Wow, Casa, That is heavy. I noticed quotation marks around your post, but you do not cite your source. Please do so. Thanks, T

Mar 16, 2011, 2:28 PM

Post #6 of 66 (3146 views)

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Re: [Rolly] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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Rolly, I think Borderland Beats provides some good info, on occasion. Please notice their laundry list of disclaimers, though. We cannot fall into the trap of any site that preseumes to offer factual information on the drug wars in Mexico. I live in Ajijic, which will soon be a suburb of GDL and things have been quiet here for the last three weeks. Quiet, or the cartels have taken over GDL. How do we know? How will we ever know? Pretty frustrating. We just have to live our lives and report our personal experiences. Cannot believe the media here any more than you can in the States. T

Casa

Mar 16, 2011, 2:40 PM

Post #7 of 66 (3143 views)

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Re: [T] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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In Reply To

Wow, Casa, That is heavy. I noticed quotation marks around your post, but you do not cite your source. Please do so. Thanks, T

It is a hyper link so if you click it the whole article should open right up......

chinagringo

Mar 16, 2011, 3:39 PM

Post #8 of 66 (3120 views)

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Re: [T] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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Instead of "regurgitating" the common disclaimer often made by those that have a vested interest in keeping the news on the "QT", you might try checking their sources when provided. In all my time following BORDERLAND BEAT, I could probably count on two hands (10 fingers) those stories that have not been confirmed or documented elsewhere.

Ajijic may soon become a suburb of Guadalajara but you best not promote that concept. Try reading the daily news out of Guadalajara once every so often to get a grip on exactly what is going on there. Narco violence happens virtually every day in the big city!
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

Reefhound

Mar 16, 2011, 5:10 PM

Post #9 of 66 (3088 views)

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Re: [T] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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So give us a few examples where BB's info has been not true.

skier14

Mar 16, 2011, 5:38 PM

Post #10 of 66 (3075 views)

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Re: [Reefhound] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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Did anyone else notice the article (I can´t remember where on the web) about US drones being used to track the cartels? Could this lead to retaliation?

Rolly

Mar 16, 2011, 5:42 PM

Post #11 of 66 (3074 views)

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Re: [skier14] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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Could this lead to retaliation?
By whom against whom?

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

smokesilver

Mar 16, 2011, 6:20 PM

Post #12 of 66 (3061 views)

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Re: [Rolly] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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It appears that maybe the General was moved 'out of the way'. The US needs this guy in Afghanistan. Gen Patraeus is covered with to many 'feel good' medals to suit this old GI.

chinagringo

Mar 16, 2011, 6:32 PM

Post #13 of 66 (3054 views)

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Re: [skier14] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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If the US has the technology and Mexico is mart enough to recognize the value, then what is wrong? Personally I am not happy with the methodology that the US has used in general but sometimes small steps forward are positive!

Personally, I was very dissapointed when they announced that the mayor, the police chief and city council member of Columbus, NM were only up for a five year max sentences for their alleged straw purchases of weapons. The only good thing so for is that they did not grant them bail provisions and they are still in jail!
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

skier14

Mar 16, 2011, 6:34 PM

Post #14 of 66 (3054 views)

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Re: [Rolly] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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The article was from Boarderland beat. Retaliation by cartels against things or persons American.

bfwpdx

Mar 17, 2011, 6:54 AM

Post #15 of 66 (2969 views)

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Re: [jerezano] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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We left our winter home at Lake Chapala the first of March, traveling up highway 15 to Nogales. We stopped one night in Navajoa at the pet friendly Best Western. Usually, if we don't book they can be full when we arrive at 6PM so we booked. No need as our pooches were the only ones in there. In fact the place looked deserted. The highways were very quiet, we only saw one group of 3 RVs heading back to Canada. Otherwise never saw one on the highway. When we got back home my son's friend's mom had just returned from a 4 month RV trip through Mexico and she reported that the campgrounds were "dead". Nobody there. This winter most of our BC friends stayed home. We were the only ones who drove down....

Rolly

Mar 17, 2011, 11:56 AM

Post #16 of 66 (2901 views)

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Re: [smokesilver] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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"It appears that maybe the General was moved 'out of the way'."

Not at all. He was not transfered; he is retired from the army. He was offered a better job in QR.
Damn sorry to see him go.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

smokesilver

Mar 17, 2011, 1:16 PM

Post #17 of 66 (2875 views)

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Re: [Rolly] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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That's good news. It would appear that he will be an asset whereever he goes.

Altahabana

Mar 17, 2011, 4:45 PM

Post #18 of 66 (2835 views)

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Re: [Rolly] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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In 2003 Nuevo Laredo was the first city in Mexico to experience open inter-cartel fighting when the Sinaloa cartel, led by the now infamous Edgar "La Barbie" Villarreal tried to take control of the Plaza from the Gulf Cartel which was in a state of transition because of the arrest of Osiel Cardenas. NL historically had a thriving day tourist industry attracting tens of thousands annually from Texas who would come to shop. The Gulf-Sinaloa war literally destroyed this important segment of the local economy and it has not come back. Now you rarely see gringos walking around in the downtown area, although the downtown area has never experienced any real narco-violence.

I too think Borderland Beat is a good resource for anyone who wants some insight into what is actually happening. Many of their stories, especially the more analytic ones, are borrowed from established media sources. The editors of Borderland exhibit a bit more restaint than their counterparts at Blog del Narco, but they still provide a visual portrait of the brutality and sheer barbarity that is involved.

playaboy

Mar 18, 2011, 7:28 AM

Post #19 of 66 (2740 views)

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Re: [jerezano] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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Cancun and the Riviera Maya are having a great High Season. Hotels are having good occupancy, restaurants and bars are hopping and the beach is full of people having a good time.

This area has very little narco violence going on and the stuff that happens doesn't get reported (which is a good thing).

Moisheh

Mar 20, 2011, 4:54 PM

Post #20 of 66 (2474 views)

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Re: [playaboy] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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Most of the campgrounds in Mexico are less than half full. There are CG's in Mazatlan that are full up every year. This season one of them is almost deserted. Kino, San Carlos and Penasco have not suffered as much. You dont have to drive through Sinaloa to get to Sonora!! If things do not change by next season many of the CG's will just close ! We have driven North from Kino about 5 times this season. Hardly any RV traffic. Very few caravans. The CG's that are beach front will probably sell the property to some scummy condo developer!

Moisheh

DavidHF

Mar 20, 2011, 7:55 PM

Post #21 of 66 (2427 views)

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Re: [Moisheh] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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How you could possibley know that "most" of the campgrounds in Mexico are less than half-full is a mystery, did you visit "most" of them? Here at Lakeside the Snowbirds are back in flocks, traffic is a mess and the restaurants are busy. Way more snowbirds than last year. So I guess that not all Canadians are going to AZ or FL. Thankfully it will be Easter soon and we can return to "Canadian Savings Time."

Bennie García

Mar 20, 2011, 10:18 PM

Post #22 of 66 (2399 views)

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Re: [DavidHF] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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I don't know about Lake Chapala but I know the owner of the RV park in Melaque and she had a poor season. Less RVs and the ones that did come, came later and stayed less time.

Same goes for tourism in general on the Jalisco coast.

Moisheh

Mar 21, 2011, 5:10 AM

Post #23 of 66 (2378 views)

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Re: [DavidHF] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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David: My info comes from other RV'rs and CG owners. Chapala is not exactly a haven for Rv'rs. One CG in Maz has more spaces than in all of Chapala. Many experienced Rv'rs just stayed away this year. So you are basing your comments on one small region??

Moisheh

playaboy

Mar 21, 2011, 9:11 AM

Post #24 of 66 (2320 views)

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Re: [Moisheh] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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I have traveled around this season in my RV and have been to many parks. They are not doing well and occupancy is way down.

I believe that RV travelers are an infinitesimal number in the tourism business in Mexico. There are more people flying into Cancun in a day than all the RVers in all of Mexico during a year. How many can we be? A couple of thousand?

That said, I believe that the narco violence did affect a large percentage of RVers from making the trip. That hurts the people that service Rvers

DavidHF

Mar 21, 2011, 10:16 AM

Post #25 of 66 (2292 views)

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Re: [Moisheh] How the narco violence is affecting tourism in my region

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This "one small region" gets several thousand snowbirds each season. They drive or fly and stay in their winter homes or rentals. They come in the fall and leave in the spring, usually by Easter.

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