Most major tourism sites in Mexico excluded in latest U.S. State Dept. travel warning

While the new warning does not apply to most tourism destinations, it does continue to caution against nonessential travel to areas within 19 of Mexico's 32 states due to continued narcotics-related violence in Mexico, particularly in areas near the U.S.-Mexico border. The State Department said there are no travel advisories for Mexico City, Cancun, Riviera Maya, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Merida, Tulum, Chichen Itza, Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Guadalajara, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit, Oaxaca, Huatulco, Villahermosa, San Miguel de Allende and Leon. ------------------------ FULL State Dept warning, pasted below: November 20, 2012 The Department of State has issued this Travel Warning to inform U.S. citizens about the security situation in Mexico. General information on the overall security situation is provided immediately below. For information on security conditions in specific regions of Mexico, which can vary, travelers should reference the state-by-state assessments further below. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning for Mexico dated February 8, 2012 to consolidate and update information about the security situation and to advise the public of additional restrictions on the travel of U.S. government (USG) personnel. General Conditions: Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year for study, tourism, and business, including more than 150,000 who cross the border every day. The Mexican government makes a considerable effort to protect U.S. citizens and other visitors to major tourist destinations, and there is no evidence that Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) have targeted U.S. visitors and residents based on their nationality. Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major trafficking routes. Nevertheless, U.S. travelers should be aware that the Mexican government has been engaged in an extensive effort to counter TCOs which engage in narcotics trafficking and other unlawful activities throughout Mexico. The TCOs themselves are engaged in a violent struggle to control drug trafficking routes and other criminal activity. As a result, crime and violence are serious problems throughout the country and can occur anywhere. U.S. citizens have fallen victim to TCO activity, including homicide, gun battles, kidnapping, carjacking and highway robbery. According to