Mexico’s future as a top ten global destination is in jeopardy
Photo Credit: Mexico's Tourism Secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu, speaking at the Tianguis Turistico Mexican tourism conference. Flickr.com / Gabriel Flores Romero
Skift Take
The headlines on border violence, cruise tours having trouble and other similar reports in media are not just sensationalist, there are real issues here that the country needs to address.
Mexico's top tourism official said the country may drop out of the world's top 10 tourist destinations, a spot it has held for years.
Tourism Secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu hasn't said why the drop occurred, but there were declines in 2012 in two areas that have been affected by violence: border tourism and cruise ship stopovers.
The number of cruise ship passengers stopping in Mexico dropped 3 percent in 2012 and more than 15 percent over the past two years. The number of border visitors dropped 5.3 percent in 2012, according to Tourism Department figures.
Mexican border cities such as Reynosa and Nuevo Laredo have experienced continued waves of drug cartel violence, and a number of cruise operators have dropped port cal
