Monthly Items of Interest

Foreign tourists shrug off Mexico drug violence

Agence France-Presse

1:27 am | Tuesday, February 14th, 2012 

 Despite the violence of organized crime, the number of foreign travelers to Mexico in 2011 was 2 percent higher than in 2010.

MEXICO CITY—Ignoring gruesome news stories of ongoing drug violence, Mexico for the third consecutive year saw an increase in foreign visitors, government tourism figures out Monday showed.

Some 22.6 million foreigners visited Mexico in 2011, just slightly less than the record 23 million in 2008, the office of Tourism Secretary Gloria Guevara said in a statement.

The figure is two percent higher than 2010, and 5.7 percent higher than 2009, the statement said.

Tourism is Mexico’s third-most important source of hard currency, after oil exports and remittances by Mexicans living abroad.

Foreign tourists last year also spent more money, on average $158 per day – a seven percent increase over 2010 figures, which had been the record high.

Mexico’s main source of foreign visitors is the United States, which saw a three percent drop in 2011 compared to the previous year.

However, there was a seven percent increase in Canadian visitors to 1.7 million, the figures showed.

Mexico saw a 55 percent increase in visitors from Russia; a 13 percent increase from Italy; and a 10 percent increase from France.

Mexico is also the most important tourist destination for Latin Americans, the statement read.

3 February 2012: Colonia San Antonio Establishes Neighborhood Watch. A security meeting was held in Colonia San Antonio today.  At its peak, we estimate that between 50 and 60 people attended and that between 10% and 15% of those present were members of the foreign community. Two officers from the uniformed police conducted the meeting. It resulted in an agreement to form a neighborhood watch in the area. Much of the meeting was devoted to a discussion about the administration of the watch program (the nuts and bolts of how the program works.) Essentially, it is a program of neighbors looking out for neighbors, reporting criminal activity to the police, police responding to emergency calls and increasing patrols in selected areas. Several residents agreed to serve as focal points for the local program. The interaction between the residents and the police was upbeat and positive and both sides pledged to work together to make the program a success. The police have helped set up other watch programs in the city and will work with other neighborhoods interested in establishing such programs.

2 February 2012:  There appears to be an up tick of graffiti in several San Miguel neighborhoods.  Some of the graffiti may be the work of kids just out for fun with a spray can, but youth gangs use graffiti to communicate with their members and with rival gangs and individuals use it to intimidate adversaries and for other less than innocent purposes. The city will remove graffiti very quickly when it is reported. If you see graffiti, send an email with the street address or a good description of the location of the structure where the graffiti can be found to either of the two following address <<  javiercerritos@sanmiguelallende.gob.mx  >> or to Fernanda Esparza at << relacionesinternacionales@sanmiguelallende.gob.mx >>.  Your report can be in either English or Spanish.