Indiana University students planning to travel to Mexico for spring break week after next should pay attention to travel advisories posted by the U.S. State Department deeming certain parts of the country more dangerous than others.
This is due to the death last week of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader, which sparked violence in a variety of Mexican states.
According to the State Department’s travel advisories, as of Tuesday only two states in Mexico were at a level 1 travel advisory, which entails exercising regular safety precautions. Most of the states in Mexico are between a level 2 advisory, which means to increase caution if traveling to such states, to a level 4 which is the highest advisory and means do not travel to such areas.
Christina Griffiths of AAA Hoosier Motor Club shares advice for those planning a trip to Mexico. Griffiths said travelers should get in touch with their hotel, airline, cruise line or travel agent to keep up to date on the status of their trip.
The State Department has a Smart Traveler Enrollment Program that travelers can sign up for that sends safety updates, she said. Griffiths said people may also want to consider obtaining travelers insurance that can aid with potential cancellations and medical emergencies.
Mexico, specifically Cancun, is one of the top spring break destinations, she said. Cancun is in the state of Quintana Roo. According to the State Department, as of Tuesday the state of Quintana Roo had a level 2 advisory.
“We are expecting a lot of people, at least, were planning on going to Mexico, and so now how much of that changes we'll kind of see over the next few weeks,” Griffiths said.
IU student Peyton Tattersfield and his roommates are currently planning to go to Cancun for spring break. Tattersfield said they are keeping up to date on of the status and have backup plans if needed.
Their travel package gives them up to three days before the start of the trip to cancel to get their money back, he said.
“So if we do end up canceling, because it's still dangerous by the time it's like March 15, the only thing we really lose is our money that we paid for our flights,” he said.
Tattersfield grew up in Mexico City and when he heard the news of violence texted his friends in Mexico City to make sure they were okay.
“When I lived there my whole life, I never had one problem with anything, anything like this,” Tattersfield said. “I feel like this is like a, like a needle in the haystack. It's like a one-time thing. It's a very unique situation right now.”
