The drug violence that has plagued Mexico since the country began its crackdown on cartels six years ago, and unsolved killings like that of Canadian businessman Daniel Dion, undoubtedly harm the country's efforts to attract visitors. What's remarkable – and welcome news – is that while a great deal of attention abroad is focused on the violence, Canadian tourists have a sophisticated understanding of the conditions in the country.
According to Mexican government figures, the total number of Canadian tourist visits to Mexico in 2005 was 675,216. By 2009, the number had nearly doubled to 1,222,739. This year is on pace to shatter last year's record. What's more, in 2006, Canada contributed 8.8 per cent of the tourists visiting Mexico; in 2010, Canada – still the second most important market – represents 14.6 per cent while the United States fell from 62.9 per cent to 61 per cent of the total, no doubt a result of the faltering U.S. economy.
While the Canadian government has issued a travel advisory urging its nationals to “exercise a high degree of caution” when travelling to Mexico, tourists have been undeterred, recognizing that most of the violence is confined to a handful of states, particularly those bordering the United States. Indeed, if you look at the total number of Canadian visitors, on a per capita basis, more Canadians were killed in China and Thailand in 2007, than in Mexico, according to figures provided by Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Many Mexican states have murder rates at or below the rate in the U.S., and The Economist reported recently that, based on official government figures, “Yucatán, where tourists snorkel with whale sharks, sees fewer killings per person than Canada.”
Mexico does not only share a continent with Canada, it is a strong ally and trading partner in NAFTA. Canada has a tremendous investment in Mexico's success, and that success depends not only on Mexico's security, but on the strength of its economy. The country has come through the recession strongly. It provides the most welcoming environment for business in Latin America, as noted in this space Friday. But given the continuing importance of tourism to Mexico, with 8.2 per cent of its GDP coming from tourism (the third highest in the OECD, after Spain and Portugal), and with 6.7 per cent of its work force engaged in it, the level-headedness of the Canadian tourist is welcome.
