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Despite rising crime rates in numerous spots across the Caribbean, which have led U.S. authorities to issue stark travel warnings, putting travelers on high alert, a recent update leads us to believe Cancun is still one of the safest beach destinations not only in Mexico but the entire transnational region.
America’s go-to sunny getaway, Cancun is a bustling coastal hub with a well-developed Hotel Zone, lined with every international hospitality brand you can possibly think of, and best known for its riotous nightlife – part of the reason the Mayan Riviera is a favorite among young party seekers.
Interestingly, while other Caribbean destinations have been losing prestige during an apparent surge in violence, Cancun is keeping security tight:
The Safest Caribbean Beach Resort Destination
In a bid to maintain Cancun’s status as one of the safest Caribbean resorts, authorities in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, where the city is located, have gone above and beyond to ensure criminals are dealt with properly.
While Jamaica has enacted numerous States of Emergency over the past year, and numerous cities on the Colombian Caribbean coast have yet to win their war against organized crime, security in Cancun has been continuously reinforced since early 2022.
Back then, Quintana Roo officials deployed not only local police but the military to certain parts of the Mayan Riviera amid concerning reports that gang activity had become rampant in non-touristy Mexican states, particularly those close to the U.S. border.
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Their goal was to nip it in the bud before the situation spiraled out of control, similarly to the aforementioned Jamaica, where up to 9 out of 14 parishes are considered unsafe for visitors.
They’ve been successful in their endeavor, as crime rates in the state, particularly murders, are down by 34 percent.
Drones To Add To Cancun’s Tight Surveillance
As if that weren’t enough, the new ‘Shielding for Cancun’ operation, set to commence over the summer period when arrival figures will climb, will see drones being used for heightened surveillance between the months of July and August.
On top of law enforcers on the ground and CCTV cameras in critical sites, the technology will be used to scour the streets from high up, making Cancun possibly the most well-guarded and safe city in the wider Caribbean.
In total, five state-of-the-art drones will be purchased, equipped with night vision features and the power to fly for extensive periods of time, longer than your usual commercial drone.
While downtown Cancun is already as safe as can be, taking into account its notoriety as a tourist destination, the drones would only improve safety parameters further.
Crime can still occur in Cancun, like anywhere else hosting a large influx of foreign guests, seen as easy prey by pickpockets and scammers, but instances where violent crimes are registered are rather uncommon, particularly in the heavily-fortified Hotel Zone.
Granted, at times, the gang violence usually restricted to the peripheral zone spills over onto central Cancun, as proved last year when a number of killings occurred in tourist areas. Fortunately, those have been exclusively related to turf wars.
As unorthodox as it might sound, drug gangs rely on tourist dollars to keep the economy going, and they will do everything in their power to avoid ruining Americans’ vacations while still going about their daily business.
Americans Are Not The Target
Recently, a kidnapping and murder that took place in Matamoros, a small town bordering the state of Texas, caused a media furor in the United States once it was confirmed victims were merely visitors to Mexico and had no involvement whatsoever in illicit activities.
Gang commanders in the area were quick to denounce the act and allegedly ‘took care‘ of the wrongdoers before the police had a chance to intervene while issuing an apology and reassuring Americans they were not a target.
When it comes to Cancun, specifically, no tourist deaths resulting from violence have been registered in a long while.
Much like bigger cities in the State, Cancun is bound to experience more issues with urban safety, though no municipal body has gone to such great lengths to guarantee a tourist’s chances of being affected are this minimal, not North of the border, and certainly not anywhere else in the Caribbean.
Every tourist season, security is usually ramped up. Summer 2023 will be no different, and the acquisition of drones is yet more proof that Cancun does not play around when it comes to keeping ahead of the competition.
Besides focusing merely on new hotel openings and improving tourist infrastructure, Cancun leaders know urban safety must be upheld, first and foremost, and that is precisely what sets the Mayan Riviera apart from other Caribbean vacay spots.
Last year, Cancun Airport welcomed over 30 million arrivals, and it’s expected to shatter a whole bunch of records once again when the yearly count is up this December.
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This article originally appeared on outoftownblogs.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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