Canadians Visiting and Living in Mexico Feel Secure; Invite Foreigners to "See For Yourself"

Canadian National Reporter Visiting Mexico Says "Calm Down, Mexico's Safer Than You Think"

MEXICO CITY, Feb. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released today by Marca Pais – Imagen de Mexico:

Mexico, like all countries, has isolated and unfortunate instances of tourists facing incidents while vacationing and we take every incident seriously. But these isolated incidents have not stopped the more than 22.67 million tourists to come to Mexico last year – out of which 1.6 million happen to be Canadian. And neither have stopped the thousands of Canadians who live and/or work in Mexico and are still enjoying the vibrant economy, modern infrastructure and cultural attractions that the country has to offer.

Canadians' Experiences via a Calgary Herald Article

In a recent Calgary Herald article, several Canadians contributed to it by sharing their personal experiences, including 66-year-old Calgarian Maureen McLeod, who has lived several years in Mexico with her family since 1979. McLeod said, "We feel safe here, but we don't take foolish chances. We are aware that there have been times when a Canadian has been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that kind of thing also happens in Canada."

Dustin Wilcox from Ontario also wrote, "I'm a Canadian living in Guadalajara. My experience has been nothing but enjoyable and secure. I can't recall when I didn't feel 100% safe in this city." Canadian Toni St. Clair also wrote, "I lived in Mexico City for a year in 2007 and was never faced with violence."

Calgarian Brent McAthey also contributed with his experience in the article and wrote, "When I was 15 years old I went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with a buddy and his parent. I loved it and have returned every year for the last 29 years, with longer and longer stays each time. I now spend 10 months a year in Mazatlan, own a house, and I am also an entertainer, and have managed to figure out how to make a living here." McAthey added, "We cannot understand why the media up north has projected such a bad image of such an incredible place. It's unfair. I have always felt safe here. I have traveled the world with my music, and can honestly say this is one of the safest places I have ever been."

Canadian Frank Lai also contributed with his experience and said, "Unfortunately, the few violent crimes involving foreigners have been overblown by the media. In our view, they were isolated incidents, and not truly reflective of the fabulous life enjoyed by residents, snowbirds and tourists alike." Lai added, "We invite you to visit Mazatlan and see for yourself. You will be impressed by a myriad of smiling faces and stunning sceneries that is the 'Pearl of the Pacific,' he concluded.

Canadian Reporter from Ottawa: "Crack a cerveza and calm down - Mexico's safer than you think"

Canadian national columnist for Postmedia News Stephen Maher also shared his safety insights and how much he enjoyed his time in Playa del Carmen located south of Cancun on the coast of the Caribbean Sea. In a recent article he wrote for Canada.com, Maher shared how different and enjoyable Mexico is once you get to visit and put safety in Mexico into perspective.

"Mexico is not a place. It is a bunch of places, and some of them are safer than places in Canada."

"I had a great time in Yucatan province last week, inland from Playa del Carmen. We rented a car and drove to Chichen Itza, which is stunning, and spent a happy night at a fiesta among the welcoming people of the colonial city of Valladolid [sp], watching proud young people dancing in beautiful, hand-embroidered clothes," Maher wrote. And when comparing Mexico and Canada's safety, he stated, "The murder rate in Yucatan is 2 per 100,000. Thunder Bay's murder rate is 4.2 per 100,000. The expatriates I spoke to in the lovely beachside bars of Tulum, down the coast from Cancun, are more worried about potholes than being murdered. In Canada, we have nine road fatalities per year per 100,000 inhabitants. Compare that number to the number of Canadians murdered in Mexico, and you have to come to the conclusion that crime in Mexico is not worth thinking about very much."

Maher wraps up his article by saying, "Mexico is amazing. The chances of anything bad happening to you there are small," he concluded.

Canadians Enjoying Downtown Mexico City

Positive experiences from Canadians are many as MexicoToday.org also caught on video from visiting downtown Mexico City where Canadians were among the majority of international tourists -- together with Polish and Americans in a recent weekend:

•  A group of Canadians, led by the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), were part of a Mayan multi-site tour as part of a recent Mayan exhibition the ROM did in Canada.
• A Canadian theatrical performer from Toronto wondered around the streets of Polanco after participating in the musical "Mary Poppins" for the past two weeks. She enjoyed a "lovely" time as she states in this video.
• A Canadian man named David who has lived in Mexico with his wife for more than five years considers Mexico "a treasure" and says "it is very safe in Mexico"
• A Canadian student planning to stay until June in Mexico felt "safe" and is "really enjoying himself" with a group of other 10 students coming from Canada.

Canadians Volunteering at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara

Last year, two Canadians, Geoff Fink and Tyler Ffrench, were among a group of North American volunteers who kindly volunteered to make the Pan American Games – the world's second largest sports event after the Olympics – a success in Guadalajara.

Canadians also flocked the headquarters of the Pan American Games as they met with Mexican organizers to share best practices as Toronto will become the next site of the Games. In fact, the Toronto Tourism and Conventions Association's communications director Andrew Weir and the Canadian Olympics Committee's communications coordinator Riley Denver shared their positive experiences while in Mexico.

Mexico is a modern, G-20 nation, with ancient Mayan ruins, beautiful beaches, stunning natural beauty, and the second largest economy in Latin America. This year, because it is 2012 and the year of the Mayan prophecies, Mexico is receiving tourists from all over the world who want to visit the Mayan sites at Palenque, Tulum, Chichen Itza, and elsewhere. Mexico is also a rich nation blessed with abundant natural resources and has become one of Canada's leading trade partners. There is so much to explore in Mexico, and we thank the more than 10 million visitors Mexico welcomed at the end of 2011 alone for visiting our country.

SOURCE Marca Pais - Imagen de Mexico