Quick – which national capital has the higher murder rate: Mexico City or Washington, D.C.?

If you answered Mexico City, you’d be in good company – after all, Mexico is a war zone, isn’t it? But you would be wrong, on both counts.

Based on FBI crime statistics for 2010 and Mexican government data released early this year, Mexico City’s drug-related-homicide rate per 100,000 population was one-tenth of Washington’s overall homicide rate – 2.2 deaths per 100,000 population compared with 22. (Drug violence accounts for most murders in Mexico, which historically does not have the gun culture that reigns in the United States.)

And while parts of Mexico can be legitimately likened to a war zone, drug violence afflicts 80 of the country’s 2,400 municipalities (equivalent to counties). Their locations have been well publicized: along the U.S. border in northern Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas states, and south to Sinaloa, Michoacan and parts of San Luis Potosí, Nayarit, Jalisco, Guerrero and Morelos states.

The flip side is that more than 95 percent of Mexico’s municipalities are at least as safe as the average traveler’s hometown. Yucatan state, for example, had 0.1 of a murder for every 100,000 people in 2010 – no U.S. tourist destination comes close to that. Most cities in central Mexico, outside of the scattered drug hot spots, have lower murder rates than Orlando.

It would seem fairly clear – fly, don’t drive, across the border into the safe regions. Yet whenever people say they are going to Mexico, the invariable response is “Aren’t you afraid?”

Media sensationalism accounts for much of the wariness. “Gangland violence in western Mexico” “Journalists under attack in Mexico” and “Mexico mass grave toll climbs” sound as if the entire country were a killing field. The story might name the state, but rarely the town and almost never the neighborhood. And some reporters apparently are confused by the word “municipality” – some of the killings reported as being in Mazatlan, for example, actually happened in a town miles away from the city – akin to attributing East Palo Alto’s slayings to San Francisco.

But the biggest factor may be that travelers looking for a carefree vacation simply find it easier to write the entire country off than to learn what areas to avoid.

The Mexico Tourism Board is working to change that. Efforts so far have concentrated on getting accurate information to travel agents, who funnel the lion’s share of tourism to Mexico’s popular destinations. Independent travelers’ primary source of information is the State Department travel alerts (travel.state.gov), which are finally getting better at pinpointing the trouble spots.

“We are trying to work with U.S. authorities in making these travel alerts specific and not general,” said Rodolfo Lopez Negrete, the tourism board’s chief operating officer. “Unfortunately, they have projected a somewhat distorted image.”

In the meantime, we have done some of the work for you. The chart above recommends destinations for various comfort levels and travel styles. If you’re totally spooked, there are places that pose no more risk than Disneyland. If you’re open-minded but don’t want to take unnecessary risks, we have places safer than Miami, New Orleans or Washington, D.C. For fearless travelers, these sometimes dicey destinations are worth the extra caution.

Tips for traveling safely in Mexico – or anywhere

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/18/TR3O1KLPOQ.DTL#ixzz1VsvvyvHE

read the complete article:  Despite Violence, Mexico Plants Hum at Border – NYTimes.com.

Read the complete interactive article here For Mexicans Looking North, a New Calculus Favors Home – Interactive Feature – NYTimes.com.

This year, Hilton will open a Hilton Garden Inn in Tuxtla Gutierrez; three Doubletree hotels in Queretaro, Merida and Mexico City; and a Hampton Inn in Ciudad del Carmen.

A Hampton Inn in Guadalajara and a Hampton Inn & Suites in Los Cabos will debut in early 2012.

Hilton also has approved five hotel deals in Puerto Vallarta, Saltillo, Toluca, Zacatecas and Queretaro. The hotels are expected to open by the end of 2012.

Hilton Worldwide’s Mexico portfolio is expected to grow from the current 22 hotels and resorts to 34 properties by the end of 2012, according to Massa.

via Hilton Worldwide’s big Mexico expansion under way – Travel Weekly.

For most of the 20th century, Mexicans lamented that when the U.S. economy slowed down, Mexico, ever so dependent on its neighbor to the north, suffered a recession. “When the U.S. gets a cold, Mexico gets pneumonia,” was a familiar saying among officials and executives on both sides of the border.

When the global recession hit in 2008, it seemed the same pattern would hold true again: In 2009, Mexico’s economy contracted 6.1 percent. Mexican officials feared that draconian immigration laws would result in the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Mexicans back to Mexico, where they would face certain unemployment. They also feared a collapse in demand for Mexican exports by recession-hit American consumers.

But the opposite has occurred. Mexico’s economy is enjoying a period of robust growth as a direct result of internal migrations away from the U.S.-Mexico border to mid-size Mexican cities, and the repatriation of investment capital from Mexicans living overseas, primarily in the U.S.

The Central Bank’s Key Role

As the global recession unfolded, Mexican President Felipe Calderon relied on Agustin Carstens, director of the central bank, to steer a financial policy for the nation. The result has been stunning.

Mexico’s gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 5.5 percent in 2010, and it is on track to grow 4.5 percent this year. Carstens is now being mentioned as a leading candidate to take over the International Monetary Fund after Dominique Strauss Kahn’s abrupt resignation. Other equally competent Mexican officials have worked to spur internal economic development. Finance Minister Ernesto Cordero, for instance, has made a point of focusing on internal growth rather than exports.

“It’s much more balanced growth with a much more dynamic domestic sector,” Cordero told reporters in Mexico City recently, emphasizing the Calderon administration’s emphasis on fueling domestic demand.

Middle-Class Resilience

The result has been an invigoration of Mexico’s middle class. Given the sluggishness of the U.S. economy, Mexicans professionals—once lured to the U.S. by Fortune 500 companies— are seeking opportunities in mid-size Mexican cities. This, in turn, is fueling new economic activity and encouraging domestic demand.

In the decade since 9/11, when U.S. officials made it more difficult for Mexican citizens to secure tourist and work visas, Mexicans have opted for alternatives. A case in point is the rapid economic development taking place in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. Unable to send their kids to Orlando, Mexicans have sent them to Cancun. Unable to seek medical care in Miami, they have traveled to Merida. Prevented from purchasing vacation homes in Palm Springs, they have invested in Playa de Carmen.

Where Americans can’t find the money to fill in potholes, Mexico is accepting bids for a new, world-class airport along the 65-mile Cancun-Tulum corridor that is expected to serve 700,000 passengers its first year. While the U.S. had to abandon plans for fast trains that would have linked Tampa-Orlando and New York-Washington, Mexico plans a bullet train that will link Merida’s one million residents to Cancun.

American homes languish unsold for years, while half-million dollar homes are going up in fancy Mexican communities such as the Yucatan Country Club, which boasts a Jack Nicklaus golf course and a Mark Spitz Swimming Academy. This economic vitality is seen in many areas of the country, far removed from the drug-related violence that plagues the border region.

The strength of Mexico’s middle class can also be measured by the maturity of its democratic institutions. In 2000, for instance, Mexico was governed by an authoritarian regime, a single-party state that controlled or co-opted the nation’s socioeconomic and political organizations. In less than a decade it has become a true democracy, one in which the president is from a conservative party (PAN), most of the governors are from a centrist party (PRI) and the country’s largest city—Mexico City—is run by a mayor from a leftist party (PRD). Had anyone predicted in 2000 that this would be political reality in Mexico by 2010, it would have seemed like a fantasy.

Internal Population Shifts

The sluggish U.S. economy and stricter immigration controls are two of the key factors driving the boom. The number of illegal immigrants to the U.S. fell from roughly 850,000 a year in the years before the recession to 300,000 a year from 2007 to 2009, according to a report from the Pew Hispanic Center.

True, many of Mexico’s poorest people still risk their lives to find menial labor in the U.S., but the semi-skilled are finding more opportunities at home. The result has been an internal migration to where the jobs are. Mexico’s Census Bureau, known as INEGI, for instance, reported a 16 percent increase in Yucatan State’s population—almost all of it from people moving in from other parts of Mexico, and not from higher birth rates.

Mexican sociologist M. Bianet Castellanos chronicles the vast influx of Maya migration to the resorts along the Maya Riviera—people who, a generation ago, would have made their way to the agricultural fields of California and the bodegas of New York. They are finding better jobs in Mexico than they would in the U.S.—and without risking their lives at the hands of human traffickers, U.S. law enforcement agents, drug warlords, or American racists who subject Mexicans in the U.S. to hate crimes.

At the same time, Mexico’s economy is being energized and diversified by the arrival of working-age Americans. A generation ago, it was not uncommon to see entire communities of American expatriates—senior citizens living on Social Security, enjoying retirements of leisure, spending the afternoons playing golf, beach-combing and sipping margaritas. Now, younger Americans are also coming to Mexico to start families and open businesses. American officials estimate that there are more Americans living in Mexico than in any other country and who are fiercely loyal to Mexico.

Drug Violence in Perspective

This economic growth, unprecedented in its strength in more than a generation, is taking place at a time when the country is facing a wave of drug war violence.

But one reason the violence is so shocking is that it is out of the norm. “In a country of more than 100 million people, the odds of being killed in a drug-related homicide in 2010 were one in 6,667, about the same as the odds of being killed in an automobile accident in the United States (about one in 6,500). The odds of being killed in Mexico’s drug violence decrease dramatically if a person is not a drug trafficker, mayor, or police officer in a disputed trafficking region,” Viridiana Rios and David Shirk write in “Drug-Related Killings in Mexico, 2008-2010,” published by the Trans-Border Institute at the University of San Diego.

Fear-mongering by American writers is hardly new. “This is an attempt to understand Mexico’s steep descent into turmoil,” wrote one alarmed reviewer of Andres Oppenheimer’s 1998 book, Bordering on Chaos, which lamented that Mexico was becoming a “failed state.”

Thirty years before that, Barry Goldwater was among those calling Mexico, then hosting the Summer Olympic Games, a “failed state.” Decades from now, Americans will no doubt still be uttering the same clichés. Fast forward a dozen years after Oppenheimer’s failed book, and Mexico, despite its “out of control” image, is flourishing.

Now when the U.S. catches a cold, Mexico can say, “Bless you,” and go about its business.

Letter From Mexico: Amid the Drug Wars, a Stunning Economic Boom – New America Media.

In a statement released today, the Director of Tourism of Puerto Vallarta, on behalf of the city mayor, confirmed that the ambitious project of widening the sea side malecon in the heart of the city will provide a public space for residents of and visitors toVallarta.

What is the purpose of the work being carried out along the boardwalk?

The main objectives are:

- Reconstruction of the retaining wall facing the sea, as it was damaged.

- Generate a public space for living and strengthen trade along the malecon.

Are businesses closed during the works?

No. All businesses are operating as usual.

Does the work break with the identity of Puerto Vallarta?

No, because only materials that reflect and support the colonial style typical to Puerto Vallarta will be used.

Will there be concessions to place tables and chairs along the boardwalk?

No. The commitment is to respect public spaces.

Will pedestrians be safe?

Yes. Our primary concern during the planning of the project was public safety.

Do you close for the street Diaz Ordaz the passage of vehicles?

No. We will respect the lanes that currently exist and introduce speed limits.

Why are traffic lights used on Morelos Street.

Because of the work in progress, is necessary to divert traffic and avoid gridlock or congestion.

How long will the project take to complete?

The project will be delivere in 4 months. Access will only be restricted during the first phase, or for 2 months.

How is the program being funded?

Funding provided by the Municipal Government in coordination with the State and Federal governments are behind the program.

How will the city benefit from the work?

The project was created to attract more tourists to Puerto Vallarta, show casing the destination as a place to live, host events like the Pan American Games in October without losing the charm of our Mexican heritage and architecture. We see the project making Puerto Vallarta a better place for families to live in.

What company was hired for the construction of the Malecon?

The construction company is Gemini SA. Experienced in carrying out major works like the Pitillal River and the Estero Salado bridges, the ramp at the Puerto Vallarta International airport and an 8 lane development near the Ameca estuary at the mouth of the Salado River.

via The truth behind Puerto Vallarta´s Malecon. The Official Website of Puerto Vallarta.

Michael Green – Tropicasa Realty
May 30, 2011

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – We have seen a significant increase in buyer interest and sales activity this year as compared to 2010. In fact, the real estate agency Tropicasa Realty has sold as much this year as they did all of last year.

Canadian buyers were very active in order to take advantage of their strong dollar and Mexican buyers also snapped up some great deals. Unfortunately, American buyers are still in the doldrums thanks to economic turmoil and overhyped media reports of drug violence and insecurity in Mexico.

The world economic turmoil undoubtedly trimmed the nest eggs of most new buyers entering this market. Therefore, a “return to affordability” was one of the primary drivers of the market this year. Properties priced from $150k to $300k were right in the sweet spot for most buyers and this market was extremely active.

Existing properties that were well priced and well located were in high demand; as buyer’s really like to see, feel and experience the property first hand before buying. New developments with great location, excellent price, superb design and a proven track record from the developer also did well. A couple of new south side developments of 50 units were already over half sold out prior to breaking ground.

The $300k to $600k market remains slow as these upscale buyers hunker down and wait for better times. Until the American buyers return, this market will be slow. Luxury properties priced over $1 million USD have never been a large percentage of the overall market; however we saw numerous sales this year as motivated sellers reduced prices to levels that were irresistible to sophisticated and savvy buyers.

The government’s huge investment in infrastructure with improved roads, sidewalks and bike lanes, second bypass tunnel, beautification of Restaurant Row,new Malecón boardwalk and Los Muertos Pier could really pay off in attracting more new and upscale buyers to our market.

This season it appeared that buyers began to realize that the Real Estate market in Puerto Vallarta is strong, stable and offering excellent bargains for retirement and mid to long term investing.

There was never “subprime lending” here in PV and consequently there is no mortgage crisis or foreclosure market here. With $US financing now readily available (typically with a down payment of 25-30% and interest rates as low as 6%) a vast new market is poised to emerge as rates become more competitive and qualifying and closing become more streamlined. One of our most experienced loan brokers reports that 2011 has already been his best year ever.

In summary, I am cautiously optimistic about the coming year; cautious because of the continuing concerns about drugs, violence and excessive inventory, but optimistic because of the strong recovery that has characterized 2011 so far. Plus the natural beauty that surrounds us and the resilience of the local residents is truly inspiring. Now, if we can just figure out how to make it through the summer season, we will be poised for a strong high season in 2012!

Active in local and national Real Estate boards; published author and acknowledged expert on Puerto Vallarta Real Estate, Michael Green moved here in 1997 to take advantage of the unsurpassed lifestyle PV offers. Mike can be reached at michael(at)tropicasa.com.

Puerto Vallarta Real Estate Market Update.

Tourist traffic to Mexico has risen sharply in the past 12 months according to a new report from Visa and travel website Expedia.

“Hotels.com (which is owned by Expedia) reported that bookings have increased by 25% in the past year,” says the report and credit card operator Visa has revealed that “people spent 10% more (from $4 billion in 2009 to $4.4 billion in 2010) on their credit cards” in Mexico during the same period.

Expedia now lists Mexico as being one of its top three travel destinations worldwide.

Tourism Secretary Gloria Guevara Manzo has said that the country is achieving “real and sustained progress in making Mexico safe and secure.”

The Ritz Carlton will soon open a new 124-villa complex in Cabo overlooking the Sea of Cortez and Spanish hospitality group Sol Melia is planning to develop two flagship resorts at Riviera Maya on the Caribbean coastline.

Tell us what you think of this topic by posting your comments below.

via Overseas Property Professional; News Article; Mexico enjoys huge surge in tourist traffic.

Meanwhile, according to the FBI, “An estimated 15,241 persons were murdered nationwide in 2009? in the United States of America.

Officially, 111 U.S. citizens were killed in Mexico last year, a third in just two cities. Almost all of them were involved in illicit vocations, usually the trafficking of guns, drugs, or people across the border. This is 111 out of close to 8 million visitors, with nearly 1 million of those being part- or full-time residents choosing Mexico over the U.S. or Canada.

You know who else had 111 murders in one year recently? Boston. And Las Vegas. And Orlando. Are any tourists scared of going to those places?

Meanwhile, almost 1,000 U.S. citizens died in Puerto Rico. Nobody running the news desks cares about Puerto Rico or has an incentive to make people scared of Puerto Ricans (by nature, they can’t be “illegal immigrants”), so this isn’t widely reported.

Then there’s the U.S. proper, which can’t get a State Department travel alert because it’s, well, not a foreign country. How’s your city doing in comparison to Mexico when it comes to the annual numbers?

Atlanta  - city, 80 murders. Atlanta MSA (metropolitan statistical area), 325 murders
Baltimore – 238 city, 298 MSA
Boston – 50 city, 111 MSA
Dallas/Ft. Worth – 210 city, 310 MSA
Detroit – 365 city, 447 MSA
Houston – 287 city, 462 MSA
Indianapolis – 100 city, 111 MSA
Jacksonville, FL – 99 city, 120 MSA
Kansas City – 100 city, 163 MSA
Las Vegas – 111 city, 133 MSA
Los Angeles – 312 city, 768 MSA
Miami  - 59 city, 377 Miami to Boca Raton corridor
New Orleans – 174 city, 252 MSA
New York City – 471 city, 778 MSA
Orlando – 28 city, 111 MSA
Philadelphia – 302 city, 436 MSA
Phoenix – 122 city, 302 MSA
San Francisco – 45 city, 292 MSA
St. Louis – 143 city, 210 MSA
Washington, DC – 143 city, 325 MSA

To put things in perspective, the murder rate in the Yucatan state of Mexico is 2 per 100,000. That’s about the same as Fond du Lac, Wisconsin or Evansville, Indiana. Mexico City’s is 8 per 100,000. Despite being one of the most populated cities on the planet, that’s on par with Albuquerque, NM. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never felt scared in Albuquerque…

Original: Travel Safety in Perspective: USA and Mexico |.