Here is something you don’t hear much about: Our nation’s capital, Washington D.C., had a homicide rate of 30 per 100,000 in 2008, while the rate in Mexico City was 9 per 100,000. The most recent stats have popular Costa Rica at around 8 per 100k, Honduras at 58, Jamaica at 49, South Africa is 37, Brazil is 26 and Puerto Rico and Panama are at 19. Mexico is at a fraction of these countries at 10 per 100,00. Funny, I don’t read much about how Americans should stay away from those countries.

Because of the daily drumbeat by the mainstream media of the drug cartel violence, with the feds fighting the dealers and the dealers fighting each other, the perception is that all of Mexico should be avoided by otherwise sane tourists. As a result, travelers are not going like they used to. And the country is suffering. Tourism dollars account for a good percent of the local economies in many of the popular towns like Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Cabo, Mazatlan and Acapulco.

Tens of thousands of expats now call Mexico home, and they feel as safe as they ever have. I encourage you to visit Mexico soon and you’ll see what I mean.

Source

Mexico City — Decapitated bodies dumped on the streets, drug-war shootings and regular attacks on police have obscured a significant fact: A falling homicide rate means people in Mexico are less likely to die violently now than they were more than a decade ago.

It also means tourists as well as locals may be safer than many believe.

Mexico City’s homicide rate today is about on par with Los Angeles and is less than a third of that for Washington, D.C.

Yet many Americans are leery of visiting Mexico at all. Drug violence and the swine flu outbreak contributed to a 12.5 percent decline in air travel to Mexico by U.S. citizens in 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, a blow to Mexico’s third-largest source of foreign income.

Mexico, Colombia and Haiti are the only countries in the hemisphere subject to a U.S. government advisory warning travelers about violence, even though homicide rates in many Latin American countries are far higher.

“What we hear is, ‘Oh the drug war! The dead people on the streets, and the policeman losing his head,”’ said Tobias Schluter, 34, a civil engineer from Berlin having a beer at a cafe behind Mexico City’s 16th-century cathedral. “But we don’t see it. We haven’t heard a gunshot or anything.”

Mexico’s homicide rate has fallen steadily from a high in 1997 of 17 per 100,000 people to 14 per 100,000 in 2009, a year marked by an unprecedented spate of drug slayings concentrated in a few states and cities, Public Safety Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna said. The national rate hit a low of 10 per 100,000 people in 2007, according to government figures compiled by the independent Citizens’ Institute for Crime Studies.

By comparison, Venezuela, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala have homicide rates of between 40 and 60 per 100,000 people, according to recent government statistics. Colombia was close behind with a rate of 33 in 2008. Brazil’s was 24 in 2006, the last year when national figures were available.

Mexico City’s rate was about 9 per 100,000 in 2008, while Washington, D.C. was more than 30 that year.

“In terms of security, we are like those women who aren’t overweight but when they look in the mirror, they think they’re fat,” said Luis de la Barreda, director of the Citizens’ Institute. “We are an unsafe country, but we think we are much more unsafe that we really are.”

Of course, drug violence has turned some places in Mexico, including the U.S. border region and some parts of the Pacific coast, into near-war zones since President Felipe Calderon intensified the war against cartels with a massive troop deployment in 2006. That has made Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, among the most dangerous cities in the world.

“The violence, homicides and cruel and inhuman assassinations, which fill the pages of our media, make us feel that there has been much more violence since this war against drug trafficking,” said Bishop Miguel Alba Diaz of La Paz, a vacation city at the tip of the Baja California peninsula.

Mexico’s violence is often more shocking than elsewhere in Latin America because powerful cartels go to extremes to intimidate the government and rival smugglers.

In just one week in December, the severed heads of six police investigators were dumped in a public plaza, kingpin Arturo Beltran Leyva died in a two-hour shootout with troops at a luxury apartment complex in a resort city and gunmen slaughtered the family of the only marine killed in that battle.

In the new year, it’s become even more grotesque. Three weeks ago, a victim’s face was peeled from his skull and sewn onto a soccer ball. Days later, the remains of 41-year-old former police officer were divided into two separate ice chests.

Authorities say the vast majority of victims are drug suspects, but bystanders, including children, sometimes get caught in the crossfire.

Mexico has the same problems with corrupt police, gang violence and poverty as other Latin American countries with higher homicide rates. So why the decline in murders?

Experts say while drug violence is up, land disputes have eased. Many farmers have migrated to the cities or abroad and the government has pushed to resolve the land disputes, some centuries old.

During the height of the Zapatista uprising in the mid 1990s—a rebellion fueled by land conflicts—southern Chiapas state had a rate of nearly 40 per 100,000 people with 1,000 homicides a year. By 2008, that fell to 8 per 100,000 people with 364 killings.

De la Barreda attributes the downward trend to a general improvement in Mexico’s quality of life. More Mexicans have joined the ranks of the middle class in the past two decades, while education levels and life expectancy have also risen.

Critics of Calderon’s drug war say his frontal assault on cartels is giving Mexico a reputation as a violent country but doing little to stop the drug gangs’ work.

“It’s a bad international image that affects foreign tourism and foreign investment,” said Jose Luis Pineyro, a sociologist at Mexico’s Autonomous Metropolitan University who has studied the drug war.

Drug violence has encroached on the resort towns of Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta and Cancun. The millions of foreign tourists who visit each year are almost never targeted, but a handful have gotten caught in the crossfire. In 2007, two Canadians were grazed by bullets when someone fired into a hotel lobby in Acapulco. In January, a Canadian couple was shot and wounded in a robbery attempt just outside Zihuatanejo.

The U.S. State Department travel alert says dozens of U.S. citizens living in Mexico have been kidnapped over the years, and warns Americans against traveling to the states of Chihuahua and Michoacan.

Chihuahua, home to Ciudad Juarez, had a horrifying homicide rate of 173 per 100,000 in the city of 1.3 million, or more than 2,500 murders last year.

Michoacan, famed for its Monarch butterfly refuge, Day of the Dead celebrations and picturesque colonial capital, is now also widely known as the place where five heads rolled across a dance floor. Drug violence is blamed for many of the state’s 660 killings last year.

But in many parts of Mexico, villages are more tranquil than ever—a fact that retired nurse Marilyn Wells struggles to drive home with her American friends back home in LeMars, Iowa.

“’We’re OK, there’s no problem,”’ Wells said she tells friends about the home she bought four years ago in Cabo San Lucas on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. “I don’t feel any less safe down here than I did before.”

Source

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
To even casual buyers, a second home represents both a major investment and a fantasy, an escape with the promise of riches and adventure.

Evaluating a market based purely on rental yield algorithms misses the swirl of emotions felt by the typical buyer, from retirees to jet-setting luxury home collectors. Yet sentiment can’t blind the financial reality of a hard asset worth at least hundreds of thousands of dollars, a big chunk of any portfolio.

Relevant factors in our assessment included uniqueness, affordability and the opportunity for capital appreciation. Security was also a big issue—both physically and financially. Locations with unproven demand were quickly eliminated, as were isolated locales catering to survivalists. The goal was to spotlight markets that combine a variety of factors, not serve niches like the best jungle locale or the best golf course market.

The list, undoubtedly, tends to be U.S. centric, a nod to our home base. Destinations like Cape Verde and Seychelles, for example, may be wonderful spots to buy a vacation home, but they are drawing few U.S. second home buyers. We also defined “second homes” strictly as vacation properties, getaway spots, which meant we left off Paris, Barcelona and other urban centers, where many people own second homes, but may not use them strictly as vacation getaway properties.

Preference was generally given to destinations off the theme park routes and away from the strips of hotel towers, tempered by recognition that it never hurts to have a Four Seasons nearby, in case of emergency. It’s the mixture of isolation and resources that make an ideal second home market, the ability to generate rental income and snorkel in warm waters without fear of getting run over by a cruise ship.

To calm the quibbling and sniping, the list is presented in no particular order, reflecting our inherent cowardice:

Riviera Nayarit, Mexico

Sure, Mexico is experiencing waves of violence and upheaval. “That’s the way it always is in Mexico,” shrugs a friend, who writes travel books on Mexico.

Often overlooked amid Mexico’s array of pre-fabricated Fonatur-designed tourism Meccas, the area north of Puerto Vallarta has experienced a mini-explosion of luxury home development in recent years. The master-planned area on Punta Mita, anchored by a Four Seasons and a St. Regis, offers the A-list, gated community lifestyle. Further up the coast a variety of projects are going up along a route of white-sand beaches, surfer spots and small fishing towns. Best of all, the starting point is Puerto Vallarta, one of Mexico’s classic, romantic old cities.

Natal, Brazil

You just can’t leave Brazil off these lists. The economy is booming, part of the BRIC resurgence changing the world. There are large swatches of barely developed, beautiful land. And now Brazil is set to host both the World Cup and the Olympics in the next six years, which should prove another jolt of adrenalin to carnaval. Putting Brazil on any list of hot investor spots falls into the “well, duh” school of analysis.

Of Brazil’s many hot spots, Natal stands out as the gateway to the northeast, Brazil’s top domestic tourist destination. While hardly a new market–the northeast coast attracts more than 7 million visitors a year—the stretch of coastline north of Natal “represents the best potential returns for private investors” in Brazil, Kapital Assets c.e.o. Keith Punler recently told a reporter. A new airport should also change the complexion of the area, offering more direct flights from Europe. As more infrastructure goes in, the spectacular coastline’s popularity as a second home destination should only increase.

Hermosa, Costa Rica

Never has an airport changed a location as dramatically as the Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport in Liberia transformed Guanacaste, the stretch of rugged coastline on the northwest coast of Costa Rica. No more treks through San Jose and puddle jumpers over the mountains to get to the coast. Instead it’s an easy flight into Liberia and a pleasant 20-minute drive over a nicely-paved highway to the Guanacaste coast, which was in the midst of a spurt of luxury development before the slowdown.

Hermosa is a barely existent small town with few paved roads, a handful of open air restaurants and sporadic electric and water service on its own little cove, across Papagayo Bay from the Four Seasons Papagayo. With a small cluster of condos and luxury homes covering the hillside, Hermosa and neighboring Coco consistently rank as one of the most expensive places in Central America to buy an ocean view condo, according to Reveal Real Estate. Several large-scale luxury projects have been delayed in the area, including AOL founder Steve Case’s Cacique, a few miles south of Hermosa. When activity picks up, Guanacaste is set to develop as the Costa Rica Riviera.

Placencia, Belize

Someday—maybe a long time from now, but some day—Belize will develop as a spectacular second home market. The trick will be to preserve the spectacular natural wonders and isolation of the country, while providing more of the necessary amenities and creature comforts required by many North Americans.

Placencia, one of the few spots on the mainland coast with white sandy beaches, is something of a test case. Several mid-size developments are going up along the coast. The only road on the peninsula is finally getting paved. And Francis Ford Coppola’s Turtle Inn provides a level of upscale trendiness.

Yet Placencia remain remote, isolated, a quick hop away from the jungle or the underwater splendors of the world’s second largest barrier reef. Development continues to inch forward, with few signs of life from Ara Macao, the big project planned for the north end of the peninsula. While investment money and direct flights continue to flow, it will be years, probably decades, before Placencia gets that overwhelmed, too-crowded feel creeping into Ambergris Caye, Belize’s primary destination.

Mallorca, Spain

Spain may be struggling, but Mallorca still holds a special allure. The island provides a compact mixture of the Mediterranean yacht scene, old world expats and picturesque Spanish countryside, with only a dash of the throbbing disco scene found on other islands.

Sales on Mallorca are down by more than 60 percent from 2007 levels, but demand remains high for top-level property, according to recent reports. But valuations have fallen far less than other areas; even in tough times Mallorca holds its own. Offering both seaside retreats and quaint hillside villages, it is still seen as the perfect Mediterranean escape, an old school destination attracting a new generation of buyers.

Jolly Harbour, Antigua

In the array of Caribbean islands, Antigua stands out as a throw-back to old England. Richard Burton owned a house here and Eric Clapton built his high-end rehab clinic on the island (although he’s reportedly selling his estate). Antigua has a firmly entrenched status as a hideout for celebrity royalty, which rivals its reputation as a home for shady banking operations (Google: “Sanford Ponzi Scheme”.)

Antigua is high-end, yacht-friendly Caribbean, without the millionaire tourist clubs of St. Barts or the Cayman Islands. There is still relatively little development, which is mostly clustered around Jolly Harbour on the west coast. In 2007, even as other markets began to falter, Antigua prices zoomed 40 percent, one of the largest jumps in the world according to Knight Frank research. Nobody expects those types of leaps in the future, but it’s fair to say Antigua will remain beloved by the yacht and cricket set.

Vancouver, Canada

Geography has blessed Vancouver. It sits amidst a spectacular landscape of islands and mountains, a land where you can whale watch in the morning and ski in the afternoon. Situated a stone’s throw from the U.S. border, it is also the first stop and destination of choice for many Asian investors, assuring it will be one of the first to benefit from the growing number of Chinese and Korean buyers.

Home base of the upcoming Winter Olympics, Vancouver itself offers an array of towers and trendy apartment units, one of the best urban centers in North America. But move beyond the city and there is a wide array of markets, from the ski resort of Whistler, to the fishing rivers of Squamish, to the isolation of the gulf islands.

Hvar, Croatia

OK, it’s a wild card. The splintered countries of post-war Yugoslavia still have unresolved issues. But the Adriatic Coastline is spectacular and remarkably free of the clutter of most European coastlines. Most of amenities are still dreary throwbacks to the Tito regime.

But there is also an entrenched market in Croatia, long a favorite of German and Italian tourists. (German is the most common second language.) As it further integrates into the EU, property rules will align with the rest of Europe and traffic from the second home-mad U.K. will undoubtedly increase. There will be more cheap flights, more development and more access to property.

Hvar is a spectacular island off the Dalmation Coast, an easy ferry ride from Split. Steeped in the turbulent history of the Adriatic, Hvar is a rapidly growing tourist destination, with spectacular coves and secluded beaches. While hardly undiscovered, it is still new ground for the international industry, and its never-ending search for new islands.

San Diego, United States

The numbers don’t lie. Always one of California priciest markets, prices plummeted 25 to 35 percent in many neighborhoods. And those neighborhoods are spectacular, perched on a sun-splashed stretch of coastline with the best weather in the United States (marred only occasionally by brush fires of Biblical proportions.)

San Diego doesn’t have the vast over-supply of units found in, say, Florida, which means it will likely stabilize and bounce back quicker. Nevertheless, more than 7,600 condos units went up from 2001 to 2007 in San Diego’s downtown, which sits on the pristine bay. Many of those units are for sale, with prices that would have seemed ridiculous two years ago.

Rodney Bay, St. Lucia

Of the emerging islands in the Caribbean, St. Lucia has all the elements in place for steady growth. Its array of spectacular coves and beaches is augmented by its unique Creole culture, pristine twin Piton peaks and swatches of rainforest, a rarity in the Caribbean.

More importantly, investment money is flowing to the island, which is still in a relatively early development stage. Many of the second home projects are clustered on the north end of the island around Rodney Bay, where there are clusters of luxury homes. A fairly easy drive from the international airport as Castries, the area offers classic Caribbean style at prices below the sky-high offerings in Barbados.

Honorable mention: Inland Panama; Provence, France; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Riviera Maya, Mexico; Umbria, Italy.

This article has been republished from International Property Journal. You can also view this article at International Property Journal, an international property news and information site.

Thousands of Americans are increasingly traveling to resort towns like Puerto Vallarta, not for vacation, but for the cheap health care. In many cases, reports Ray Suarez, for care they couldn’t afford in the United States.Transcript

GWEN IFILL: Now: As the health reform debate plays out in the U.S., some Americans are finding new ways and new places to get medical care.

Ray Suarez has the story.

RAY SUAREZ: South of the border, tourist season is just beginning. Beach-loving Americans are headed to Mexico’s seaside towns, reaching for the sunscreen and soaking up the local color.

But this year’s annual migration has a twist. Thousands of Americans are coming to places like Puerto Vallarta, not to dip their toes in the warm Pacific, sip a margarita, or browse a crafts fair. No, they are coming for health care, in many cases, care they could never afford to acquire in the United States.

DR. MAX GREIG: Tell me how you feel today.

STAN PACKARD: A lot better, oh, yes, wonderful.

RAY SUAREZ: Fifty-five-year-old Stan Packard flew to Puerto Vallarta to have his rip replaced.

DR. MAX GREIG: You know, it’s going to take about six to eight weeks before you can feel really comfortable with yourself. This only has been two weeks.

RAY SUAREZ: We caught up with him at the follow-up appointment with his Mexican orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Max Greig.

Had you ever been to Mexico before?

STAN PACKARD: Never. No, I just took a shot.

RAY SUAREZ: A pretty big step to take on your first trip to Mexico. You go fly down and come back with a new hip.

STAN PACKARD: Something had to be done.

RAY SUAREZ: Packard and his wife own a horse park in California that specializes in carriage rides. Caring for all the horses is a physically demanding job. And one of Stan’s hips just didn’t hold up. For years, it was causing him pain. But the Packards don’t have health insurance.

STAN PACKARD: When they told me I was for sure going to need a hip, then I knew I couldn’t afford it in the States. So, we started looking. In the States, they said it was $80,000 to $120,000.

DR. MAX GREIG: Pretty soon, you will be able to walk around without your…

STAN PACKARD: Without that?

DR. MAX GREIG: … your walker.

STAN PACKARD: Just the cane?

RAY SUAREZ: Packard went on the Internet and found a Texas-based company called MedToGo. It lead him to the Dr. Greig’s practice in Mexico, where Stan paid $13,000 for all travel and medical expenses.

Were you a little scared?

STAN PACKARD: I have never been in a hospital, you know, under surgery. I had never a broken arm, nothing. So — but I knew the pain I was having before I got here was unbearable. I wanted it done more than I was scared.

Hey, thanks, Doctor.

DR. MAX GREIG: All right, Stan, you have a great trip back there, OK?

RAY SUAREZ: Dr. Greig operates on more aging baby boomers every year. They choose Mexico for joint replacement surgery, not just for the cost savings, but also for the comforts of a city like Puerto Vallarta that already caters to tourists.

DR. MAX GREIG: We have a whole team that receives them at the airport. We make sure that they get accommodated in hotels and that they are transported from the hotels to their different appointments or to the hospital.

And then, after the surgery, once they are released from the hospital, we have nurses and physical therapists that visit them in their hotel. And this way, they can recover in a beautiful place, looking at the swimming pool, looking at the palm trees.

RAY SUAREZ: Greig is a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and touts his state-of-the-art facilities.

DR. MAX GREIG: We are using the same implants, same prostheses, same technique, but, here, we have a great advantage. We don’t have the liability costs as you can find in U.S. I pay, as a orthopedic surgeon, about one-tenth of what a — my colleague in the U.S. would pay for malpractice insurance.

RAY SUAREZ: And with one million U.S. citizens now living in Mexico, many of them retirees, private hospitals now advertise American-standard facilities.

Ten thousand Americans live in Puerto Vallarta, so many that local expats here are holding a series of town hall-style meetings about Medicare benefits.

PAUL CRIST, Americans for Medicare in Mexico: We all know that Medicare won’t cover your health care expenses when you are outside of the United States. And we have to ask, why not? And the fact is, there is no good answer to that question. Would it cost more to cover you in Mexico? No.

RAY SUAREZ: A group called Americans for Medicare in Mexico is lobbying Congress to amend Medicare rules to allow for health care coverage in Mexico, where medical costs are much lower.

PAUL CRIST: It would cost the Medicare program about half as much to cover you here as it costs to cover you in the United States.

RAY SUAREZ: Former Senate staffer Paul Crist, now a Puerto Vallarta hotel owner, is leading the campaign.

PAUL CRIST: I think it is a great deal for the taxpayer. I actually see this as a win, win, win, win. And I will tell you why.

First of all, it is a win for the retirees that live in Mexico and for the retirees that want to retire to Mexico. It is a win for Medicare because it saves money. It is a win for the Mexican economy because an influx of retirees will create jobs, good jobs, in Mexico.

RAY SUAREZ: But, with Americans already consumed by a debate over health care reform, the campaign may have a tough time getting attention in Washington.

In the meantime, some retirees are taking advantage of the insurance offered by the Mexican government’s social security system, called IMSS, or IMSS. For only $300 a year, Americans who can establish residency are offered an array of medical services with no deductible.

Susan Wichterman retired to Puerto Vallarta 12 years ago and now teaches yoga here. She signed up for the Mexican social security health plan as a backup, but soon suffered an arm injury, which required multiple surgeries.

SUSAN WICHTERMAN: All your specialists. I have seen traumatologists. I have seen gynecologists. I have seen psychiatrists. It is all paid for. Too good to be true.

RAY SUAREZ: But there are limitations to Mexico’s government plan. Anyone with a preexisting condition is excluded. The facilities are not cutting-edge. And if you are not in need of urgent care, the lines are notoriously long.

DR. MAX GREIG: It’s always overloaded with patients. There’s hundreds of people waiting on waiting lists. Surgeries are — there’s waiting lists for surgeries for up to about six months. And, so, it’s a system that you have to wait it out.

RAY SUAREZ: The social security program was originally set up for Mexican workers. But, so far, foreigners have been welcome. Just over 1,000 Americans in Puerto Vallarta alone are now enrolled.

Dr. Eduardo Montero is director of the IMSS Hospital in Puerto Vallarta.

Dr. EDUARDO MONTERO, director, IMSS Hospital in Puerto Vallarta (through translator): The motto at IMSS is social security for all. And, as far as the enrollment of foreigners, I don’t see a problem.

RAY SUAREZ: Even so, some health officials here worry that uninsured Americans could quickly overload an already burdened system.

But, as far as foreigners coming to pay for services on their own, industry leaders are embracing that idea. There is even talk of building assisted living and nursing homes here, so foreigners can capitalize on Mexico’s cheaper labor market.

Economic analysts say more than one million patients worldwide cross international borders annually for medical treatments. And places like Puerto Vallarta seem eager to host them.

GWEN IFILL: In his second report tomorrow, Ray will examine how the Mexican government is trying to improve health care for its own poorest citizens.

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Puerto Vallarta - For over a decade, Tropicasa Realty has been a trusted name in Puerto Vallarta real estate. Having opened in 2005, PVRPV (Puerto Vallarta Rentals Premier Vacations) is today one of the largest vacation services and property management companies in Puerto Vallarta. Today, these industry leaders announced a partnership where PVRPV will become the preferred provider of rental and property management services for clients of Tropicasa Realty.

“We understand the importance of having a full-service Rental and Property Management team dedicated to a seamless level of customer service,” exclaimed Wayne Franklin, President of Tropicasa Realty. “After listening to our client’s needs and an exhaustive search and review process, we felt that PVRPV was the best fit.”

“The fit was a natural for us,” added Tim Longpré, President of PVRPV. “We are a growing company where technology and customer service is important. Both PVRPV and Tropicasa are dedicated to the highest-level of customer service while offering the latest in user-friendly technology. We are excited about being able to offer our Preferred Rental and Property Management services to Tropicasa’s extensive client base.”

Tropicasa’s clients will immediately be able to take advantage of the many benefits and client service features offered through PVRPV, including a complete array of concierge services, full property management and vacation services with over 400 live online properties to choose from. For more information contact Tropicasa Realty at (322) 222-6505 (in Mexico) or calling 866-978-5539 (Toll-Free) from the U.S.

For over a decade, Wayne Franklin and his team at Tropicasa Realty have been a trusted name in Puerto Vallarta real estate. Tropicasa Realty is the region’s representative for” The Leading Agents of the World” and with over 100 years of combined experience in real estate, all agents of the company are affiliated with AMPI. Wayne Franklin or any member of his knowledgeable team can be contacted in-person at their Romantic Zone Office - Pulpito 145-A at Olas Altas or in their San Marino Office - San Marino Hotel at Rodolfo Gomez 111-4. While in PV they can be reached at (322) 222-6505 or by calling 866-978-5539 (Toll-Free) from the U.S. visit www.tropicasa.com.

If you are planning a dream vacation in beautiful Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, look no further than PVRPV. Representing the highest quality vacation accommodations in the Banderas Bay area, PVRPV is your experienced and reliable choice for Puerto Vallarta home, villa and condo rentals and rental property management. In addition to providing visitors with affordable vacation rentals, PVRPV has a longstanding commitment to giving back to this wonderful community we call home. To learn more, check out the PVRPV Blog. For more information about PVRPV’s vacation rental services click HERE, or visit PVRPV.com.

orginal at: http://www.banderasnews.com/0912/re-tropipvrpv.htm

Sobre la Influenza A/H1N1

20 de Mayo, 2009

LO QUE USTED DEBE SABER

LO QUE ESTA PASANDO EN MEXICO:

El viernes 15 de mayo, el Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos, anunció que la alerta de viaje hacia México, impuesta tras el brote de Influenza H1N1, queda sin efecto. De igual forma, los Centros para el Control y Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) eliminaron su recomendación de evitar viajes no esenciales a México; desminuyéndola a una “precaución de viaje”. El 18 de Mayo, Canadá levantó también su aviso de precaución de viaje hacia México. Carnival Cruise Lines y Royal Caribbean han anunciado que reanudarán sus visitas a los puertos mexicanos a finales del mes. Los destinos de playa: Costa Maya, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Cozumel, Mazatlán y Zihuatanejo continúan sin reportar ningún caso de Influenza A (H1N1). Hasta el día de hoy a las 06:00 hrs. (GMT), 41 países han confirmado de manera oficial, 10,243 casos de Influenza A(H1N1). Estados Unidos reporta el mayor numero al tener 5,469 casos, seguido por México con 3,648 casos.

LO QUE EL GOBIERNO MEXICANO ESTA HACIENDO:

El Secretario de Turismo, Rodolfo Elizondo, ha enfatizado que la prioridad de México continúa siendo la seguridad de sus ciudadanos y visitantes; México está listo para darle la bienvenida nuevamente a todos los turistas y ofrecerles la hospitalidad y servicios que siempre nos han distinguido. El Secretario de Salud, José Ángel Córdova, estuvo presente durante la 62 Asamblea Mundial Anual de Salud para reportar la disminución de casos confirmados de Influenza en México y presentar a la OMS una carta en la que el Gobierno Mexicano pone a su disposición toda información relacionada con el virus de la Influenza, con el objetivo de contribuir con el desarrollo de una vacuna. Oscar Fitch, Director General del CPTM, señaló que la industria turística de México – a todos los niveles- está lista para ofrecer a sus visitantes todo aquello que vienen a buscar: diversidad, cultura, descanso, lujo, aventura, infraestructura de talla mundial, y sobre todo, el mejor servicio del mundo.

LO QUE EL MUNDO ESTA DICIENDO SOBRE MEXICO Y EL H1N1:

Los gobiernos de Argentina, Perú, Ecuador, Uruguay, Italia, Austria, Bélgica, el Reino Unido, Suiza, y Canadá han decidido levantar sus alertas de viaje contra México, reanudando sus vuelos comerciales a México. La Directora General de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), Margaret Chan, sostiene que la OMS continua apoyando y agradece al gobierno mexicano su rápida respuesta y las medidas preventivas implementadas para hacer frente a la crisis sanitaria. La portavoz de Carnival Cruise Lines, Jennifer de la Cruz, declaró: “La mayoría de nuestros pasajeros querían vernos regresar a México y ahora lo haremos.” La Asociación Internacional de Cruceros (CLIA) aplaude la decisión de los CDCs al eliminar su recomendación de evitar viajes a México, indicando que esto es una gran noticia para México y sus comunidades portuarias, así como para los americanos que planean viajar a México. Apple Vacations ha reportado que las ventas hacia México están recuperándose y que con la puesta en marcha del programa “La Venta Mas grande a México,” que gracias a la respuesta obtenida se ha extendido a fin de mes, el número de reservaciones se incrementará.

PARA MAYOR INFORMACION DURANTE SU ESTANCIA EN MEXICO:

En caso de que necesite apoyo e información, contacte a su Embajada o Consulado. Número de asistencia al turista en EE.UU.: 1-800-44-MEXICO, en Europa 00800-1111-2266 y en México: 078 Número de asistencia de la Secretaria de Salud en México: 01-800-123-1010 Visite nuestra pagina web www.visitmexico.com o entre a traves de nuestra pagina www.mexico-update.com. Información actualizada sobre el virus de la Influenza A (H1N1) disponible en la página Web de los Centros de Control y Prevención de Enfermedades www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu. Para mayor información sobre temas de salud visite www.who.int

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Influenza A/H1N1 Update

May 20, 2009

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MEXICO:

On Friday May 15, 2009, the CDC removed it’s Travel Health Warning against all nonessential travel to Mexico; downgrading to a “travel health precaution.” As a result of the CDC’s announcement, the U.S. Department of Sate announced that it’s travel alert to Mexico, due to the H1N1 Influenza outbreak, was no longer in effect. On May 18, Canada also lifted its travel advisory to Mexico. Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean have announced they will resume their visits to Mexico pots later this month. Mexico’s beach resorts of Costa Maya, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Cozumel, Mazatlan and Ixtapa?Zihuatanejo continue to report no cases of Influenza A (H1N1). As of 06:00 GMT, May 20, 2009, 41 countries have officially reported 10,243 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection. The United States leads with 5,469 cases followed by Mexico with 3,648 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection.

WHAT THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT IS DOING:

Mexico’s Minister of Tourism, Rodolfo Elizondo, retains that Mexico’s main priority continues to be the safety of its citizens and visitors; Mexico is ready to welcome back all of its visitors and offer them the hospitality and services that have always distinguished us. Mexico’s Minister of Health, Jose Angel Cordova, was present at the 62nd Annual World Health Assembly to report on Mexico’s declining status of cases with Influenza and presented the WHO with a letter in which the Mexican Government places any and all Influenza related information at their disposition in hopes of assisting in the development of a vaccine. According to Mexico Tourism Board CEO, Oscar Fitch, Mexico’s travel industry -at all levels- is ready to offer its visitors what they go there for: diversity, culture, relaxation, luxury, adventure, world class infrastructure and most importantly, the best service in the world.

WHAT THE WORLD IS SAYING ABOUT MEXICO AND THE H1N1:

The Governments of Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay, Italy, Austria, Belgium, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Canada have decided to lift their travel advisories against travel to Mexico, resuming all commercial flights to Mexico. WHO Director?General, Margaret Chan, sustains that the WHO continues to support and hold great respect towards the Mexican government for its response and preventive measures taken after being faced with such a large responsibility as was the Influenza outbreak. According to Carnival Cruise lines spokeswoman, Jennifer de la Cruz, “A majority of our Passengers wanted to see us return to Mexico and so we have.” The Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) applauds the CDC’s decision to lift its travel warning to Mexico, stating this is very good news for Mexico and its port communities as well as for Americans planning to travel to Mexico. Apple Vacations has reported that Mexico sales are rebounding and with the help of its “Biggest?Ever Mexico Sale” program, bookings will gain better momentum as they have even extended their offer through the end of the month due to the great response.

FOR MORE INFORMATION WHILE IN MEXICO:

Contact your Embassy or Consular Office in the destination where you are located. Tourism information and assistance: in the U.S 1-800-44-MEXICO, in Europe 00-800-1111-2266, and in Mexico 078 Ministry of Health call center in Mexico 01-800-123-1010 Visit the mexico-update page through www.visitmexico.com or directly at www.mexico-update.com. Updates and complete information about Influenza A/H1N1 from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention are available at: www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu. For health questions and concerns visit www.who.int

Original PDF

México, 21 may (EFE).- Las autoridades de Ciudad de México decretaron hoy el fin de la alerta sanitaria por la gripe A, establecida el pasado 23 de abril, debido a la constante disminución en las muertes y los casos de contagio causados por el virus AH1N1.

El Comité Científico de Vigilancia Epidemiológica y Sanitaria de la capital mexicana decidió pasar de la alerta amarilla a la verde, lo que significa que la urbe “se conduce con total normalidad, sin ninguna restricción de actividades y todos los servicios públicos y la infraestructura urbana funcionan plenamente”.

En un comunicado el Comité señaló que “los casos de contagio reportados y confirmados por el laboratorio han mostrado una marcada tendencia a la baja en los últimos días”.

Además, las autoridades señalaron que el último caso confirmado de contagio del virus AH1N1 en la ciudad se presentó hace siete días.

Adicionalmente, tras el retorno a clases en la ciudad de más de dos millones de estudiantes, primero en preparatorias y universidades, y después en escuelas de preescolar, primarias y secundarias, “no se presentó ningún caso de contagio”, destaca la nota.

Ciudad de México fue la urbe más afectada por la epidemia de gripe A y concentró el mayor número de decesos.

No obstante, el Comité enfatizó la importancia de mantener las acciones de prevención y “el comportamiento social adecuado” durante los próximos días, para así “mantener los logros obtenidos a la fecha y evitar cualquier recaída”.

Entre las medidas de prevención se cuentan algunas de higiene personal como lavarse las manos con agua y jabón, usar pañuelos desechable al estornudar o cubrirse la boca con el antebrazo y tirar los pañuelos en la basura.

Los expertos también recomiendan comer frutas y verduras, tomar mucha agua y hacer ejercicio.

Asimismo, consideran importante que el hogar y los centros de trabajo se mantengan “limpios, ventilados y permitir la entrada de sol”.

De otra parte, los expertos que integran esa dependencia de vigilancia epidemiológica exhortaron a la Alcaldía a mantener las campañas “de difusión e información de medidas preventivas y de seguridad e higiene”.

El órgano sanitario de la capital, donde habitan más de 18 millones de personas, pidió finalmente a la población acudir “inmediatamente” al centro de salud o al hospital más cercano en caso de presentar síntomas de la enfermedad.

Según los últimos datos proporcionados por el Gobierno federal, el número de muertes confirmadas en México por la epidemia de la gripe A es de 75 y los contagios 3.817. EFE

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There is a good deal of Mexico bashing in the media. In this special episode of Banderas Beat, “The Bay of Banderas, Be Here, Be Happy, Be Home,” video journalist Laura Gelezunas explores the truths - and the misinformation - and gives us an in-depth look at all the attention and its consequences.

Many have watched the dramatic news unfold. Many people in the Bay of Banderas area have received numerous phone calls and emails from friends and family “back home” inquiring about the safety of living in, or traveling to, Mexico.

So Laura hit the streets to ask Puerto Vallarta locals what they think about what they are hearing in the news.

Part-time resident Jim Callan had this to say, “A great over-reaction, there are problems along the border in certain places, but most people fly inland, so it doesn’t effect them at all.”

Linda Ellerbee, another part-time resident, said, “I’m a journalist from the U.S. and I’m in Mexico watching the U.S. news on TV and I’m thinking, that’s not my experience at all… One of the bigger mistakes I think the U.S. media makes is that they lump the whole country into one pot.” Check out her article on the subject, One Journalist’s View, right HERE on BanderasNews.

PV homeowner, Earlene Callan, added, “There’s danger all over the world, I don’t think Mexico is any more dangerous than the United States.”

It’s a question of geography. Many visitors don’t make the distinction between a border town and a tourist destination, like the Bay of Banderas.

Edward Ramotowski, the U.S. Consul General in Guadalajara, says there is a serious surge in drug-related violence and other crimes in the border areas. However, there are currently no travel warnings for western Mexico. Authorities are constantly monitoring the situation in the states of Jalisco, Colima, Nayarit and Aguascalientes. Fortunately, there is nothing to report.

However, travelers should take advisories seriously. To check for travel warnings all over the world, visit travel.state.gov. This site reflects the best, most up-to-date information.

Now that we have made the distinction between border towns and the Banderas Bay region, let’s look at how this adverse publicity has affected the local economy.

The top three money makers for Mexico: oil, “remesa” (the money that Mexican workers make in the US and send to their families in Mexico) and tourism. Numbers two and three change places frequently but these are all taking a big hit this season because of economics and negative media attention.

According to PVRPV vacation rental agent, Armando Sanchez, “It has affected us a lot, the situation with the economic downturn as well as the whole media thing, it’s affecting the tourist planning and the traveling.”

Casa Helga Villa Rental Agent, Helga Farrill, said, “It has affected me greatly and my business is almost at a standstill because of the… negative publicity that has been out on Mexico, not specifically Puerto Vallarta but that is the problem when the negative media is spread, they have to be more specific because not only have I suffered from the lack of tourism but also the local population and it’s very sad to see some of the stores being closed.”

According to the World Tourism Organization, Mexico has one of the largest tourism industries. In 2005 it was the seventh most popular tourist destination in the world, receiving over 20 million visitors per year.

Richard Zarkin of the Riviera Nayarit Convention & Visitors Bureau, said, “Overall we have had a good high occupancy rate, which would be about 72 percent, the Banderas Bay area is one of the less affected destinations by the current economic crises, so yes we have had a good winter season so far.”

Not every business is closing its doors, and so far they are remaining in the black but anxiously await the next tourist season.

“We’ve been holding very well because people that are frequent players of Flamingos, they keep coming. We had some rough time at the end of the year but January, February and March, everything worked OK, thank God… You can actually play and find all kinds of golf in the area, and all with the best services… I believe next year is going to be even better,” said Flamingos Golf General Manager, Claudia Formoso.

Despite the reported border violence, many choose to drive to the Bay of Banderas. The border between the United States and Mexico runs almost 2-thousand miles with 250-million legal crossings per year. Even though the border has been in the news, many have found the crossing and drive through the republic a pleasure.

“We have driven down several times and have had no problems, in fact we have had a very pleasant drive… we like to drive down, we like to go through the countryside and see the Mexico that is not on the borders and not on the ocean… you need to be as careful here as you are in your home town,” said Puerto Vallarta homeowner, Jim Callan.

When asked about driving to Mexico, part-time PV resident Joe Van Pinxteren said, “It was a bit of a holiday. These states are very beautiful, Mexico is very beautiful… and talking about safety, I was never aware, I was never concerned, you are in your car you go through customs… I felt no hassle, really, they do their things, you learn that, you get in your car and you drive and you stop for gas and at the end of the day, (don’t drive at night,) you get to your hotel/motel and it’s fine. This whole safety issue that I hear expressed that there are great concerns… but it’s no different than being on the road in Canada or the U.S., it’s the same.”

According to the Head of American Citizen Services at the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara, Janie Friedlein, travelers driving in Mexico should stay on the toll roads and should not drive at night. You might encounter just about anything after dark on smaller roads in Mexico, animals, pedestrians, construction - and criminals. Consulate officials also encourage everyone to check out travel.state.gov for information. Read up on the area you’re visiting. Be informed. Also use good, common sense, plus, enjoy the ride.

Economic times are tough all over. But business leaders in Mexico are confident that tourism will help save part of their economy. Since tourism is the major source of income in this area, the government is doing all it can to ensure the safety of locals as well as tourists.

In the words of the Bay of Banderas area residents Laura interviewed:

Earlene Callan: “We find it safe.”
Armando Sanchez: “I go to different places and it’s always very safe.”
Helga Farrill: “I feel as safe now as I have always felt.”
Jim Callan: “We’ve always felt very safe here.”

Now that we’ve heard from Banderas Bay area locals, let’s take a look at look at what the government is doing to ensure everyone’s safety, and keep tourists coming back for more.

According to Jose Carrillo of the Nayarit Tourist Police, “The tourist police take care of the visitors. We drive around the city and make a complete check of all the areas, with car patrols and motorcycles. We have a large force in the state. We keep an eye on the tourists, residents and part-time residents. Official government reports say, the amount of personal crime here is very low. There will always be theft, drugs and accidents, but we keep a handle on it.”

Hesitation and fears among potential travelers to the Bay of Banderas area is a concern among local vacation rental agents, plus hotel public relations officials. They field hundreds of calls per week from worried travelers.

Local rental agent Armando Sanchez says, “They basically ask us what the government is doing, what are the patrols doing, and if you walk on the beach if there’s security there, and we tell them that yes it’s very secure, the government is very well organized in Vallarta and it has a lot of security… it has state police, local patrols and traffic patrols, so it is all very well taken care of.”

The questions remains, why would a country that depends on tourism risk jeopardizing this vital source of income? Officials are vexed with the negative publicity about Mexico as a whole country and not just a few border towns.

Mexico is a large country, and in many areas you are as safe as you would be in any of the world’s popular travel destinations. Recent statistics show the Banderas Bay attracts over 3 million tourists per year. According to Bay of Banderas tourism professionals, the number is estimated to double in the next 20 years.

Local residents tell us just a few of the reason why you should choose the Bay of Banderas for your next vacation.

“The quality of life is great, people are very friendly.”
- Richard Zarkin, Riviera Nayarit Convention & Visitors Bureau

“Well, it’s a beautiful spot… it’s a very ‘Mexican’ city and we find the Mexican people to be just really wonderful.”
- Puerto Vallarta homeowner, Earlene Callan

“This is a fine place, this is like paradise.”
- Part-time PV resident, Joe Van Pinxteren,

According to local officials, the Mexican government is making the Bay of Banderas an investment priority. They hope to keep the infrastructure growing to accommodate the ever-increasing population. Electricity, water treatment, telecommunications, airports, and highways are just some of the areas being addressed.

“Nayarit is the second state in the country with the highest tourism investment, that means there is a confidence in the region. New developments coming up show how the private investment from Spain, U.S., Canada and Mexico are confident in building and creating new tourist points,” says Richard Zarkin of the Riviera Nayarit Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“We came down here for a five day vacation 14 years ago and on the fourth day we decided we’d look around at some places to buy. On the fifth day, we actually were on the way to the airport, we wrote out an offer to buy a place, and indeed, we bought it. We’ve been coming down since then… every year a little bit more, spending a little more time here,” said Jim Callan.

Helga Farrill commented, “I have been coming to Puerto Vallarta for the last 35 years… I think its still a small town in many ways, even though there’s a lot of development going on… the people are the same, they are friendly, they are welcoming.”

The Allure of Banderas Bay

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is tropical paradise with an average of 300 sunny days per year and a yearly average temperature of 85 degrees. There are over 40 miles of coastline offering lazy days on the beach, as well all types of water sports and all sorts of jungle activities. It’s a destination of unsurpassed beauty and variety.

“It’s a dynamic destination. Drive the coastline, the Banderas Bay area exhibits modern to colonia styles,” says Richard Zarkin of the Riviera Nayarit Convention & Visitors Bureau.

In addition, there is a solid commitment of both the Mexican Government and international investors. The area is poised to become on of the most luxurious and important destinations for tourism and vacation homes in the world.

While all of this is going on, Mexico is getting a tough rap in the U.S. media.

“The thing is we’re all more alike than we are different, it’s just that our differences are so much more susceptible to definition to many people from the U.S. they look at Mexico and we see foreign instead of seeing neighbor,” said U.S. journalist and part-time PV resident, Linda Ellerbee.

We all live on the same continent, Canada, the United States and Mexico. We are all neighbors and should treat each other as such. We’re all in this together, despite what the media says. Do your homework before traveling anywhere, then visit the Bay of Banderas and enjoy your vacation.

Original Found Here