The Canadian government has updated its travel advisory for Mexico to include recent deadly shootings in the popular tourist destinations of Playa del Carmen and Cancun.
While the update does not advise Canadians to avoid those cities or Quintana Roo, the state in which they are located, it now lists the most recent shootings as examples of Mexico’s high crime rate.
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One Canadian was among five people killed in a shooting attack at the Blue Parrot Club in Playa del Carmen on Monday. Two other Canadians were among the injured.
The next day, gunmen attacked the state prosecutors' office in nearby Cancun, killing four people. Local authorities have said it’s too early to tell whether the two attacks are linked.
Canadian officials say that, despite Mexico’s overall high crime rate, resorts and major tourist cities are still safe, for the most part.
“More than 1.9 million Canadians travel to Mexico each year, the vast majority of them without incident,” the government advisory says.
But Ottawa is still urging Canadians to exercise “a high degree of caution” while in Mexico, and avoid non-essential travel to a number of northern and western states, including Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Guerrero and Michoacán, with some exceptions.
A spokesperson for the Quebec-Riviera Maya Chamber of Commerce told The Canadian Press that many travellers and expats he has spoken to are not concerned for their safety in the wake of the Playa del Carmen shooting.
The editor of a local English-language newspaper in Playa del Carmen also said that shootings are "very, very rare" in the region and almost never involve tourists.
With files from The Canadian Press
