One in three Canadians who were gearing up to go to Mexico change plans: poll

A soldier stands guard by a charred vehicle after it was set on fire, in Cointzio, Michoacan state, Mexico, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, following the death of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Oseguera, known as "El Mencho." THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP Photo-Armando Solis

It seems that a big chunk of Canadians who were dreaming of fun in the Mexican sun are now rebooking their trips elsewhere after violence erupted in parts of the country last month, according to a new poll.

Some 31 per cent of respondents with plans to visit Mexico said they intended to choose a different destination, the online Leger survey found. Another seven per cent were considering simply cancelling their booked trip.

Conducted Feb. 27 to March 2, the online poll surveyed 1,659 Canadians. Online polls cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.

However, plenty of Canadians are taking the risk in stride.

About 46 per cent of respondents planned to stick to their Mexico itinerary, Leger found. The proportion rises to nearly two-thirds among those who travelled there in the past few years.

Nonetheless, 55 per cent of Canadians rated their concern about visiting Mexico “in the high range” -- eight to 10 on a 10-point scale -- the polling firm said in its report.

“Safety concerns are high among Canadians and are influencing perceptions and travel intentions regarding Mexico,” the report stated.

One in five respondents said they considered Mexico and the United States equally safe. But for Canadians who had visited Mexico in recent years, significantly more perceived it as safer than America.

Fire and violence engulfed Mexico a week and a half ago after the Mexican army killed a drug cartel leader in a mountain town about 400 kilometres east of Puerto Vallarta by road. Cartel members responded with violence.

Burned out cars blocked roads at more than 250 points in 20 Mexican states, including Jalisco, where 5,000 Canadian tourists sheltered in place, according to Global Affairs Canada.

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The Canadian government issued a shelter-in-place order for tourists following the death by Mexican special forces of the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

Mexican officials said last month that at least 73 people died in the operation to capture Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho.” The dead included security forces, suspected cartel members and others.

Most flights into and out of Puerto Vallarta were cancelled or diverted on Feb. 22 and 23. Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat resumed service to the tourist hot spot on Feb. 24.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2026.