Ontario tourists flying to Mexico say they feel safe travelling to eastern parts of country

CP24.com journalist Joshua Freeman describes the situation in Mexico and the uncertainty facing travellers who were due to travel home.

Travellers boarding planes to Mexico this morning from Toronto Pearson International Airport say they feel safe heading to popular tourist destinations outside the western state of Jalisco, where cartel-related violence broke out on Sunday.

“Most of the issues I’ve heard about are on the west side of the country,” one traveller told CP24 at the airport on Monday morning.

“We are 2,400 kilometres away on the east side in Tulum. I was here five weeks ago. We’ve been there lots. It’s very safe, very friendly. It’s a great place to vacation. Love Mexico.”

Another traveller also heading to Tulum said she felt safe heading to a part of the country that appears relatively unaffected by Sunday’s violence.

“I talked to my dad who is a retired police officer and he assured me that we should be just fine in the area we are going to,” she said.

Another couple said they registered with Global Affairs Canada ahead of their trip to Mexico just to be safe.

“(Feeling) a little bit of apprehension knowing that there is some serious political stuff going on but looking forward to a vacation that’s long overdue,” one traveller said.

According to Global Affairs, more than 18,000 Canadians are currently registered in Mexico, with about 4,000 in the Jalisco state. Puerto Vallarta is a popular destination for tourists in that region and on Sunday, many people at resorts reported seeing smoke billowing in the distance as cars, buses, and stores were set ablaze in nearby towns.

The violence followed the death of powerful drug cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, who was killed following a raid by security forces on Sunday, the Mexican army previously confirmed.

Oseguera, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, was wounded during a raid in the town of Tapalpa and died while being flown to Mexico City, according to the statement.

‘Don’t go to Mexico,’ Premier Ford says

The unrest led to a shut down of public transport in the area and forced the closure of the local airport, prompting Canadian airlines to cancel flights to and from Puerto Vallarta on Sunday.

CTV Public Safety Analyst Chris Lewis said those staying in Puerto Vallarta should refrain from venturing out and simply stay at their resorts.

“For those tourists from Canada or other places that are in hotels, they just have to do what they are told,” he told CTV News on Monday.

He noted that targeting tourists is not in the “best interests of cartels.”

“They don’t commonly do that,” he added.

Speaking at an unrelated news conference on Monday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told travellers to avoid Mexico, saying the country is “not stable right now.”

“Highly recommend: don’t go to Mexico,” he said Monday.

Ford said he will work with the federal government to bring Ontario travellers stuck in Mexico back to the country.

“Don’t go there and maybe pick an island somewhere or here in Canada,” he said.

The federal government has issued new guidance on Canadians travelling to Mexico, advising tourists to exercise a high degree of caution.

With files from CTV Toronto’s Phil Tsekouras