After another recent spate of
shootings, we asked Rodrigo Esponda, Head of Cabo Tourist Board, how safe Cabo
really is right now...
Is Cabo really safe right now? The question
keeps being asked. It’s important And we shouldn’t avoid answering it.
The short answer is. YES, Cabo
is safe for tourists. YES, you can bring your families. NO, you won’t get shot in the street. And NO,
you won’t see drug lords roaming around.
BUT- you will see a quite a few armed Federales,
Gendarmerie agents, and Marines. They are here because over the last 6 months
there has been a spate of violent, drug related incidents and shootings. Nobody
is trying to deny that.
Stiil, it doesn’t sound great.
Lots of Feds, and shootings. Not perhaps, what you have in mind for an ideal
holiday destination…
So, to set matters straight, we spoke to Rodrigo Esponda, Head of FITURCA, Cabo’s Tourist Board. He assured us that Cabo, as a destination , is definitely safe. And that BCS have a very well defined security strategy in place. Here is what he said -
“Of course, we cannot deny the recent spate of murders, these are really, really unfortunate. Awful for the families affected, and not good for Cabo as a destination. But we can assure you that much is being done to improve security.”
“There is a co-ordinated effort between the federal, state, and municipal security services. Who are working tirelessly with tourist service providers, hotel associations, resorts, travel agencies, and airlines to make sure everyone is fully aware of the situation. And the measures being taken to address the problem.”
“Just this week a 20% increase in the deployment of federal agents has been announced for Cabo. As has a special security pilot programme that will be introduced in August.”
“But please, let’s also look at the positive facts. Despite this spate of violence, tourism has continued to grow in the last six months. We are 20% up on air passenger figures from last year – and are getting more foreign and national visitors. More flights routes have opened-up. Billions of dollars are being invested in hotels and real estate. And Cabo resorts, golf courses, and spas keep winning prestigious travel and tourism awards.”
“It is very clear that Cabo as a destination is continuing to grow in a natural, organic way. And I firmly believe that security for tourists in Cabo has not been compromised in any way. It remains a safe and welcoming destination for all the thousands of visitors we hope to receive over the summer months.”
For further recent and relevant facts and stats on security in Cabo, and to read what other visitors say, please check out our itravel-cabo security page