Holland America programa nuevos arribos

Sibely Cañedo

noroeste.com

26-02-2014

La Administración Portuaria Integral confía en tener mayor arribo de turistas de cruceros. Fotografía: Noroeste.

MAZATLÁN._ En medio de la noticia de la recaptura de Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán en Mazatlán, la Administración Portuaria Integral (API) dio a conocer que la compañía Holland America programó ocho nuevos arribos de cruceros para el próximo año y diez más para 2016.

La confirmación del itinerario se dio este lunes, tan solo dos días después de que el narcotraficante fuera atrapado en unos condominios de la zona turística de la ciudad.

Alfonso Gil Díaz, director de la API, informó acerca de las escalas recién programadas y advirtió que no ha recibido, por parte de las líneas navieras, ninguna recomendación extraordinaria en materia de seguridad a raíz de los hechos mencionados.

De acuerdo a la programación más reciente, con esto sumarían 32 cruceros en 2015 y 16 para el siguiente año en el puerto mazatleco, aunque se trata de un esquema sujeto a cambios.

"Me confirmaron ayer (lunes) que el año próximo vamos a tener ocho barcos de Holland America y 10 más para 2016; son arribos nuevos, se trata de los barcos Veendam y Amsterdam", indicó el funcionario.

La primera es una embarcación con capacidad para mil 200 pasajeros y la segunda para 2 mil 200, además de los tripulantes.

Gil Díaz resaltó que continúan las negociaciones con Carnival Cruises, la principal operadora de cruceros del Mundo, con la cual se espera concretar muy pronto su regreso a esta ciudad.

Sectur espera pronto retorno de Carnival
Hace tres años los cruceros suspendieron sus arribos a Mazatlán debido a una ola de inseguridad que azotó el estado.

A partir del 12 de noviembre de 2013, Holland America y Norwegian Cruise han vuelto a viajar a este destino turístico. Carnival todavía no ha confirmado su retorno, aunque se espera lo haga este mismo año.

El secretario de Turismo, Francisco Córdova Celaya, confió en que esta noticia podría hacerse oficial durante la Convención Internacional de Cruceros en Miami, Florida, que reúne a los agentes más importantes de la industria e inicia el próximo 10 de marzo.

"Yo escuché la noticia de la Sectur federal y me adelantaron que en la convención de Miami podría confirmarse", agregó.

Se estima que Carnival podría reprogramar entre 40 y 50 arribos a Mazatlán, empezando en 2014.

Mexico is safer than many cities in the U.S.

howsafeismexico.com

More than 150,000 Americans safely visit Mexico every day. And while the media sensationalizes stories of violence in Mexico, Mexico is safer than many major U.S. cities. Travelers feel relatively safe visiting popular U.S. cities like Miami, Philadelphia, Chicago, New Orleans, Washington D.C, or Atlanta. Visitors from around the world enjoy these vibrant cities in relative, reasonable safety. Yet each of these cities is statistically less safe than Mexico.



Mexico and politically charged Media Bias.

In the debate on immigration reform in the US, the facts on safety in Mexico have become a casualty of politics. To change public opinion and policy, politicians sometimes throw fuel on the fire. If you make up an exciting story about "severed heads in the desert", it gets a lot of attention and people believe it. The governor of Arizona admitted this story was baseless, but only after months of damage was successfully inflicted to the image of Mexico. The homicide rates above are facts from the FBI, not political fabrications.

Media Favoritism versus Facts.

 

New Orleans is beloved and its renaissance is showcased in the news. The FBI reports the murder rate of New Orleans is declining, but it is nearly 4 times higher than all of Mexico and over 5 times higher than Mexico City. New Orleans is still an amazing place to visit and the Media is right to champion this inspirational city.  But Mexico is at least as remarkable and there is a clear difference in how each of these storied destinations is portrayed in contemporary news.

Every city and country has places that are safe and dangerous. Mexico is no exception. The areas that are dangerous should be avoided. And those that are safe should be enjoyed and celebrated.

How Safe Is Mexico: New Website Gains Popularity

By Staff Reporter, Jul 30, 2013 03:51 PM EDT
latintimes.com

 

There's a new website in town and it offers some interesting and useful information about Mexico's tourism and the safety in the country. Amidst the reports of crimes and political turmoil, the website, titled "How Safe Is Mexico?," offers potential tourists some surprising statistics about the country.

Like what, you ask? Did you know that visiting Yucatan is as safe as rural states in the United States, as it boasts a homicide rate that is lower than rural Wyoming, Montana, Oregon and Maine? Or that Mexico is safer than many other popular tourist destinations including, but not limited to, Ecuador, St. Lucia, Bahamas, Guatemala, Brazil, Honduras & Roatan, Belize, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic?

The website's goal is to emphasize the fact that one or two news reports about crime does not apply to the entire country, as Mexico is larger than Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire and D.C. combined. Speaking of D.C., the website reveals that D.C. is four times more deadly than Mexico City.

Essentially, the website tries to combat what they call "sensationalized media" and the false impression many people have about the country, as violence is not as bad as it seems.

"Like most countries, Mexico has violent crime. Our concern is that the portrayal of this violence is sensationalized and inconsistent with the portrayals of other countries and travel destinations," reveal the makers of the website. "We do not suggest that Mexico is completely safe, nor is it as dangerous as it is represented. We offer specific factual comparisons so that travelers can make enlightened choices without the haze of politics and media hype."

"We hope that by comparing facts from various sources, you will see that Mexico is statistically safer than many popular tourism destinations. The endless barrage of negative media has a harmful effect on the resorts, destinations and people who want nothing more than to showcase what they have to offer. Whether you choose to visit this beautiful and diverse nation or some other exotic place, you should do so based on facts. We wish you safe and memorable journeys wherever your travels take you."

And lest you assume that this website is being funded by the Mexican government or the tourism bureau, know that "How Safe Is Mexico?" is an independent site created by Black Label Interactive. They reveal on their website that they have not accepted money for creating the site and that their sources include the U.N. World Health Organization, RRS y Associados-Prominix, the U.S. FBI, the U.S. State Department, NationMaster.com and USA Today.