Drug violence scares off tourists to Mexico

I hope no one is surprised by this , Why would anyone but the clueless want to go to Cancun or Acapulco with the present state of the Drugwars in Mexico ?

Sure it is beautiful , sure it is fun , and for sure it can be Deadly !

(Reuters) - Fears of drug violence spreading to beaches and colonial towns are driving away tourists and threatening Mexico's crucial tourism industry, already battered by last year's swine flu outbreak.

Gory news reports of daily shootouts between drug cartel hitmen are fueling concerns among North Americans and Europeans that Mexico is increasingly unsafe, even if most of the violence is along the U.S. border, far from top tourist areas.

The number of international tourists flying into the Pacific beach resort of Acapulco, where rival hitmen have fought brazen gun battles in recent months, fell by almost a quarter in the first three months of this year, airport operator OMA said.

International arrivals to the popular Caribbean resort of Cancun fell 4 percent in the same period, according to airport operator Asur. They are peak months in Cancun as many tourists escape from winter at home, and U.S. students traditionally flood Mexico on their "spring break."

Almost 20,000 people have died in the fight between cartels and Mexican security forces. Violence has worsened dramatically since the start of the year, with 1,000 deaths across Mexico in March, the bloodiest month since President Felipe Calderon launched his crackdown on drug gangs in late 2006.

Mexico's tourism industry is still likely to grow in 2010 compared to last year, when fears of swine flu emptied beaches, but businesses worry a perception of danger hangs over Mexico that could continue to undermine the industry.