Safety Update about Playa del Carmen

On March 7, the US Embassy in Mexico City issued a travel alert mentioning that it had received information about a possible security threat in Playa del Carmen. It said that as of March 7, US Government employees are prohibited from traveling to Playa del Carmen.

The US consular agency office in Playa del Carmen was closed temporarily but reopened on March 12.

The Quintana Roo State Government issued a bulletin on March 7 declaring that tourism and economic activity continue as normal in Playa del Carmen and throughout the Mexican Caribbean. The current hotel occupancy rate is 80 percent.

The bulletin goes on to say that safety of visitors and residents is of the utmost importance and that security forces work day and night to guarantee this. It adds that it has no knowledge of the circumstances that prompted the US Embassy to issue an alert.

The Quintana Roo State Government also reiterated its commitment to work hand in hand to protect visitors from the United States and all international visitors to the state.

The State and Municipal police forces coordinate security with the Federal police force, the Mexican Army and Navy, which also patrol the area.

Quintana Roo is currently hosting the 2018 World Oceans Summit organized by The Economist. This high-level event in the Riviera Maya is being attended by government ministers, experts and conservationists from all over the world and was inaugurated by Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.

To read the Quintana Roo Government statement in English click here:
http://cgc.qroo.gob.mx/statement-of-the-government-of-the-state-of-quintana-roo-in-regards-to-the-prohibition-by-the-united-states-government-to-their-government-employees-from-traveling-to-playa-del-carmen/

Ferries from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel are operating normally

Ferries between Playa del Carmen and Cozumel are operating normally and thousands of visitors and Mexican citizens visit the island every day.

Security was reinforced at the Playa del Carmen terminal after an explosion on board a Barcos del Caribe ferry that had just arrived from Cozumel on February 21. More than eighteen passengers, including several international visitors, suffered

minor injuries. A criminal investigation continues into the incident and is being handled by the Federal Justice Department.

The authorities moved quickly to suspend Barcos del Caribe in the wake of the incident and halt its ferry operations. All its vessels were inspected, including boats that had been out of service for months. The authorities are following a number of leads concerning the explosion and the company’s activities.

It is safe to travel to the Mexican Caribbean
Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Cozumel, the Riviera Maya and the Yucatan Peninsula as a whole have always been, and remain, among the safest places in the world for visitors. There is no cause for increased concern or for cancelling a trip.