Earlier this year, there was a lot of conversation and fear being spread over the outbreak of the H1N1 virus, also known as the Swine Flu, in Mexico City and surrounding areas.  There were many advisories about traveling to Mexico and its many vacation spots, and tourism dropped drastically for awhile.

There were some truths that were left out of much of the discussion concerning Mexican travel, and some of those thoughts are still persisting.  Travel to Mexico is still somewhat sluggish, but is starting to pick up as the weather is changing and people are looking for a warm place to go.  Let’s talk about some of these things.

First, swine flu did not start in Mexico.  It’s been traced to Asia, though no one is still sure which country it started in.  The reason it was so prevalent in Mexico City is because it’s a huge city with a very heavy population.  Around 11,000 people had the swine flu at its peak at one time.  In Mexico City, which has around 9 million people, that comes to less than .12% of the population.  So, it seems like a high number until you compare it to the population in general.

Second, the country with the second highest number of swine flu cases is the United States.  That’s because more Americans go to Mexico on vacation than anywhere else.  However, Americans also travel to Asia often, including India.  CNN’s health expert Sanjay Gupta caught the swine flu virus in Asia.  In general, you can pretty much get swine flu anywhere in the world, not just Mexico.  Many schools across this country, especially colleges, have numerous cases of this disease.  While Mexico City has stemmed the tide and is showing decreasing numbers, ours are growing; it may be safer visiting Mexico than staying home.

And third, there’s been a lot more talk about some of the drug battles going on in some cities that are considered vacation spots.  Although violence is always scary, once again, it’s been overblown a little bit.  For instance, one of the areas where there was a lot of violence was occurring along the border of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico and El Paso, TX.  However, the people who live in that area weren’t overly concerned, as the bridges there still show an average of 60,000 people a day crossing both ways.  Like any other city, there are areas you don’t want to go in, while everywhere else is usually pretty safe.

If you’ve been holding off on visiting any vacation spots in Mexico, go ahead, visit, and have fun.  As always, be careful and don’t put yourself into any dangerous situations.  That’s the same advice you’d get in your own hometown if you weren’t familiar with it.  Enjoy yourself.