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Mexico is spending millions on print and billboard ads in the USA cities to stop Americans from cancelling visits.
"Those travel alerts that were headlining 'If you want to stay alive, don't travel to Mexico,' we felt they were not only totally inaccurate but irresponsible," said a Mexico Tourism Board official.
Foreign visitors spent $11.9 billion there last year...up 5% from 2009 when the global economic crisis and H1N1 virus decimated global tourism.
But the 2010 figures are down 10% from $13.3 billion in 2008.
President Felipe Calderon's recent hour-long TV interview...in English (See link on 11 May post)...could be considered part of this campaign to sway USA opinion about the safety of tourism and investments in Mexico...despite intensive media coverage of seemingly endless, widespread violence, mayhem and death.
AND: A recent U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce survey reports that only half of USA firms said they would go ahead with new investment plans in Mexico.
Several companies, including Whirlpool, recently announced they would put new factories elsewhere because of safety worries.
In the survey one out of 10 companies reported kidnappings while 60% said their employees were beaten or threatened in 2010. Also that cargo thefts from trucks and trains are rampant and soaring.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/article_6f78ed57-2de7-5663-8499-184357eef89e.html
