Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Danger vacation getting spicy revenue regarding Mexico

Tourism is a vital source of income for nations worldwide.For Americans, Mexico has proven to be a popular tourist attraction.The traditional image of a Mexican escape involves beaches, surfing, parasailing, margaritas and horseback trips to restorative hot springs in far-off villages.However a new form of Mexican travel and leisure is anything however ordinary, reports Reuters.”Danger tourism” that takes thrill-seekers into the maelstrom of sex, drugs and open violence of the current drug war is all the rage.

Risk travel and leisure isn’t your dad’s Mexico vacation

The majority of Mexico escape fans aren’t paying to be mugged and abused, however some adrenaline junkies want to see the Mexico that exists outside of resorts.Specialty travel agencies give tourists the chance to watch Zapatista rebels work. Or, for those who prefer human trafficking and sex trade, you will find places to see that, too.Places like the Tepito underground in Mexico City, for example. Drugs, underage prostitution and contraband are the stock in trade.Danger vacation of this nature, as outlined by Universal Travel’s Cesar Estrada, is spiking in popularity.

“We tell visitors to dress simply. If they want pictures, our guides take them discreetly,” Estrada said.

’Real’ Mexico for real tourists

Hazard vacation grants the daring “the kind of insight into the real Mexico one could not get in a beach resort like CancĂșn,” said tourist Donata Von Salviati to Reuters.Adding to the theme of “the real Mexico,” one tourist agency enables danger tourism aficionados to pay 200 pesos ($15) to hire a fake human trafficker (aka polleros or coyotes) for a nighttime run that simulates being a migrant crossing the southern border of the United States.No food or water is allowed on the trip through bushes and across rivers.Tourists run for their lives, or fake la migra snares them like runaway cattle.

Is a Mexico overall economy pushing this as far as they can?

Reuters reports that it is unclear at this point exactly what kind of an effect danger vacation has had on the Mexican economy.When one considers that nine percent of Mexico’s overall economy depends upon vacation dollars, danger tourism could not be anything other than a shot within the arm, despite the ravages of the drug war.The trail of money is much appreciated by America’s neighbor to the south.

More on this topic

Reuters

reuters.com/article/idUSN2463303



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