Sanborn's Mexico Travel Insurance

Issued on December 17, 2010
MEXICO TOURISM BOARD STATEMENT
The recent holiday travel warning for the entire nation of Mexico issued by the state of Texas Department of Public Safety director is an unwarranted overreaction.

As the U.S. Department of State has noted, “millions of U.S. citizens travel safely to Mexico each year. This includes tens of thousands who cross the border every day for study, tourism or business and at least one million U.S. citizens who live in Mexico.”

Internationally-celebrated destinations such as Cancun and Puerto Vallarta are among the most welcoming and relaxing resorts in the world. There could not be a better time to visit.

We are disappointed in this action, and ask anyone considering a vacation to Mexico to speak with any of the millions of Americans, Canadians, and other foreign nationals who chose to vacation at our resorts this year, and are already planning on visiting again next year.

The following is a testimonial submitted to Sanborn’s Mexico Auto Insurance:

I got home to Leon safe and sound late Saturday afternoon. I was a little bit stressed when I left McAllen because of all the negative comments I had encountered. I thank all for their concerns and worries, but let me tell you that after having made several round trips driving from Leon – McAllen, I could only say that on this last trip, things were the same as always. I drove through Monterrey, went through the city, always used tolls roads and, of course, traveled by day. I drove a Honda minivan with my wife, daughter and granddaughter. I saw no gunned cars on the side of the road and no roadblocks. I am sure that with the normal and reasonable safety measures, anyone can get to their destination without problems.

By the way, the new Anzalduas bridge is great to avoid Reynosa traffic. The security has been improved for the holidays from Reynosa all the way to Saltillo. (I used the new toll road for Saltillo-Monterrey.)

- Pablo Steinman

Mexico has made eco-tourism a top priority for all to enjoy! Experience the green side of Mexico with over 45 million acres of land kept in ecological reserves. Discover how Mexico is continuing steps towards conservation programs in this digital magazine.

For a second year in a row, Hacienda Tres Rios Resort, Spa & Nature Park received two of the coveted World Travel Awards for “Mexico’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort” and “Leading Green Hotel in Mexico and Central America.”

Described as the “Oscars” of the travel industry by The Wall Street Journal, the World Travel Awards is acknowledged as the foremost authority on recognizing the excellence of products and services in the tourism industry.

According to the organizing committee of the World Travel Awards, more than 185,000 industry professionals, including travel agencies, tour operators, and tourism companies in 160 countries around the world, participated in the voting process to elect the “best of the best.”

Accepting the awards for Hacienda Tres Rios was Orlando Arroyo, President of the Board of Directors of Tres Ríos, and was accompanied by Erika Garcia, CEO of Yucatan Holidays Travel.

Orlando Arroyo, representing Tres Rios, expressed his appreciation of the distinctive selection of Hacienda Tres Rios. He emphasized the importance of increasing travel to Mexico and Latin America as well as the industry’s shift towards responsible tourism.

Last year, the grand gala awards ceremony was held in Mexico for the first time in its 16-year history and was hosted by Hacienda Tres Rios in the Riviera Maya. This year, the red-carpet event took place at Sandals Whitehouse in Jamaica.

The Riviera Maya resort recently received the 2010 Skal International Ecotourism Award during the organization’s 71st World Congress in Sydney, Australia. With two Green Globe Certifications, the eco-friendly resort was identified by judges as “one of the most sustainable resorts in the world” by Skal International judges. The Mexico resort also received three Travel Weekly Magellan Awards.

About Hacienda Tres Rios
Nestled in a 326-acre pristine nature park in the Riviera Maya, Mexico, Hacienda Tres Rios is an endless luxury, all-inclusive resort in the Mexican Caribbean, forty-five minutes south of Cancun International Airport. Opened in November 2008, Hacienda Tres Rios is the first resort of five at Tres Rios Nature Park. The resort boasts 273 suites using natural materials. At the forefront of sustainable tourism development, Hacienda Tres Rios creates amazing guest experiences while also protecting the region’s natural beauty and cultural heritage. The Tres Rios Nature Park is open exclusively for resort guests, and offers guided nature tours through mangrove forests, snorkeling in cenotes and rivers, and daily activities for children. For more information, visit www.haciendatresrios.com/.

The entire country of Mexico has turned back their clocks 1 hour, except for the border states. The border states will follow suite along with the U.S.A. later this week.

Sanborn’s would like to inform all Mexico travelers that we have added a new page to our website, dedicated to Mexico road updates. This information is provided to us directly from CAPUFE (Caminos y Puentes). Click here to view the latest road updates.

Hurricane Karl, a category three hurricane with sustained winds of up  to 120 miles per hour, hit the city of San Pancho,  north of Veracruz  on Sept. 18, 2010. Karl hit Mexico’s central Gulf  Coast on Friday,  killing two people in a mudslide and left thousands of homes flooded  in its wake, although it quickly downgraded to a tropical storm once  it made landfall.

Please drive cautiously through this area, for the meantime, as  there is still potential of flooding do to nearby overfilled rivers  and mudslides.

Stay tuned in to our blog, where we’ll post any updated information we  receive on the areas affected by hurricane Karl.

Happy Bicentennial, Mexico. This September 16th, we honor the heroes of Mexico who first declared their independence from the Spanish Crown 200 years ago, and to all those who rose up to defend Mexico’s ideals of democracy, liberty, and justice during the revolution 100 years later. Thanks to their sacrifice, Mexico today is a strong, modern country with a thriving economy, and one of the world’s most admired cultures.Our nations are connected by the busiest border in the world, by a rich economic partnership, by a vibrant exchange of cultures, and by the millions of Mexican Americans who have contributed so much to our own nation. Our common history and our common future gives us the courage and the foundation to build an even stronger base for our work together.

Mexico and the United States share so much. With confidence in our democratic institutions, our shared values, and our unwavering friendship, we will continue working together to confront the challenges in the 21st century, and to build prosperity and peace for all of our people.

As we celebrate 200 years of your independence, we look forward to a long future of friendship and close cooperation. Viva Mexico!

A video message is available here:
http://www.state.gov/video/?videoid=605789090001
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuLTsDBpxug

A Spanish version is available here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxhZogim42Y

Weeks of heavy rain have brought widespread flooding to large areas of  eastern and southern Mexico.

Among the most severely affected areas is Tlacotalpan, a colonial-era  town declared a world heritage site. Most of Tlacotalpan’s residents have left the town to seek shelter elsewhere in the state of Veracruz, Mexican officials said.

The torrential rains and subsequent flooding have also affected the  states of Oaxaca, Tabasco and Chiapas.

Visit www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11239589 to view a video of the affected areas in Mexico.

Early this week, toll booths on Mexico’s side of international bridges stopped accepting U.S. currency,  after Mexican banks would not accept cash deposits greater than $7,000 per month.

The issue between the banks and Mexico’s federal roads and bridges authority, also known as CAPUFE, has been resolved today. Overland travelers are now able to use U.S. currency to pay entry into the U.S. at Mexico toll booths.

To combat money laundering, Mexico’s Finance Ministry, set a limit to cash deposits for individuals and companies. That limit applied to CAPUFE, as well, but the federal agency received an exemption.