The swine flu epidemic,
drug-related violence and a global recession all proved to be major buzz-kills last year for Mexico, driving away millions of visitors in 2009.
With colleges and universities gearing up for spring break, will Mexico be able to bounce back in 2010?
Keep reading to find out what Mexico is doing to entice travelers to venture south of the border.
At this time last year, Mexico was a hard sell for a spring break escape. Sure, there were beaches and sunshine. But there were also fears of a catching a rampant and deadly virus or getting caught in the crossfire of a drug lord shoot out.
Some universities even sent out letters to students warning them to take caution if they dared travel to Mexico.
On top of that, more travelers were opting to stay close to home because of a worldwide economic crisis.
All these factors combined to create the perfect storm, keeping tourists at bay and causing Mexico's foreign tourism revenue to tumble by $2 billion. In 2008, Mexico raked in $13.3 billion from foreign tourism, while in 2009, that number fell by about 20% to just $11.3 billion.
But things are turning around in 2010. Swine flu is no longer dominating the headlines as the virus has proven to be treatable.
View our complete Mexico & Central America travel section.
The Mexican government is working to educate people about where drug violence is most prevalent. They insist that it is mostly concentrated in states along the Mexico-U.S. border, far from the country's popular beach destinations.
MTV will even host its annual spring break party at Acapulco in the state of Guerrero, which is no stranger to drug killings and gun battles. Acapulco is paying the network $200,000 to bring in its cameras and spotlights. The party is expected to lure 7,000 to 10,000 spring breakers to the resort town.
The down year in 2009 also forced Mexico to lower its prices across the board. Now thanks to lower airfares and all-inclusive package deals, Mexico is getting noticed for something positive in 2010: its great value.
By Dan Bence for PeterGreenberg.com.
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