Forget your worries about getting robbed at the beach. Instead, watch out for getting your belongings stolen at Cancun hotels, a satisfaction survey carried out by Marketing Consultants has revealed.
The consulting firm spokesperson, Ana Cecilia Quevedo, shared that theft at lodging accommodations was the number one source of concern for visitors.
Nine percent of outbound travelers surveyed at airports ranked safety as “unsatisfactory” or “bad.”
In fact, theft in local hotels was the main crime tourists encountered during their stay. In second place, travelers also reported thefts at the airport.
Statistics show that visitors to Cancun fell prey to three thousand crimes in January 2024 alone, with only 18 percent of victims filing a police report.
According to Quevedo, hoteliers must install more cameras inside their premises to protect guests’ belongings.
Nineteen percent of interviewees also rated local means of transport as “bad” or “very bad,” 16 percent considered that tour operators are “bad,” 14 percent said the airport is “bad” or “very bad,” and 15 percent said sanitary measures are “bad.”
But crime inside hotels is not the only issue. Consider what happened to these three young American spring breakers last week at Ocean Dream Cancun Hotel.
Right after having dinner, they walked out to the hotel’s beach to encounter four heavily armed men wearing camo and police gear.
Following a ridiculous accusation of trespassing, the men proceeded to give the scared tourists three options:
“You can go to the airport and leave the country before going to get your belongings. Or you can go to jail, and it won’t be comfortable…” “Or you can each give us $300 apiece,” one of the parents told Fox News.
The girls had no choice but to accept the extortion and give them $900.
After this horrible experience, the women learned that other spring breakers had endured the same situation at Cancun hotels.
“I think that is something that happens all the time there,” the father said. “They saw American kids checking in, and they know they have money.”
Former FBI special agent Nicole Parker, recommends being “very, very aware,” and carefully researching your accommodation for potential red flags. She also says you should reach out to the closest US consulate for help in case of a crime.
As per Marketing Consultants, Cancun will welcome between 6M to 6.6M visitors in both downtown and the hotel zone in 2024 if the trend continues.
Lots of work should be carried out to improve tourists’ services and safety perceptions, says the firm.