You can still be safe in Mexico; but heed a note of warning!

A few days ago I wrote an article about the safety of tourist spots in Mexico. Sadly, I must add a codicil to my last article about traveling to Mexico. While I spent all of last winter traveling through Baja California, Mazatlan, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and more and never heard of a negative incident, I’m afraid we must add Mazatlan to the Precautionary Area. A January 18, 2011 article in the Montreal Gazette (www.MontrealGazette.com) reports that a Canadian tourist was caught in the crossfire of gun-related violence after stepping out from a Mazatlan farmacia. According to our fellow-cruiser Tom who lives onboard his Catalina 470, they spent some time there earlier in the season and had no adverse experiences. He and his wife spent one week in the Old Harbor, though, and remarked they found it a little creepy.

“During our stay at Marina Mazatlan, Total Yacht Works was burglarized the night they received my boat parts, which were stolen in the break-in,” Tom comments.

“The point is Mazatlan is about to be hit hard by the economic loss of three different cruise lines discontinuing service to that port (Princess, Holland America and Disney). This means more lost jobs for the working Mexicans. According to the US State Department, the murder rate for the first quarter in Mazatlan,exceeded all the murders from the previous years and are mostly drug related.

“We will be returning to Mazatlan, but not staying in the Old Harbor (personal safety preference).

“To the rest of you, just pay attention and be safe... Mazatlan is a big City with Big City problems... I was a cop for thirty years and learned long ago, paying attention to your surroundings and listening to your little voice goes a long way.”

Also, Googling your destination in advance before you depart might be a good idea. We, in the sailing community, also signed onto a cruising chat group. In addition to discussing where to get extra parts and what restaurants were the best, these cruisers were quick to report any security issues, usually within the same day they occurred.

This writer will be cautious but not thwarted. My goal is to get back down to Cancun in April and perhaps to Baja California in the fall, but I will do a little homework, first. Plus, I'll take Tom's advice and behave just as I would if I were in Los Angeles or Washington, DC: In other words, stay out of the 'bad' sections, don't wave money around, be situationly aware and move with confidence that says "I'm not a victim." So, see you in Mexico this year!
A few days ago I wrote an article about the safety of tourist spots in Mexico. Sadly, I must add a codicil to my last article about traveling to Mexico. While I spent all of last winter traveling through Baja California, Mazatlan, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and more and never heard of a negative incident, I’m afraid we must add Mazatlan to the Precautionary Area. A January 18, 2011 article in the Montreal Gazette (www.MontrealGazette.com) reports that a Canadian tourist was caught in the crossfire of gun-related violence after stepping out from a Mazatlan farmacia. According to our fellow-cruiser Tom who lives onboard his Catalina 470, they spent some time there earlier in the season and had no adverse experiences. He and his wife spent one week in the Old Harbor, though, and remarked they found it a little creepy.

“During our stay at Marina Mazatlan, Total Yacht Works was burglarized the night they received my boat parts, which were stolen in the break-in,” Tom comments.

“The point is Mazatlan is about to be hit hard by the economic loss of three different cruise lines discontinuing service to that port (Princess, Holland America and Disney). This means more lost jobs for the working Mexicans. According to the US State Department, the murder rate for the first quarter in Mazatlan,exceeded all the murders from the previous years and are mostly drug related.

“We will be returning to Mazatlan, but not staying in the Old Harbor (personal safety preference).

“To the rest of you, just pay attention and be safe... Mazatlan is a big City with Big City problems... I was a cop for thirty years and learned long ago, paying attention to your surroundings and listening to your little voice goes a long way.”

Also, Googling your destination in advance before you depart might be a good idea. We, in the sailing community, also signed onto a cruising chat group. In addition to discussing where to get extra parts and what restaurants were the best, these cruisers were quick to report any security issues, usually within the same day they occurred.

This writer will be cautious but not thwarted. My goal is to get back down to Cancun in April and perhaps to Baja California in the fall, but I will do a little homework, first. Plus, I'll take Tom's advice and behave just as I would if I were in Los Angeles or Washington, DC: In other words, stay out of the 'bad' sections, don't wave money around, be situationly aware and move with confidence that says "I'm not a victim." So, see you in Mexico this year!

Mexican tourism

[[posterous-content:pid___0]]If you’re an American, you might be afraid to vacation in Mexico, right? Wrong! I spent all of last winter traveling through Baja California, Mazatlan, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and more. In my opinion, Mexico’s security in these tourist zones is unequalled anywhere else in the world.

My friends at Yucatan Holidays asked me to help get the word out that it’s safe to come to Mexico and you are more welcome than ever there. What better way is there to let everyone know than by using social media? So I would ask you to share this with your friends.

President Felipe Calderón says truthfully that the violence is confined to certain regions and is mostly among gang members. According to a USAToday report written by Chris Hawley, Calderon says the news media is actually exaggerating the violence. He admits there are problematic cities, but otherwise, murder rates are no higher than in many countries in Europe.

According to Hawley’s article printed in August of 2010, “…murders had been dropping steadily, from 16,163 in 1997 to 10,291 in 2007, even as Mexico's population grew. The murder rate sank from 17 to 10 per 100,000 people.”

So, what happened beginning in 2008? The murder rates rose, which coincided with a government crackdown on drug cartels. Calderón said the offensive was needed because the cartels had infiltrated local governments and were threatening to become more powerful than police. But while violence has been rising in those areas, you can travel confidently to any of the popular tourist destinations.

One thing I am sure of from personal experience, those of us in the sailing and cruising community never heard of any incidents occurring to anyone in our group throughout Mexican waters. Had any violence been committed against cruisers, it would most certainly have been reported in the very active chat groups and online news sources, such as ‘Lectronic Lattitude.

This writer is planning a trip to Cancun in April and hopes you’ll join me. Let’s support our wonderful neighbors to the south!

5 ideas for getting better organized

When I wear my travel writer’s hat, I have to be super organized. This time, I’ve headed for the hinterlands of Germany, to be followed by a two-week jaunt to Southern Spain and then, possibly, on to Dubai.

Before I head south, I’ve promised to cook my new friend, Celicia, an authentic, Afghan meal.(Even at this writing, the chicken kabob is marinating in yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and about a thousand spices.)  In the meantime, I have clients back in the U.S. and Mexico whom I must serve just as though I were in their home town.

So, how do I do it all? After all, I have some pretty important personal goals, too, such as meeting great people, eating good food and relishing centuries-old art, music, cities and traditions.

Well, here is what I recommend in order to balance work/play/travel:

1.    Notes. I write everything down including notes about conversations, random thoughts and ideas or reminders to myself. I record the money I spend on a trip, if I have time. And, of course, I journal every day I can. I may not get back and reread everything, but the process of writing it down seems to record these thoughts in my brain.

2.    Plan. Make a schedule every Sunday or daily, if that’s your style. Ideally, I like to plan trips about a month in advance. (Lately, it’s been more like a few days, though!) Do some budgeting of your finances: what do you plan to spend each week or for the month? Later you can compare your plans with what actually happened. You might be surprised!

3.    Ask for help. Don’t let pride or greed stand in your way of asking for help or hiring someone to assist you. This goes along with making yourself available to help others, too. It’s called “building relationships.”

4.    Just say “no.” If you are properly planning and scheduling, then you’ll know when you are overly subscribed. If someone asks you to do something and you’re not sure if you have the time; tell them you’ve got to think about it first and you’ll get back to them. This one is big on my list, because I have a tendency to overcommit.

5.    Breathe in and out! This is what my mom used to say whenever one of us would whine about our problems. “Just breathe in and out." Remember that you are doing the very best you can and celebrate that. Allow yourself to...well, to reward yourself!

The chances that you are a workaholic in this society in the world, today, are strong. So while you’re working on your planning and scheduling, don’t forget to carve out some “me” time! Maybe you can’t do it all, but you should be enjoying whatever you do the most.

Facebook 'infographic' interesting; but what does it mean?

You should post your Facebook messages at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday (plus on alternating days during the week), talk about sex and avoid using the term "vs," according to research performed by social media maven Dan Zarella (DanZarella.com). These are interesting statistics, but I'm sure Dan would advise us that effective marketing using social media requires you to use this type of research thoughtfully. Further investigation might show that the majority of Facebook viewers who see your 8:00 a.m. (and is this U.S. Eastern Standard Time, by the way?) Saturday post might be a young crowd that lies outside your demographic market. Obviously, common marketing sense needs to prevail. If your market is to tweens, teens and young adults, then you'd be advised to trigger your Facebook posts for the 'top of the weekend.'  But if your market is a little more complex, then what?

ConnectedMarkets guru George Grant says, "Start by defining your audience. Who do you know that talks to that audience? Try to get to know as many people as possible in your audience, especially the movers and shakers who already talk with them. Get movers and shakers to spread your message. That may involve payment of some kind. Reciprocation, favor, cash, drugs, booze, hookers. Whatever works.

"Joke.

"Or - and this is probably the most effective path - craft a message so interesting, they'll find it hard not to spread."

We recommend a common sense approach when it comes to Facebook that we developed after studying another of Zarella's articles on "6 Facebook tips for social media."

The bottom line in our way of thinking is that posting to Facebook is only a small piece of your social media program. Social media is, in its purest essence, an extraction of a well-planned, comprehensive online marketing strategy. Gone are the days when a customer would find you by attending trades shows, reading magazines or journals, requesting that you mail them a brochure (heavens!) or asking their friends and business acquaintances.Today, your customer starts in Google by searching on relevant keywords and reviews each vendor's site. Naturally, those websites with the most interesting and complete information, often enhanced by relevant and engaging videos and blogs, are the ones that prompt a click or a call.

So we advise taking Zarella's information, or infographic, for what it's worth -- as an interesting factoid to consider. Your goal in posting to Facebook, Twitter, your Blog or any other site is to attract readers to your 'storefront,' namely, your website.So if you're posting on a Saturday at 8:00 a.m. New Zealand time or at midnight on Wednesday, hopefully your message will attract the right kind of attention from the right people...your prospective customer.

7 ideas for your next promo

Sending out a direct mail or email blast to promote your business? I recently came across these seven ideas to keep in mind when crafting your promotional copy:

1.    Start with your strongest point. For example, if you’re a manager hoping to promote rentals at your resort during the off-season, put yourself in your prospective guests’ shoes. What benefits are most likely to attract their attention? Price must surely be a factor, but perhaps there are other ways to distinguish your resort from the pack, such as on-site amenities or events in the community.

2.    Expand on your benefits. Since the first paragraph should be short, the second should clarify just what the guest will get.

3.    Be specific. If one of your benefits is the local dinner theater, include its name and Web site.

4.    Provide a testimonial. Including a positive comment or two from satisfied customers adds credibility. Let their words serve as your reference.

5.    Add urgency. Limit the offer and tell prospective visitors what they will lose if they don't act now. Once they put your letter down or click to the next Web site, they are less likely to respond.

6.    Summarize your entire offer. Repeat the benefits of why viewers of your offer should move now.

7.    Close with a call for action. What do you want your prospective customer to do? Fill out an online response? Send in the enclosed reply card? Call immediately? Fill in the order blank? What specific step should be taken?

And remember, the bottom line is clarity. Once you’ve finished drafting and polishing the copy, walk away from your desk for a break. When you return, reread what you’ve written as though you’re a prospective guest and this is the first time you’ve seen it. If your proposal is truly beneficial, this seven-step formula can help make it irresistible.