jcctravel.org

Archive for March, 2010

Spring break can be a chance for many students to relax and let loose, but travel safety is something that is commonly overlooked.  In the month of February, the U.S. Department of State issued a travel warning and a travel alert for both Mexico and Haiti.

Mexico was put on the travel alert list Feb. 22 due to the increased security threat for travelers. Violent crimes and demonstrations have been on the rise, and the United States Embassy urges travelers not to make any unnecessary trips.

The State Department has also published a guide specifically for spring break travelers going to Mexico called “Know Before You Go.” In the guide, cities such as Cancun, Cabo San Lucas and Acapulco are only a few of the places that the State Department views as potentially dangerous cities for spring break travelers.

But staying in the country still means students should be careful. The Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco reported more than 5,000 underage drinking arrests during the span of four weeks in March and April of 2004. This was the worst year in the number of arrests, and this number has declined to 800 in 2008. The agency also reported that more than 1,000 fake IDs were confiscated last year.

According to VisitFlorida.com, more than 80 million people traveled to Florida last year. Mexico, Hawaii and the Dominican Republic followed as the most popular destination for spring break in 2009.