Hundreds of Tourists Arrive on the Autopista del Sol

(Acapulco, NA 19 December) Little by little, hundreds of tourists are arriving in the port of Acapulco to celebrate the year-end holidays. At 10:30 am Saturday morning, 18 vehicles per minute were passing through the last toll booth of the Autopista del Sol, which connects Acapulco to Mexico City. Operators at the toll booth said they expected the rate to rise to between 40 and 45 vehicles per minute by next Monday. Most were arriving from Mexico City, but also represented were visitors from Morelos, Aguascalientes, León, Guanajuato and Verzcruz.

When asked by reporters, vacationers indicated that they had made their reservations for the Acapulco Christmas holiday anywhere from one to three months in advance. Those without reservations had the opportunity to book accommodations at the rest stop right by the La Venta toll station, where sales personnel were visiting with the travelers and handing out leaflets. Many said that the cold temperatures in Mexico City and elsewhere were a major incentive to come to Acapulco to enjoy the climate and the beaches. When asked about the “violence issue,” most responded that they felt equally secure in Acapulco as anywhere else in the country, as the problem of organized crime is not exclusive to Acapulco.

Meanwhile, along the beaches, a few elements of the local police could be observed patrolling on four-wheel ATV’s, but the large number of police and military security personnel, announced by local authorities, are yet to appear. Several tourists, when asked by the press, said that the beach vendors were much more of a bother than anything related to security.