LOS ANGELES (KNX) – Mexico is a hot spot for many travelers looking for a vacation — in fact, it’s the most visited destination in Latin America, according to Statista.
But the deaths of two Southern California tourists inside a Baja California hotel room have would-be travelers second-guessing. A GoFundMe for one of the victims revealed that the deaths might have been caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.
In October 2022, three Americans were found dead in an Airbnb in Mexico City and blood tests later revealed they died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
So, is it safe for Americans to travel to Mexico?
Jaime Lopez-Aranda, Senior Security Manager at International SOS, said for the most part, yes.
“If you're still in reputable hotels and most of the Airbnbs, it's a relatively safe experience, a very safe experience,” he told LA’S Morning News. “And these very unfortunate, very tragic cases are about a tiny fraction of all the travels that take place to Mexico.”
When it comes to concerns about carbon monoxide poisoning, Lopez-Aranda said while it’s rare that it happens, it’s because some rooms don’t have adequate ventilation.
“It is actually pretty rare when it happens, but most of the time when it does take place, it's because of poor ventilation and in most cases, it's because there's a light fire within a confined space,” he said
Lopez-Aranda said it’s important to research where you’re staying if you're planning a trip to Mexico.
“Basically when you're doing the booking reservations again, reputable hotels, Airbnbs, they have a list of the facilities and the security measures that they are taking,” he said. “It’s about focusing on ensuring that the accommodations that you'll be staying at could have, the basic security features, and that's something that again, if you're booking online or if you're booking through an application, that's this information that is really easily available.”
He also said many places include information about smoke detectors as well as information regarding emergency procedures.
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