Travel agents are reporting a steep decline in vacation rates to a Mexican tourist destination where a Calgary woman was brutally beaten last weekend.
Sheila Nabb remains in hospital following an assault at the Hotel Riu Emerald in Mazatlan.
Back at home, prices on vacation packages offering a stay at the Riu and numerous other venues in Mazatlan have plunged by as much as 40 per cent, according to Mahmood Tejpar, owner of the Marlin Travel in Marlborough Mall.
“It has definitely had a negative affect,” he said. “I feel sorry because these Mexicans rely on tourism so much.”
Tejpar and two other locations contacted by Metro said fears about the attack only seem to have impacted interest in Mazatlan, as prices at numerous other hotspots in the country remain steady,
Ken Stewart, president and managing director for Crowfoot Travel Solutions, has stayed at the Riu and enjoyed it a great deal.
“I have some clients that just booked yesterday, they are going down to Mazatlan next week,” he said.
“I wouldn’t have a problem going down or even taking my family and going down there ... you travel smart, play smart and pay attention to your surroundings.”
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