Time might have run out for Novak Djokovic to be admitted US entry to play at Indian Wells, but US politicians – notably Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis – are lobbying for regulations to change and allow the world No. 1 into the country in time for the Miami Open.

The US still requires international visitors to be vaccinated against Covid-19, and the Serbian, who has previously said he remains unvaccinated, confirmed he had applied for special permission to enter the country ahead of both tournaments.

However, Indian Wells organizers announced on Sunday that Djokovic had withdrawn from the tournament, where main draw play began Wednesday.

DeSantis said he would “run a boat from the Bahamas” for Djokovic to compete in the Miami Open tennis tournament later this month.

“I would run a boat from the Bahamas here for him. I would do that a hundred percent,” DeSantis said at a press conference in Tampa Wednesday.

“I think his people are looking at it, and I’m not sure that’s the way they want to come into the country, which I understand. I think it’d be a great moment, but you know, nevertheless.”

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director, proof of Covid-19 vaccination is required for non-U.S. citizens, non-immigrant passengers arriving from a foreign country to the US by air, though that applies to other forms of travel.

On Tuesday, DeSantis had called on US President Joe Biden to intervene and allow Djokovic to compete in the tournament.

“The only thing keeping Novak Djokovic from participating in the Miami Open tennis tournament is President Biden’s misguided and unscientific COVID-19 vaccination requirement for foreigner travelers,” DeSantis, who has separately vowed to permanently ban mandates related to coronavirus mitigation as he considers a presidential bid, said on Twitter.

“Mr. President – lift your restrictions and let him compete,” he added.

Republican Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio of Florida also urged the US president to allow Djokovic into the country to play.

“On a question of regarding the vaccination requirement, I refer you to the CDC – are the ones who deal with that,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday.

The vaccine requirement, she said, “is still in place, and we expect everyone to abide by our country’s rule, whether as a participant or spectator.”

US Open organizers said on Friday that they and the United States Tennis Association were “hopeful” that Djokovic was successful in his petition.

“Novak Djokovic is one of the greatest tennis players of all time and a six-time champion of the Miami Open,” the Miami Open said on Twitter on Friday.

“We hope he is allowed entry into the country so Floridians have the opportunity to see him compete once again.”

“Look, last year I did miss both Indian Wells, Miami and all the US Open swing,” the 22-time grand slam winner Djokovic told reporters in Belgrade last month.

“So it wouldn’t be the first time if it does happen. I mean, I hope it doesn’t, but that’s all I can do. All I can do is hope at the moment because, you know, my position stays the same. There’s not much else I can do except wish for a positive result,” he said.

Djokovic returned to the world No. 1 position when he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas to win a record 10th Australian Open in January.

It was his 22nd major title, which tied him with Rafael Nadal for the most grand slam singles titles in men’s tennis history.

The Miami Open’s main draw play starts March 22 and and the tournament nds April 2.

A star-studded field will contest a record $25 million prize purse at The Players Championship on Thursday.

The field includes a trio of stars who have already held the world No. 1 spot in 2023 – Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm, who currently tops the rankings – but there will be one glaring absence at TPC Sawgrass for the PGA Tour’s flagship event.

In the championship’s 49-year history, no player has ever successfully defended the title and with reigning champion Cameron Smith barred from competing due to his involvement in the LIV Golf Series, that run is guaranteed to tick over to half a century.

“Yes, it’s awkward,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan told reporters Tuesday when quizzed on the Australian world No.5’s absence.

“He was a deserved champion … but ultimately that’s a decision he made, and we’ve got an unbelievable field here this week and a history and tradition that one of these 144 is going to go seek to get.”

Elephants in the room

Smith headlines a host of big names who will not tee up in Florida due their involvement in the breakaway Saudi-backed tour.

Five of last year’s top 10 at the event – Smith, Anirban Lahiri, Paul Casey, Harold Varner III and Dustin Johnson – have joined LIV Golf.

Ensuring a field packed with the best golfers has been a cornerstone of The Players Championship’s claim to being golf’s “fifth major,”, yet six of the world’s top 50-ranked players – including Chilean duo Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira – will be absent for same reasons as Smith and co.

And as major champions in the previous five years, LIV Golf players Brooks Koepka, Bryson Dechambeau, Patrick Reed, and Phil Mickelson would all have been eligible to feature.

As a result, a string of questions posed to players ahead of the tournament focused on who was not playing, as opposed to who was.

“Would it be better if the defending champion was here this week? Absolutely,” McIlroy, champion in 2019, told reporters.

“But he made a decision that he felt was the best thing for him, and he knew that decision was going to come with consequences, and one of the consequences is right now not being able to play on the PGA Tour.”

Rahm’s response to Smith’s exclusion echoed that of McIlroy’s, with the Spaniard adding that “different circumstances” mitigated his belief that “defending champions should always be there.”

Some players made a choice of going to a different golf league knowing that they weren’t going to be allowed to play here,” Rahm said.

“And yes, this is a massive event. It is very close to major quality event, but it’s still a PGA Tour event.”

Smith will be watching, but exactly where from remains to be seen. In an interview shared on Twitter by Golf.com, the Australian – who lives in Florida – said he would be tuning in via TV before adding he would “love to get out” to TPC Sawgrass for the event.

“I don’t know how it would be received,” Smith said.

“But even getting out there and watching, walking around in the crowd, might be pretty funny.”

A new era

Arguably the most dominant theme of the pre-tournament press conferences though, concerned last week’s announcement of the PGA Tour’s revamped 2024 calendar.

Under the new schedule, eight “designated events” will offer increased prize purses, smaller fields, and no cuts – all features of the LIV Golf Series.

The restricted field sizes – between 70 and 78 players – twinned with eligibility criteria designed to reward “top performers” on the PGA Tour, has led to concerns that the revamped schedule could lead to a “closed shop,” leaving lower-ranked golfers out in the cold.

A players meeting was held Tuesday morning to discuss the changes, McIlroy said. The Northern Irishman, who joined Scheffler in backing the new schedule last week, believed those talks were positive.

“When more information and data was presented to them, the people that maybe had reservations about it I think came around, or at least were more informed on their opinions,” said McIlroy.

“It was good for them to see that and to see what the thinking is behind what we’re really trying to do here. I think the temperature in the room was nowhere near as hot as I anticipated it to be once the information was laid out.”

Rahm, who said he did not attend the players meeting as he was spending time with his children, added that while he understood some of the grievances, he believed the changes were “the best for everybody” in the long term.

McIlroy has been an outspoken critic of the LIV Golf Series since its arrival last year.

However, in light of the PGA Tour’s changes, the four-time major winner believes the breakaway series has ultimately been beneficial to golf.

“I’m not going to sit here and lie – I think the emergence of LIV or the emergence of a competitor to the PGA Tour has benefited everyone that plays elite professional golf,” McIlroy said.

“When you’ve been the biggest golf league in the biggest market in the world for the last 60 years, there’s not a lot of incentive to innovate.

“This has caused a ton of innovation at the PGA Tour, and what was quite, I would say, an antiquated system is being revamped to try to mirror where we’re at in the world in the 21st century with the media landscape.

“The PGA TOUR isn’t just competing with LIV Golf or other sports. It’s competing with Instagram and TikTok and everything else that’s trying to take eyeballs away from the PGA TOUR as a product.”

Again, Rahm agreed with McIlroy, adding that such changes would “never” have happened without LIV Golf.

“So to an extent, like I’ve said before, we should be thankful this threat has made the PGA TOUR want to change things,” Rahm said.

“I wish it didn’t come to the PGA TOUR being under fire from somebody else to make those changes and make things better for the players, but I guess it is what we needed. It is because of LIV Golf, otherwise we wouldn’t have seen any of this.”

Tee times

Play begins with the first trios teeing off at 6:50am ET on Thursday, as a glittering field throws up a host of big-name groupings.

7:34am – Patrick Cantlay, Tony Finau, Tom Kim

7:45am – Collin Morikawa, Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott

7:56am – Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm

12:34pm – Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry

12:45pm – Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris, Xander Schauffele

12:56pm – Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Max Homa

How to watch

Golf Channel will be broadcasting the first two rounds of the event from 12pm to 6pm ET on Thursday and Friday, before coverage switches to NBC – from 1pm to 6pm ET – for the two final weekend rounds.

Viewers in the United Kingdom and Ireland can watch via Sky Sports from 11:30am Thursday.

More information on how to watch can be found on the PGA Tour’s website here.

Facing three injuries, the Memphis Grizzlies have taken another player off their court. But this time, it’s due to police and NBA investigations into the team’s star player.

The Grizzlies lost their second straight game Tuesday without star guard Ja Morant, who is under investigation after the 23-year-old posted an Instagram Live video of himself Saturday appearing to hold a gun at a nightclub outside of Denver.

Morant has apologized for his actions via his representation on Saturday, after Memphis announced he would be away from the team.

Morant said he would take time away “to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.”

Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins said Sunday there is no timetable for Morant’s return. The team tweeted Wednesday that Morant will miss at least four more games, meaning he will return no earlier than March 17.

Morant is averaging 27.1 points per game in his fourth NBA season.

The Instagram video, posted early Saturday morning and shared widely on social media, shows Morant briefly flashing what appears to be a gun while listening to music at a nightclub.

The police department in Glendale, Colorado, a suburb of Denver, said Wednesday the agency won’t recommend charges against Morant.

“(The department) was not able to determine that probable cause existed for the filing of any charges. In this case, it should be noted that on the night in question (police) did not receive any calls for service at the nightclub regarding a weapon of any type,” department officials said in a statement.

No one made a complaint and investigators concluded no one was threatened or menaced with a gun, police said.

It’s unknown why Morant was carrying a gun or if it was his. The Grizzlies played in Houston against the Rockets on March 1 before heading to Denver for a game against the Nuggets on March 3.

If Morant did bring the gun onto team facilities – which also includes the team plane – he is subject to NBA discipline according to its Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The CBA states that players are prohibited from carrying firearms while “physically present at a facility or venue owned, operated, or being used by a Team, the NBA, or any League-related entity, and whenever a player is traveling on any NBA-related business, whether on behalf of the player’s Team, the NBA, or any League-related entity”

If a player is in violation of the ruling in the CBA, they could face a fine and/or a suspension.

“The Commissioner shall have the power to suspend for a definite or indefinite period, or to impose a fine not exceeding $50,000, or inflict both such suspension and fine upon any person who, in his opinion, shall have been guilty of conduct prejudicial or detrimental to the Association,” the CBA reads.

While it is unclear what punishment Morant could face, the most recent example of a gun-related incident came in the 2009/10 season when Gilbert Arenas, a three-time All-Star, was suspended until the end of the season – 50 games – for bringing unloaded guns into his team’s locker room, and making light of the incident once he was punished.

Arenas pleaded guilty but avoided jail time and was sentenced to two years of supervised probation, was embroiled in a dispute with teammate Javaris Crittenton – who was also suspended the rest of the season for the incident – over money in a poker game.

The US government said at the time that Arenas brought at least one firearm into the Washington Wizards’ locker room.

Arenas would later return to the Wizards, while Crittenton was released by Washington after his suspension, playing two more years of professional basketball before being charged with murder in August 2011. In April 2015, Crittenton plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter with a weapon and aggravated assault with a firearm and was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are not having a great time of it on the court. Their 112-103 defeat by the Los Angeles Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena in LA on Tuesday came two days after losing in the same building to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Jaren Jackson Jr. led the way for the Grizzlies, finishing with 26 points, but it wasn’t enough as a dominant Anthony Davis – who racked up 30 points and 22 rebounds – and 17 points each for Dennis Schröder, Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves led the surging Lakers to a seventh win in 10 games as they attempt to make the playoffs.

Still, the Grizzlies sit third in the Western Conference with a 38-26 record.

It’s enough to give anyone already on edge about flying hassles has yet another reason to pop an antacid or two: the prospect of delayed, lost or damaged baggage.

The concern is valid.

Especially when an epic winter storm sweeps across the land and one airline has a complete meltdown. Or when an airline insists it has your baggage secure in a distribution center but your tracking device shows it’s been taken to various malls and McDonald’s.

Handing over checked suitcases can almost feel like a leap of faith in circumstances these days.

In the meantime, you’re not totally powerless. There are things you can do and strategies you can take to help avoid losing a bag or at least minimize the impact of delayed, lost, stolen and damaged luggage.

Before you go to the airport

Book nonstop flights: If you’re really concerned about your checked luggage, prioritize nonstop flights or at least layovers with a generous amount of time, said Scott Keyes, the founder of flight deals and travel advice site Scott’s Cheap Flights (now called Going.com).

“Bags are most likely to get lost in that transfer between planes at connection, especially if there’s a tight connection.” And he said that’s doubly so for international flights with tight connections.

Consider discount airlines: He said full-service airlines are more likely to lose your bags than the discount airlines, which tend to have more nonstop flights that have a lower likelihood of losing a bag in transit.

Legacy airlines tend to have more connecting flights. Keyes said he wouldn’t make a booking decision based solely on this, but it’s “an interesting side factor to consider.”

She also said people should lay out what they are planning to pack on the bed and take a picture of that, too. If the bag is lost, that helps create a content record.

Use baggage tracking: “Many airlines allow you to see the status of your bags in their apps, which can help give you peace of mind that your bag is on the flight with you — or at least give you insight into your bag’s location should it get delayed,” Scott’s Cheap Flights said in an email news release.

You can set up independent tracking yourself. Paula Twidale, senior vice president of travel for AAA, said one option is called AirTag, and it connects with an Apple device so you can track the tag’s location.

Properly ID your suitcases on the inside, too: The consumer advocate group Travelers United says put your info on the inside, too, in case your outside tag gets torn off. Hoban makes the same suggestion.

“I have had a bag taken off the carousel at the airport in Salt Lake [City]. Luckily, I knew the people who took my bag so it was easy to exchange it,” she said. “But again, what if I did not know those people? What if they were total strangers and got my bag home? Hopefully, they’re good, honest people and see that I have a name and phone number in the bag that they can call me and let me know the mistake.”

The power of carry-ons: The airlines can’t lose baggage you never check in. Twidale suggests packing as light as you can and use just carry-ons. You’ll save time leaving the airport and have more peace of mind.

Review your credit card coverage: Before you buy extra travel insurance, Keyes suggested you check your credit card policy for travel protection.

You might get supplemental compensation (for what the airlines don’t cover) not only for lost bags, but also for reimbursements for things you may need to buy while you’re waiting for your bag.

At the airport before you fly

Check your bags in a timely manner: Travelers United says last-minute baggage check-ins can lead to a greater chance of trouble.

“Don’t push the system. The smallest delay can have serious consequences when your luggage is cruising down the conveyor belt and selected for security examination with little time to spare,” its website says.

Work that phone camera again: Keyes suggested that just before handing over your checked suitcases, open them up and take a picture.

“If your bag does get lost, and you’ve got any valuables in there … having a photograph of what was in there is really going to bolster your case to get compensation after the fact.”

Check your baggage tag’s destination: Travelers United also advises you double-check your airline luggage tags and make sure they’re going to where you are going, especially if you’re doing curbside check-in. And the North Carolina Consumers Council reminds people to keep hold of their the baggage claim ticket or sticker.

If your baggage is delayed

Scope out other spots at the airport: If your suitcases aren’t on the designated pick-up carousel, The Points Guy travel advice website suggests checking nearby carousels and if you don’t see them there, try the airline’s baggage office. This is also a good time to put those aforementioned tracking apps to work.

Report your issue and fill out forms at the airport: If your bags haven’t shown up, let the airline know.

“Many times, airline personnel will explain that the luggage has been located but will be delayed until the next flight,” Travelers United says. “If you have the time, wait. If not, fill out the appropriate lost luggage forms at the airport.”

Let the airline deliver your bags: Keyes said if an airline can locate your suitcases but it’s going to be hours before they arrive, make sure the reps have the address where you’ll be and use the airline’s delivery service.

Keep receipts: “If you buy anything to get you through the days without your luggage — from a new swimsuit to toothpaste — keep the receipts. You may need these to get reimbursed,” Scott’s Cheap Flights advises.

If your luggage is lost

Check your airline’s claims and compensation policy: Each airline should have website information on what to do if your bag is lost. For example, this is Delta Air Lines’ page. This is American Airlines’ page. And this is Southwest Airlines’ page. And airlines based outside the United States have their own systems. This is what to do if flying British Airways.

If the airline isn’t being helpful: “If the airline is dragging its feet on compensation … don’t be afraid to complain to the Department of Transportation, Keyes said regarding US airlines. You can file a complaint here.

“They’ve got a special aviation enforcement office where they’re being much more pro-active about protecting consumers and trying to clamp down on airlines when they’re not providing customers with the type of compensation or reimbursement that they’re required to do under federal laws.”

For information of making claims for UK flights, click here. And check the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority’s site here. Get more information on Canadian flights here.

Liability limits: There’s fine print, exceptions and paperwork / documentation hurdles, but you can eventually get cash for your lost bags.

For US domestic flights, the maximum liability amount allowed by DOT regulation is $3,800. Airlines are free to pay more than the limit, but are not required to do so. For international flights, that figure is $1,780. Find out more from the DOT here.

Damaged bags: If you see your luggage is damaged while still at the airport, report it there. Airlines aren’t required to pay for damages to items caused by improper packing, according to the DOT, nor are they responsible for “certain categories of items (for example: fragile items, electronics, cash, perishable items …)”

They are liable for damage to wheels, handles and straps.

Officials in California are imploring residents to prepare for a powerful storm set to lash the region with torrential rain later this week as the state continues to recover from colossal amounts of snow that trapped mountain communities.

About 17.5 million people across central and Northern California – including the San Francisco Bay area and Sacramento – and parts of Nevada were under flood watches Wednesday ahead of a storm set to drench the region Thursday with dangerous amounts of rain in most of the places that currently have existing layers of heavy snow from previous brutal storms.

“A storm arriving Thursday will bring a threat of flooding from a combination of heavy rain and snowmelt to lower elevations and foothills in California, especially below 5000 feet,” the Weather Prediction Center said. “And heavy, wet snow at higher elevations will lead to difficult travel and impacts from snow load.

“Creeks and streams in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada will be most vulnerable to flooding from rain and snowmelt.”

In response to the ominous forecast, officials in Marin and Monterey counties in California have begun preparations ahead of the looming storm, which is expected to strike the area as a strong atmospheric river event.

For the Big Sur community in Monterey County, the emergency services office went as far as advising residents and businesses to stock up on essentials that would supply them for at least two weeks. The county has also made sandbags available for residents who need them to protect their property. The Big Sur area, roughly 150 miles south of San Francisco, is one of central California’s renowned tourist attractions with picturesque rugged cliffs, mountains and hidden beaches along the Pacific Coast Highway.

Marin County’s fire department will have staff prepared for rescues in anticipation of possible flooding, county Fire Chief Jason Weber said.

Marin County, where a flood watch is in effect beginning Thursday, is home to one of California’s urban search and rescue task forces, and it will make its resources available for other counties as needed, Weber said.

This week’s severe weather threat comes as much of California has been hit with several back-to-back rounds of heavy snow that made roads impassable for days and knocked out power for thousands of residents as temperatures dropped.

Meterologist Katrina Hand of the Sacramento office of the National Weather service said when the storm first hits that area there likely will be some urban flooding, ponding and flooding from the smaller creeks and streams. Later, as the main rivers rise, more roads will flood.

Strong winds that could knock down power lines are also in the forecast, she said.

In hard-hit San Bernardino County, where mountain residents have been trapped in their homes, crews conducted dozens of rescues over the weekend, the county’s sheriff’s department said on Facebook. On Monday night, the county continued well-checks and community outreach, the sheriff’s department said. Despite the removal of large amounts of snow, some roads remained closed early Wednesday.

In addition to the heavy snow that overwhelmed the state last week, more than a foot of additional snow has already fallen this week in some mountainous parts of Northern California. And Wednesday is expected to bring more to that region, where lower elevations could see between 1 and 6 inches of snow with isolated totals surpassing a foot of snow across highest elevations of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

The impending atmospheric river event won’t be the first this year to lash California. Late last year and into the new year, multiple rounds of heavy rains from atmospheric rivers devastated much of the state – soaking entire neighborhoods and unleashing mudslides while killing at least 18 people.

Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow bands of moisture in the atmosphere that transport warm air and water vapor from the tropics. They can extend for thousands of miles and dump rain and snow when they make landfall.

The danger of rainfall on top of existing snow

Much of California stands to be impacted by this week’s expected atmospheric river.

The Weather Prediction Center says parts of the state have a level 3 of 4 risk – the second-highest on the center’s scale – of excessive rain Thursday into Friday.

The storm is expected to drop some significant rainfall on top of some heavy snowpacks. The National Weather Service is expecting widespread rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated amounts up to 8 inches.

“The uncertainty lies in how much rainfall will be absorbed by the snowpack before there is significant release of that water into the rivers,” the Weather Prediction Center said. “It’s likely some of the (precipitation) will simply be absorbed into the many feet of snow at the highest elevations, but lower elevations, generally below 5,000 ft, appear most likely to not have the snowpack necessary to absorb the multiple inches of rainfall expected.”

Additionally, the threat of heavy rain seeping into deep snowpack could lead to the snow’s weight to increase, which can cause roofs to collapse, the prediction center noted. “Affected communities are urged to remove the existing snow from their roofs to mitigate this,” the weather agency added.

California Department of Transportation District 3 spokesperson Steve Nelson said this weekend is expected to bring “chaos” on the roads.

Referring to Interstate 80 he said if it’s a wet snow that will create issues with traction. If it’s a regular snowfall, they can keep the highway open to vehicles with chains or four-wheel drive, he added.

According to Nelson, officials were holding all big rigs at Applegate, about 40 miles from Sacramento, and holding all westbound traffic at Truckee, about 30 miles southwest of Reno, Nevada, due to multiple spinouts near the Donner Summit where there is hundreds of inches of snow.

Interstate 80 heads northeast from San Francisco and has been closed several times during recent weather.

After at least six incidents this year, the nation’s top aviation official says he does not know whether close calls involving airliners are on the rise, but says the issue and its causes will be examined at a safety conference next week.

“It’s a good question,” Billy Nolen, acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration, said after testifying to the Senate Commerce Committee – his second time there in a month.

Nolen defended his agency’s handling of the safety incidents, some of which were averted when pilots – not the air traffic controllers from his agency – avoided a collision. He said officials are “treating each of these as if it had been an actual event.”

“The FAA absolutely has a grasp on the situation and it’s something that we look at every day,” Nolen told reporters. “We’ll take a look at these near misses and see if there are lessons to be learned.”

He said a major safety meeting next week will include industry officials and ask the “hard questions.”

“Let’s just stop to see – are there any dots that we need to connect, and if so what might they be?” Nolen said.

Inside the committee room, Nolen said that the agency does not take safety for granted and is looking for opportunities to improve.

The FAA pointed to its Runway Safety Council (RSC) and Runway Safety Action Teams (RSAT) that are aimed at mitigating or eliminating such incidents.

Nolen also said that the FAA will use “every step, every tool that we have available in our disposal” to address unruly passengers like one accused of trying to stab a flight attendant earlier this week.

Last year, the agency logged more than 2,300 reports of unruly passenger behavior. Investigations were initiated in 823 cases, and 80 cases were referred to the FBI for criminal review.

The kidnapping and killing of US travelers this week in the Mexican city of Matamoros, just over the border from Brownsville, Texas, has put a glaring spotlight on violence in a country that millions of international visitors flock to each year.

And as spring break gets under way in popular beach resorts hundreds of miles away in the country’s west and south, the question of safety is likely top of mind.

Here’s what to know about travel safety in Mexico:

Travel warnings

There are 32 states in Mexico, and the US State Department has “do not travel” advisories in place for six, including Tamaulipas state, where Matamoros is located.

Zachary Rabinor, founder and CEO of travel company Journey Mexico, points out that this week’s violence happened far from some of the most sought-after tourist destinations in Mexico, in a state that has long held a US State Department “do not travel” warning.

“To put things in perspective, Matamoros is about 1,360 miles away from Cancun; that’s about the equivalent distance from the Texas side of the border to Chicago, Illinois,” said Rabinor, whose company creates tailored luxury trips.

Seven Mexican states are listed one tier down in the State Department’s “reconsider travel” category and 17 are listed under “exercise increased caution.”

“Crime and kidnapping” is listed as the cause for advisories in some states in each of those three categories, including Tamaulipas. The rest of the advisories list “crime” as the reason to either not travel, reconsider or exercise caution.

“Exercise normal precautions” is the guidance for the states of Campeche and Yucatán on the Yucatán Peninsula.

Countries including Canada and the United Kingdom also have detailed travel warnings related to Mexico.

Situational awareness wherever you go

Playa del Carmen and Cancún, which are welcoming an influx of spring break travelers, are located in the state of Quintana Roo, where the State Department advises travelers to “exercise increased caution due to crime and kidnapping.”

Rabinor highlighted other popular destinations carrying the “exercise increased caution” advisory, including France and the Bahamas. France receives the caution because of possible terrorism and civil unrest. Crime is listed as the reason for caution in the Bahamas.

The State Department notes in its Quintana Roo advisory that violence and criminal activity may occur anywhere, “including in popular tourist destinations.”

It is relatively safe for travelers to head to tourist destinations and major urban centers such as Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.

Security expert Jaime Lopez-Aranda

“Travelers should maintain a high level of situational awareness, avoid areas where illicit activities occur, and promptly depart from potentially dangerous situations,” the advisory warns.

Those popular resort areas are still reasonably safe, says Jaime Lopez-Aranda, who is a senior security manager at travel risk management firm International SOS.

Lopez-Aranda lives in Mexico City, where petty crime is a persistent risk and precautions should be taken, he said, “but the most popular locations are relatively safe for all kinds of travelers.”

Journey Mexico has more than 50 employees based in the country who are always monitoring for potential risk, Rabinor said.

“We are confident that with proper preparation and information, travel to and within Mexico continues to be a great option,” he said.

If January’s international flight arrivals are any indication, the risks associated with travel to parts of Mexico aren’t keeping visitors away from the country as a whole.

Passenger arrivals on international flights were up by 13% in January compared with January 2019, before the pandemic took hold around the world.

Precautions and planning

Caution and situational awareness are key all over the country – and the world for that matter.

For travel in Mexico, Lopez-Aranda says precautions could include:
• Traveling with a trusted driver in a private vehicle
• Traveling only in daylight hours outside urban centers or in higher-risk locations
• Avoiding trouble spots in major cities
• Avoiding traveling alone
• Staying up-to-date through news and government alerts
• Making sure your mobile device is charged

All of those tips are measures to take at a destination, but much of the work that goes into ensuring the safest possible trip happens before anything is even booked.

You’ll want to research the security and medical risks of destinations you’re considering and make sure that you have confidence in your accommodations, transport, means of communication and security arrangements, says Lopez-Aranda.

“It is important that you share all plans with friends and family at home. While traveling, you should also keep constant communication to ensure safety and discuss any potential risks that may arise,” he says.

And you should have copies of your documents, contact information for your country’s embassy or consulate and the location of the closest hospital with you. Insurance that covers you in your destination is also key.

Trust your gut

Journey Mexico links to the US State Department advisories on its website, as well as travel guidance for the citizens of other countries including the United Kingdom and Australia.

The company also notes conflicts between rival criminal organizations in various areas of Mexico in its own “Is Mexico Safe?” safety assessment.

“Though these conflicts can be unpredictable, they are almost always among and between organized crime groups” and are very rare in tourist areas, the posting says.

The site also includes precautions travelers can take to avoid pickpocketing or robbery, including using ATMs only in secure locations, hiring reputable private transportation, not wearing expensive jewelry and avoiding deserted, unlit areas.

If you’re uncomfortable, try to get away from the situation or environment immediately, says Lopez-Aranda.

Because “intuition is often right.”

“You look at India, you look at the Philippines, you look at Australia, you look at the United States, Canada or Japan. They (China) have had in just the last three months a military or some type of confrontation with every country. And then they’re shocked that countries are taking their own steps for deterrence to protect themselves. What did they think they were going to do?” Ambassador Rahm Emanuel said in the interview at his residence in Tokyo.

The US envoy listed a string of what he said were aggressive military actions by China, including “attacks” against India along their shared Himalayan border, Chinese coast guard ships aiming lasers at Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, the firing of missiles into Japan’s exclusive economic zone and the harassment of US, Canadian and Australian aircraft by People’s Liberation Army ships and planes.

Beijing has denied being an aggressor in all those instances and accused Washington of being the primary instigator of heightened tensions in the region.

On Tuesday, China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang warned that “conflict and confrontation” with the US is inevitable if Washington does not change course.

“The US claims it seeks to compete with China but does not seek conflict. But in reality, the so-called ‘competition’ by the US is all-round containment and suppression, a zero-sum game of life and death,” he said during his first news conference in the new post.

“Containment and suppression will not make America great, and the US will not stop the rejuvenation of China,” Qin said.

Japan and South Korea

Emanuel countered on Wednesday that military buildups and exercises by the US and its partners in the Indo-Pacific are not acts of containment, as Beijing charges, but acts of deterrence against further – and possibly more dangerous – Chinese aggression.

“They’ve come together to realize that (Chinese aggression) can’t continue as is, so every country is taking steps, both within an alliance (and) also within their own self-interest of creating a comprehensive coalition of deterrence. That’s what’s going on,” Emanuel said.

He praised Japan for doubling its defense budget and taking on a leadership role in the region, citing plans for it to operate joint South China Sea patrols with the Philippines and its agreement with South Korea just this week to settle grievances dating back to before World War II concerning Japan’s colonial rule in Korea.

And he praised both Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for putting the future before history and taking a stance that has prompted domestic backlash in both Tokyo and Seoul.

“I do think that both leaders showed a braveness and a boldness to look to the 21st century and make the most of that rather than being tied by 20th century,” Emanuel said.

“To me the test of leadership is to be idealistic enough to know why you’re doing what you’re doing. And then tough enough to get it done,” he said, adding that both Kishida and Yoon had passed that test.

‘Gravitational pull of freedom’

The US ambassador also contrasted the countries Japan has been partnering with, including South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, India and even the United Kingdom, with countries with whom China works, including Russia, North Korea and Iran.

“There’s a phrase in America, you’re known by the company you keep,” Emanuel said.

Over the past 18 months, the Biden administration has been keeping good company, too, he said, noting its record in uniting allies and partners.

Emanuel cited multilateral agreements like the Quad – the informal alliance of the US, Japan, Australia and India – and the AUKUS deal for nuclear-powered submarines between the US, Australia and the UK as well as other economic, diplomatic and military initiatives.

“I think that has given our allies confidence, like Japan, to increase the defense budget, to be more active on the diplomatic arena and stage,” he said, giving credit to Tokyo for getting eight of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to vote to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a March 3 United Nations General Assembly vote.

Countries around the world will respond to Japan, or South Korea, or the US for a simple reason that China doesn’t understand, “the gravitational pull of freedom,” Emanuel said.

“A rules-based system that upholds respect both for the individual and in trying to uphold freedom has its own, I don’t know how else to say it, but seductive gravitational pull.”