Most (74%) Canadians Believe Mexico Has `Serious Safety and Security Problem' in Tourist Destinations, Just One Quarter (26%) Think Recent Attacks are `Isolated Incidents'

Toronto, ON - In light of recent reports regarding attacks on Canadians while on vacation in Mexico, a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted exclusively for Global Television and Postmedia News reveals that most (74%) Canadians believe that `Mexico has a serious safety and security problem in its tourist destinations' and they would be `hesitant to book a trip to Mexico' as a result.

Adopting the opposite point of view, one quarter (26%) of Canadians more closely believe that the recent reports of violence against Canadians represent `isolated incidents' and that they're `confident that Mexico is a safe destination for vacation travel'.

The poll also found that only three in ten (29%) Canadians believe that Mexico is `safe' (5% very/24% somewhat) for Canadians to travel to while on vacation, placing it squarely in dead last when compared to five other population sun destinations, despite reports suggesting that most other Caribbean destinations have higher crime rates in tourist areas. In fact, seven in ten (71%) Canadians believe Mexico is `not safe' (31% not at all/40% not very).

• Hawaii tops the list of safe vacation destinations, with 95% believing it's safe (58% very/37% somewhat) compared to 5% who think it isn't safe (1% not at all/4% not very).
• Florida is in second place with nine in ten (92%) believing it's a safe (43% very/49% somewhat) place for Canadians to travel to on vacation, while less than one in ten (8%) don't think it's safe (1% not at all/7% not very).
• Cuba is in third place, with eight in ten (78%) believing its safe (28% very/50% somewhat) for vacation travel, compared to two in ten (22%) who think it isn't safe (4% not at all/18% not very).
• Seven in ten (72%) think that the Dominican Republic is safe (16% very/57% somewhat), while three in ten (28%) do not think it is safe (4% not at all/23% not very).
• Two in three (64%) believe that Jamaica is safe (12% very/52% somewhat), while one in three (36%) Canadians do not think so (7% not at all/29% not very).
• Three in ten (29%) think that Mexico is safe (5% very/24% somewhat) for Canadians to travel to on vacation, while most (71%) Canadians do not think it is safe (31% not at all/40% not very).

Serious Problem or Isolated Incident...

While three quarters (74%) of Canadian believe that Mexico has a serious safety and security problem and would be hesitant to book a trip to Mexico, one quarter (26%) believe the recent reports of crime against Canadians are isolated incidents. Not all Canadians are equally as likely to think so:

• Canadians aged 35 to 54 (78%) are most likely to believe Mexico has a serious problem, compared to 76% of 55+ year olds and two thirds (66)% of those aged 18 to 34. Conversely, young adults (34%) are more likely than older (24%) and middle-aged (22%) adults to think that these incidents are isolated.
• Ontarians (80%) are most likely to believe that Mexico has a serious safety and security problem and they'd be hesitant to book a trip there, followed by those living in Atlantic Canada (75%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (74%), British Columbia (72%), Quebec (68%) and Alberta (67%). Albertans (33%) are most likely to believe that these incidents are isolated, followed by Quebecers (32%), British Columbians (28%), residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (26%), Atlantic Canada (25%), and Ontario (20%).

Is Mexico Safe or Not...

Just three in ten (29%) Canadians believe that Mexico is safe for Canadians to travel to on vacation, compared to seven in ten (71%) who think that it isn't safe for vacation travel. But some are more likely than others to think it's safe:

• Younger Canadians are considerably more likely (39%) than older (26%) or middle-aged (25%) adults to think Mexico is safe. Conversely, most (75%) middle-aged and older (74%) adults think it is not safe, while six in ten (61%) young adults concur.
• British Columbians (37%) are the most likely to say that Mexico is safe for vacation travel, followed by those living in Alberta (36%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (35%), Quebec (32%), Atlantic Canada (27%), and Ontario (22%). Conversely, Ontarians (78%) are most inclined to believe that Mexico is not safe, followed by residents of Atlantic Canada (73%), Quebec (68%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (65%), Alberta (64%) and British Columbia (63%).

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between January 30 to February 1, 2012, conducted on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. For this survey, a sample of 1,002 adults from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
416.324.2002
[email protected]

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Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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