Mexico travel warning news: UK holidaymakers given advice against all but essential travel to areas including Acapulco

With the summer holiday period fast approaching, many British tourists are either putting their finishing touches on their trips abroad or looking at booking up.

Of those heading abroad, some may be looking at Mexico as a possible holiday location with some areas in the country popular tourist destinations, offering sun, sea and sand. However, there are warnings around all but essential travel to some areas of the country.

However, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has advised against all but essential travel to many regions. The FCDO has issued a 'all but essential travel' warning for Tiujana and Tecate on the border between Mexico and California, as well as the roads between the two close cities. This is because of drug-related violence relating to gangs competing for trafficking routes.

The northern state of Chihuahua, excluding the city of Chihuahua itself, is also under the travel caution, with tourists also advised to stick to the official route and not travel alone on the Copper Canyon rail route. This is due to organised crime activity, as well as reports of human and drug trafficking.

The FCDO said: "Due to the presence of organised crime, there are high levels of drug-related violence. There are frequent gun battles between government security forces and organised crime groups, including in the city of Culiacán, leading to deaths and the destruction of security infrastructure. Whilst tourists are not usually targeted, you could be a victim of violence due to mistaken identity or on suspicion of spying for other organised criminal gangs – particularly if you are off the beaten tourist track."

One of the oldest beach resorts in Mexico, Acapulco, is also under an 'all but essential travel' warning, along with the entire state of Guerrero. The FCDO said: "Guerrero is a violent state with a history of insecurity. There is an organised crime presence throughout the state, including in central Acapulco and Chilpancingo. There have been instances of armed crime, including shootings and executions, both within and outside the tourist areas in Acapulco and other areas of the state." Other regions with a warning from the UK on them include Chiapas, Colima, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacán, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas. Up-to-date and further information on the warnings can be found on the FCDO website. Holidaymakers are advised that traveling to any places with a FCDO travel warning in place may invalidate their travel insurance.