Travelers Weary of Mexican Destinations

By Colleen Chen, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- With the mounting concern surrounding the H1N1 virus, travel agents are seeing many of their clients reschedule since most trips are already paid in full.

The numbers of those rescheduling could mean trouble this summer.

Ashley Silk and Ryen Waddell are like most engaged couples, thrilled and excited to be getting married after dating for a couple of years.

A destination wedding to Riviera Maya, Mexico is what the two wanted, but six weeks to their wedding day, and they're now getting flooded with concerns.

"Seems like it's falling apart because a lot of my friends are calling me now saying, ‘Well, I don't know that we're going now,'" Waddell said.

The staff at Sunshine Travel is getting the same response of concern, as the bulk of their customers are Mexico bound.

"Out of the next week to 10 days, we've got probably 20 people going, half have chosen to reschedule," said Bob Reichert of Sunshine Travel.

According to Reichrt, the behavior could mean loss of business later. People who were thinking about booking trips for the summer may choose elsewhere.

The changes of heart of course, are based on pictures from Mexico City which display masked faces, and deaths blamed on the H1N1 virus, known as the swine flu.

It's tainted the view of travelers though travel agents said Cancun isn't Mexico City and as long as the proper precautions are taken, travelers should be okay.

Some people though, including part of Silk and Waddell's wedding party aren't taking any chances.

The couple said they have 60 people who have paid off in full, and two people have already cancelled their trip.

"It's going to be really said if all these people we thought were going to go don't get to go," Silk said.

Travel agents said the incident is a good reminder on the importance of travel insurance.

Mexican officials say no cases of the flu have been filed from the tourist areas of Cancun.