Overview

• Drug cartel violence and land disputes have made several ancient Mayan ruins in Mexico inaccessible, posing a significant blow to the country's tourism industry.
• The Yaxchilan and Bonampak ruin sites in the Chiapas region are completely cut off due to the violence and the presence of cartel checkpoints.
• Travelers to these sites are often forced to hand over identification and mobile phones at cartel checkpoints, leading many tour guides to refuse to take groups to these locations.
• The Tonina site is also inaccessible due to a landowner shutting off access while seeking payment from the government.
• Despite the government's claims that the sites are safe, tourists have begun to cancel trips to the area, with a reported 5% decrease in bookings.