BOUNTIFUL, Utah — Puerto Vallarta is a popular travel destination for Utahns, many of whom are now feeling uneasy after violence has erupted in the Mexican state of Jalisco over the last 24 hours.
When Yvonne Dellos left St. George last week for a family wedding in Mexico, she didn’t have any worries. That sense of calm changed on Sunday.
“We’re limited as to what we know here at the resort, so we just have everybody doing everything they can to get us back home,” Dellos told me Monday.
Dellos had gone on a walking tour through Puerto Vallarta on Saturday, even visiting a church that was later burned down.
"Then on Sunday, we got up to leave, and I got a text message that my transportation was canceled and refunded," she said.
According to Dellos, the same streets they walked the day before were filled with chaos on Sunday, with their flight cancellation leaving them stranded at their resort. After many phone calls, Dellos was finally able to find a way out.
“They’re flying me to Minnesota tomorrow," she said. "Spending the night in Minnesota, then they can fly me to St. George the following night."
Utahn living in Mexico shelters in place, unable to leave after fallout from cartel killing:
At Velocity Tours and Travel in Bountiful, Trent Hendrickson has had to cancel trips to Puerto Vallarta because of the situation.
“It makes me sad to see this happen, really, because I love Mexico," said Hendrickson. "A lot of people do. We love the beaches. We have non-stop flights to Puerto Vallarta and Cancun."
Hendrickson says travel insurance is key in situations like these, and travel agents work proactively to cancel trips and rebook them for clients.
“As busy as people are now, when that pivot is required, we’re able to take care of that and take it on, versus you having to go home and put in an extra 5, 10, 12 hours to figure out how I’m going to do this. The airlines are going to be busy with phone calls, so it just adds a lot of stress,” he added.
Bob Evans speaks below with Utah mother whose son remains in Mexico:
For Dellos, she’s taking all the precautions she can as she waits to go home.
“Everyone should always have a plan," she shared. "Everyone should always know their hotel exit plan. How do you get out of the resort or hotel if something were to happen? What’s your backup plans or connections? Then I started sending everyone in America my location, so they could find me if they needed to find me.”
While Dellos and her family are nervous about what the airport will bring on Tuesday, they’re grateful for the support from the locals in Mexico and their friends in Utah.
