Mexico is taking a rare opportunity to tweak neighboring Texas, saying the number of U.S. spring breakers visiting Mexico this year rose 7.2 percent despite a travel warning issued by the U.S.
Mexico's Tourism Department notes with some satisfaction that tourists included some highly regarded Texans -- the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders -- who did their annual calendar shoot on Mexico's Caribbean coast in April.
A Tuesday announcement from the department said 77,000 young tourists visited Mexico on spring break trips between March 5 and 30.
In early March, the Texas Department of Public Safety advised students on spring break to avoid Mexico, citing violence.
Overall, the number of U.S. tourists visiting Mexico in March totaled 382,376, young and old. That is a 7.3 percent increase from 2011.
