"Things are so much quieter now, " said Rogelio Vallesteros, who runs a Spanish-language school in Oaxaca City.

CNN: Travel expert: Why you should go to Mexico

That sentiment is found even in places once linked with political tension, such as Chiapas state and Oaxaca City, where political protest turned into a stand-off in 2006.

CNN: Travel expert: Why you should go to Mexico