The mayor of the Mexican city of Mazatlán wasted no time before reassuring Canadians and other foreign visitors that his city is safe for travelers.

In a video posted online, Edgar González was seen strolling in the city center on Friday, shaking hands and taking photos with tourists.

Several Canadian tourists in the northwestern region of Mexico were forced to stay in their hotels for several days after the arrest of a suspected major drug cartel leader led to violence in the area.

Some described the area as having "returned to normal" over the weekend, while others pointed to a continuing atmosphere of concern.

Many airports that had closed due to violence were reopened by Saturday, and flights from Mazatlán to cities in western Canada including Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Vancouver resumed.

Global Affairs continued on Sunday to advise Canadians traveling to Sinaloa, the state in which Mazatlán is located, to avoid unnecessary travel "due to high levels of violence and organized crime," but excluded Mazatlán itself from this warning.

For his part, González pointed out that many tourists who visit the city end up living there, and they themselves defend and promote the calmness of Mazatlán, adding in a press statement: "I feel a lot of peace and joy seeing everyone in the streets."

Mazatlán released a press statement thanking business associations for helping travelers whose flights were delayed out of the area due to the events, providing a number of hotel rooms and free meals. The statement said priority was given to low-income tourists, seniors, and people with disabilities.