Rosarito Beach Mayor Hugo Torres Begins San Francisco Promotional Tour Today

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---Mayor Hugo Torres and other city officials today began a two-day San Francisco visit to promote tourism, business investment and real estate opportunities in this region.

The focal point of the visit is a forum called “Doing Business In Mexico,” which also includes representatives of other regions of the country.

Both the federal government of Mexico and the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco assisted in arrangements. Rosarito Economic Development Director Hector Reyes and Convention & Visitors Bureau President Laura Wong also are on the trip.

“Rosarito has been a popular tourist destination for the U.S. for decades, and we are the focal point for the construction of vacation and retirement homes along Baja’s Gold Coast,” Torres said. ”About 14,000 foreign nationals now call Rosarito home. In addition, many foreign firms have recognized the advantages of doing business here.”

But Torres said the some unbalanced media coverage of Mexico’s crackdown on organized crime have falsely created the impression that the area is unsafe.

“The battle against drug cartels is an important one that is of vital concern to both Mexico and the U.S.,” Torres said.

“But our visitors and typical residents are in no way at risk from it, despite many media stories that have suggested otherwise.

“Most recent stories and media outlets now recognize that fact, which has been verified by many leading U.S. officials, including the U.S. consul for Baja. But much damage has been done and we need to work hard to reverse the inaccurate perception.

“Trips like this will help do that by informing people that we have wonderful things to offer visitors, residents and investors, all in a safe and welcoming environment.

“We’ll continue with similar trips and other efforts in the future, to make sure the accurate story of our area is told.”