Fourth of July brought this seaside city 30 miles south of San Diego its best tourism of 2009, with hotel occupancy at 70 percent on the holiday and some near capacity.
“This is encouraging to us and indicates some comeback, although we remain well below years past and need more gains,” said Rosarito Beach Mayor Hugo Torres.
Concerns in the United States that Mexico’s crackdown on drug cartels has made the area unsafe for tourists have been a main cause of the decline in tourism this year. Most Rosarito visitors come from the U.S.
“But time has shown emphatically that our visitors are not at risk,” Torres said. “We have had no major incident.”
“Our frequent visitors and thousands of expatriate residents are among those who have helped us convey the fact that Rosarito is safer and more welcoming than ever. We know that more needs to be done to convey that message.”
The drop in visitors has had a harsh effect on the economy of the city, which is significantly dependent on tourism.
“We believe that in part because of some unbalanced stories, some people remain uneasy about visiting Baja,” Torres said. “But we hope that responsible U.S. media will join with us in conveying the message that the area is safe.”
“It was so good to see our hotels, restaurants, shops, spas and other attractions busy again,” he added. “Not only are people secure here, they’ll find extraordinary bargains this year.”
Rosarito under Torres’ leadership in the past 18 months has created a special Tourist Police Force, city office for tourist attention and special ombudsman to assist visitors.
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