Spring Break travel alert doesn’t worry Baja tourism destinations

By Tania Navarro, SDNN
Thursday, March 25, 2010

Because of the security situation, the U.S. Department of State and Canada’s Foreign Affairs and International Trade ministry had recently warned their citizens to avoid traveling to Mexico, particularly the northern area and all cities bordering the United States.
On March 14, the abduction and murder of two resident U.S. citizens in Chihuahua spurred the update of the State Department warning. The document highlights some parts of the states of Durango, Coahulia and Chihuahua.

The Canadian report, posted on March 15, recommends an “exercise of high degree of caution” when traveling to Tijuana, and to “avoid non-essential travel” to Ciudad Juarez, where three resident U.S. citizens, including one U.S. Consulate employee, were killed.
In Baja, while Spring Break begins, tourism promoters are hoping to have a good season, at least better than 2009 when hotel occupation fell 80 percent.

“We need to be clear: At this time, the security conditions in Baja are better than in the past years,” said Oscar Escobedo, Baja´s tourism secretary.

Escobedo said that Baja has had big results in the war against violence and drug traffic, and that it is a safe territory for tourism.
But at Rosarito beaches and other Baja vacation destinations, such as Ensenada and San Felipe, there are only empty streets.
“Rosarito is not Ciudad Juarez,” said Hugo Torres, Rosarito´s mayor and owner of Rosarito Beach hotel, who also encouraged So-Cal residents to visit Baja.

Citlalitl Pereda, president of Rosarito Touristic Committee, said that because of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which requires all U.S. citizens to show a valid passport when traveling back from a Mexican border, it is improbable that American students want to pass their spring break on Baja beaches.

“We have arranged many promotions at restaurants, hotels and bars for the people with an American passport; but we cannot force them to have a passport. We know that the economic situation is not very good for many of them, and if they don’t want to, they will not spend their money buying that document,” she said.
Pereda said that Rosarito is hosting many events during the next two weeks, including the “Taco-Fest” and “Playa-Fest,” with promotions packages in hotels, activities at the beach, music, food and sports.
“We would love to receive visitors from all over the world, but the truth is that we are not expecting only Americans,” Pereda said. “Instead, we know that we will have many local tourism, people from our neighbor cities, like Tijuana, Tecate or Mexicali.”

William Shimmer, 44, a Riverside resident, is a frequent visitor to Rosarito. He believes that compared to other years, this is a very calm and safe time at this Mexican beach.

“I love this place. The food, the drinks and the places are very good and cheap,” he said.
For many, even with the passport law and the travel alerts, Rosarito will be an option to spend a sunny weekend.

Tania Navarro is SDNN’s Mexico reporter.



Read more: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-03-25/mexico/spring-break-travel-alert-doesn%E2%80%99t-worry-baja-tourism-destinations#ixzz0jEzFhbD7