Rosarito Mayor Addresses International Educators, Promotes Binational Summit In Las Vegas Visit

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---During a two-day visit to Las Vegas, Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres gave a keynote talk to an international association of educators and promoted a May 6 and 7 binational summit in his city.

Torres also met with Mexican Consul General Mariano Lemus and conducted interviews with several Las Vegas media outlets.

                                                                                                   

The Rosarito mayor was the keynote luncheon speaker Saturday for the International Academy of Business Disciplines convention, which attracted leading educators from more than 50 countries throughout the world.

He spoke about crisis management and was introduced by Emerson College professor Gregory Payne, whose class has a RediscoveRosarito project, as “one of the leaders around the world who makes a difference.”

The main theme of Torre’s speech was the challenge of informing people in the United States that Rosarito and northern Baja were safe for visitors, when almost all the news about Mexico deals with the government crackdown on violent drug cartels.

Violence in places including Ciudad Juarez --- 600 miles from Baja --- has created the impression that all of Mexico is unsafe, he said.

Despite this incorrect perception, crime in northern Baja in 2009 declined by 10 percent and 21 percent in Rosarito, to a five-year low for the city.

When he decided to run for mayor in 2006, there were corruption problems with the city police department, Torres said: “We had problems not only in perception but in reality.”

But a massive overhaul of the police department, establishment of a tourist police force and other steps have made Rosarito an extremely safe and welcoming city, he said. The main challenge now is  in informing people of that.

Torres said he still was trying to determine the most effective methods for doing that, but that being available to media and “always telling the truth” are key factors, as are testimonials from the city’s many expatriate residents.

Torres also met with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and invited him to be a special guest at the Fifth Binational Mayors’ Summit on May 6 and 7 in Rosarito Beach, co-hosted by Redondo Beach.

Although the summit is primarily for mayors from Baja and Southern California, topics are of regional interest, including the future of the border crossings, economic development, environment and public safety.

Goodman expressed great interest in a workshop on desalination and said he would attend the summit if his schedule permits.

Rosarito-Ensenada Bike Ride Draws 5,000 In A Full Weekend Of Tourism Activities

The Rosarito-Ensenada 50 Mile Fun Bike Ride had 5,000 participants --- an increase of more than 40 percent from the April edition --- as the event in its 30th year passed the 20 million mile mark.

The Saturday ride along a scenic route from the seaside resort area to the port city of Ensenada was one of several high-profile weekend events for Rosarito, including the first in a planned annual sand sculpture contest and the annual steak and lobster festival.

Bike ride organizer Gary Foster attributed the ride’s increased attendance to the growing awareness that Mexico’s highly publicized crackdown on organized crime did not affect visitors or daily activities.

“The corridor from Rosarito Beach to Ensenada is safe for tourists, and Baja remains a beautiful and affordable destination for travel with friends and family,"

Foster said.

Foster also thanked the Baja Secretary of Tourism and the city of Rosarito for their support.

Rosarito Beach Mayor Hugo Torres was the official starter as a sea of cyclists filled Boulevard Benito Juarez from the starting line near the Rosarito Beach Hotel and stretched blocks to the north.

“I want to thank you all for coming to Rosarito and for trusting us,” Torres told assembled cyclists.and their many supporters “Enjoy the ride and come back every year --- or more than twice a year.”

Cyclists came from throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America. Abut 400,000 riders have participated in the event which began in 1979.

This year’s riders included men and women of a wide variety of ages. The youngest rider in the iconic and festive event was 7.

Following the successful bike ride, Rosarito on Sunday hosted Baja Sand 2009. The event sponsored by the State Secretary of Tourism and the city is the first in what is hoped will become an annual event for Rosarito.

As well as a competition between more than 20 amateur teams, Baja Sand 2009 also featured an exhibition by Archisand.

Archisand, a team of architects and craftsmen, was founded by in 1989 by Greg LeBon. It has won the 10-man division of the U.S. Open at Imperial Beach six of the past nine years. More than 300,000 people attend that annual competition.

“This is a great venue,” LeBon said Sunday. “We’ve been tremendously impressed by the hospitality of the people and the cleanliness of this beautiful stretch of beach.”

Raul Aragon, Rosarito’s state tourism delegate, said the number of participants exceeded expectations. The first full-scale sand sculpting competition is scheduled for May 2 of 2010, he said.

While the sand sculpture competition was taking place, people walked the nearby grounds of the Rosarito Beach Hotel and sampled food from Rosarito restaurants during the city’s annual steak and lobster festival.

The Mexico Promotional Event to take place in San Diego, California

SAN DIEGO,CA — THE MEXICO PROMOTIONAL EVENT, presented by the Mexico Tourism Board and AeroMexico Airlines, will take place at Liberty Station in San Diego on Saturday, November 14th, 2009 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Event will feature exhibitors promoting Mexico travel/tourism, culture, and real estate products from over 20 destinations. Entertainment will include traditional music and dancers plus authentic Mexican food samplings.

Sponsors include: AeroMexico Airlines and the Mexico Tourism Board.

Exhibitors to date from 20 destinations including Baja California, Colonial Mexico, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Los Cabos, Nayarit, Puerto Vallarta, the Riviera Maya, Rocky Point, San Miguel de Allende and the Yucatan will be present. More destinations are expected to be announced in the near future.

In addition to the Event, a series of complimentary seminar presentations on tourism destinations, Mexican culture, authors, and real estate in Mexico will be offered throughout the day. Various raffle prizes will also be given away throughout the Expo including round-trip tickets on AeroMexico Airlines and hotel stays.

For additional information including exhibit and sponsorship availability, contact Ana Bravo at 619.584.0829 or by email at mexicoexpo@yahoo.com. Information can be accessed at www.themexicoevent.com. The event will be held at Liberty Station Convention Center in Point Loma near the San Diego Int'l. Airport.

Rosarito’s 199th Independence Day Celebration Largest In City History

The celebration on Sept. 16 of the Mexico’s 199th Independence Day --- which included a parade and other festivities --- was the largest in city history.

Sept. 16 is the anniversary of Mexico’s independence from Spain. The bicentennial celebration will be next year.

Among those viewing the parade were Brig. Gen. Alfonso Duarte, commander of the 2nd Military Zone; Hugo Torres, mayor of Rosarito; Santos Humberto Gomez Leyva, commander Naval region II; and Jorge Montero, Rosarito’s secretary of public safety.

A large number of military units participated in the parade, a sign of support for Rosarito’s role in Mexico’s crackdown on organized crime as well as the city’s significant public safety improvements.

“This was the largest participation ever of military units, recognizing our efforts in security and crime prevention,”

Torres said.

Mayor Torres said next year’s Independence Day celebration, to mark Mexico’s bicentennial year, likely will be even larger:

“We already have many activities planned to honor those who made independence possible and helped build the nation.”

Baja Sand 2009

Amateur Sand Figure contest, At The Rosarito Beach Hotel Beach, the 8 time international champion team will be there, Steak & Lobster event, live music, free workshops, and much more.

info@rosarito.org caniracrosarito@hotmail.com rosaritotur@baja.gob.mx

Te invitamos a participar en los talleres de escultura de arena.

Los fines de semana del 11 al 13 y del 18 al 20 de septiembre de 9:00 am a 1:00 pm
Frente al Hotel Rosarito Beach, Costo Gratuito.

¡Prepárate para que participes en el primer concurso amateur de figuras de arena, que se llevara a cabo en el día mundial del turismo el próximo 27 de Septiembre a partir de las 10:00 a.m. en la playa frente al Hotel Rosarito Beach, habrá premios sorpresa!

Más información: (661) 612.03963 / (661) 612.0200 info@rosarito.org, rosaritotur@baja.gob.mx

Rosarito-Ensenada Bike Ride To Top 20 Million Mile Mark This Sept. 26

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---Now in its 30th year the Rosarito-Ensenada 50-Mile Fun Bicycle Ride will surpass 20 million total miles covered with its Sept. 26 event.

About 5,000 riders are expected for the festive scenic ride, much of it along a coastal route from Rosarito to Ensenada, said ride organizer Gary Foster.

During the past 30 years since 1979, the iconic twice-yearly event has been held 52 times and almost 400,000 riders have participated, Foster said.

“This great anniversary edition of the ride will be as festive as years past, both for our many riders and the thousands of people who come to view the event and cheer on the participants,”

Foster said.

Added Rosarito Beach Mayor Hugo Torres, whose city hosts the event:

“The ride is one of the signature events for Rosarito and this region of Baja. It attracts excellent people and creates a great atmosphere. We’re greatly looking forward to it.”

Participants can register online for $45 through www.BetterSignUp.com, or they can register on the day of the event for $50 at the Rosarito Beach Hotel. More information is available at www.RosaritoEnsenada.com as well as www.rosarito.org

The Rosarito-Ensenada ride has been called the Original Party on Wheels. Revelers in costume roll along, tossing candy to children along the course. Beach cruisers strap boom boxes to their handlebars. Parents tow children.

Racing teams form pace lines, trying to beat the official record of 1:52:54 set in April of 2007. Other participants just ride for the enjoyment and atmosphere.

Transportation packages from the United States are available, Foster said. Tour companies transport riders’ bicycles at no extra charge, and because the buses return to the United State through the rapid SENTRI lane, cyclists avoid a wait at the border.

Many hotels offer special rates and are participating in the Border Fast Pass program which can cut border waits by half, especially on the weekends, Foster said.

The Finish Line Fiesta is free for participants and spectators, overlooking the Ensenada harbor with panoramic views of the cruise ships at sunset. Live rock-n-roll, jazz and salsa plays into the night while local chefs serve their best.

Massage therapists are available to work out every knot, and there will be a lot
of celebrating with ice cold beer and award-winning wines from Baja’s wine country, Foster said.

Shuttles are available on the event course from the finish line to the start line before and after the event. So if participants stay in Rosarito Beach, they can take the shuttle back to Rosarito after the event.

“The corridor from Rosarito Beach to Ensenada is safe for tourists, and Baja remains a beautiful and affordable destination for travel with friends and family," Foster added.

Foster said that this recent e-mail from a frequent ride participant summed up the spirit of the event:

“Thanks for another great experience! I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve done this ride since the early 1990’s. All I know is they keep getting better!”

Baja California Forms Public-Private Partnership To Promote Filmmaking In The Diverse Region

ROSARITO, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---A major public-private partnership has been formed to promote filmmaking in the diverse region and make it more competitive with other countries in attracting international productions.

The Cinematographic Cluster of Baja California (Cluster Cinematografico De Baja California) will include industry representatives, heads of the business councils of Baja’s five cities as well as their convention and visitors bureaus.

Baja Film Commissioner Gabriel Del Valle also will be a member, said Conrado Acevedo, president of the group that formed in July and is finalizing its formal structure. Acevedo’s family has been involved in production in Mexico and the United States.

Acevedo also is owner of Rosarito’s Calafia hotel and an historian.

“This group is a very important step for Baja in realizing its filmmaking potential,” said Rosarito Beach Mayor Hugo Torres. “The region has had some major successes but there is room for tremendous growth. It can be a major segment of our economy.”

Acevedo said the group’s goal is to create $1 billion in annual spending from filmmaking in 10 years.

Baja has had some major filmmaking successes in the past. Rosarito is home to Baja Studios, which has huge salt-water tanks and where Titanic, Master & Commander and other blockbusters were produced.

Also, the region offers great diversity of settings, from the sea to mountains to deserts, a skilled workforce and is about two hours from Los Angeles, where many of those involved in the industry live.

But Mexico must get more competitive with other countries including Australia, Canada and India. Baja Studios recently lost the latest installment of the Chronicles of Narnia because of security concerns and because Australia offered $15 million in tax breaks.

The security concerns were caused by Mexico’s crackdown on drug cartels but “we can prove that no actor or anyone involved in a production has ever been affected,” Acevedo said.

Rediscover Rosarito Project Recognizes Achivements By Students of 2009 Class

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---In a Sunday screening at Baja Studios the 10 students who participated in this year’s Rediscover Rosarito Film Project were honored and best films from the session selected.

Mayor Hugo Torres gave the welcoming remarks to those attending, and thanked both the participants and the organizers of the film project.

The seven-day filmmaking class was organized by Emerson College Professor Gregory Payne, who leads a project dedicated to conveying an accurate picture of the city in the United States. Students ranged from ages 17 to 28.

“You’re all leaders,” Payne told the student film makers Sunday night.

This year’s intensive class, the second annual, was led by independent Hollywood producer Michael McManus, who worked closely with students on scripts, production and editing of the short films.

Campus MovieFest, the world’s largest student film festival, provided HD Panasonic Cameras supplied cameras, Apple laptops, and other equipment for the local and high school and college students.

The LA Program, a private international student exchange, also assisted. Emerson College students and alumni also participate.

Payne and others donate their time for the class and there is no cost to students or to Rosarito. The Rosarito Beach Hotel donates facilities, lodging and food. Baja Studios, where Titanic and Master & Commander were filmed, donated it theater facility.

Taking the class this year were Armando Calderon, Viktor Gonzalez, Lucas Seamanduras, Alberto Martinez, Guillermo Jimenez, Antonio Mendoza, Dalia Salazar, Samuel Paredes and Michelle Hinojo.

Corina Martinez, who took the class last year, also participated and served as an assistant instructor.

Most students worked as two-person teams and produced six short films of several minutes each. A behind-the-scenes look at this year’s project also was produced and shown to the 80 people at the two-hour ceremony at the Baja Studios auditorium.

The best film award was shared by two works. One was Rediscover Rosarito by Hinojo and Parales; the other was Pasado Meridiana by Martinez and Jimenez.

Judging the entries were Payne; McManus; Janice Payne of the LA Program, Baja Studios manager Rolando Navarro; Pedro Rodrigues, a master’s candidate at Superior Escuela de Communicaciones in Lisbon, Portugal; and Ron Raposa, Rosarito’s international public relations representative.

The David Twomey Award for Creativity in Advocacy went to Paredes and Hinojo and the Michael McManus Acting Award to Calderon.

Payne, whose family has a vacation home in Rosarito and who has visited the city for years, said he started the RediscoveRosarito project because many people in the U.S. were not receiving a full and accurate picture of life in area.

PROXIMOS EVENTOS EN ROSARITO

>Rosarito Beach Pro-Am / Agosto 22 y 23 | Primer Evento Anual de Surfing Pro-AM, el cual reunirá a los Surfistas profesionales de América que competirán por una bolsa repartida de $10,000 dolares. A celebrarse en el Muelle de Rosarito. >Más información

>Noche Flamenca / Agosto 22 | Presentando Guitarra y cantante españoles, danzantes flamencos. Bajo las estrellas en la alberca Azul de la nueva Torre Pacifico del Hotel Rosarito Beach. >Más información

>Festival de la Comida Mexicana / Septiembre 5 | Festival de la Comida Mexicana, mismo que se desarrollará sobre el Blvd. Benito Juárez, frente al hotel Festival Plaza en Playas de Rosarito, el sábado 5 de septiembre de 1:00 a 10:00 de la noche. >Más información

>Serie Motocross Otoño / Septiembre 5 | Los mejores competidores de ambos lados de la frontera, compitiendo en una pisa de rampas y obstáculos especialmente diseñada a circuito de aproximadamente 2 millas. Participantes de todos los niveles compiten, niños en categoría peewee, hasta los adultos en categorías profesionales. >Más información

Rosarito Beach Tourism Hits Summer High

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---Tourism hit its summer high here this past weekend with hotels recording 65 percent occupancy on Friday and 93 percent on Saturday, city and tourism officials said.

The occupancy figures topped even Fourth of July weekend, which was the best weekend of the year to that point.

“It has been a challenging year for tourism so we’re very encouraged to see this ongoing rebound,” Mayor Hugo Torres said of the popular resort city 30 miles of south of San Diego, where the economy is largely dependent on tourism.

Convention & Visitors Bureau President Laura Wong praised both private and government promotional efforts for helping bring about the rebound. Businesses also have been offering some exceptional deals to attract visitors.

A slow U.S. economy has contributed to the decline, but Torres and others say publicity about violence among rival drug cartels and authorities as the Mexican government cracks down on organized crime has been the main factor in the decline.

“But as time passes, people have realized the scattered violence in Mexico does not affect them nor is it anything they will even see,” Torres said.

“Tourists are not targets. In fact, our visitors are safer and more secure than ever, and they’re passing that information on to friends and relatives who in turn are coming to visit us and having a wonderful time.”

Rosarito’s estimated 14,000 expatriate residents also have helped greatly in getting the positive and accurate message out about the attractions and benefits of the seaside city, the mayor said.

“We look forward to an even stronger rebound as more people realize this,” he said. “We still have ground to gain to reach our past level of tourism and repair the economic damage that has hit many of our businesses and residents.”

Rosarito last year started a special Tourist Police Force, city office for tourist assistance and created an ombudsman to help visitors with any problems.

Rosarito Beach! Your Nearway Getaway!

So close yet so different from the ordinary!
Check out this San Diego Channel 6 Segment
on Rosarito Day Trips