U.S. CONSULATE PROCLAIMS BAJA SAFE FOR USA VISITORS

Ronald Kramer, head of the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana, stated that “Baja is safe for visitors” and he hopes tourism quickly rebounds, as reported on the front page of El Mexicano newspaper published on Monday June 15th…

Kramer further stated that some of the US media coverage of the Mexcian drug war against drug cartels “falsely created the impresssion in the US that the area is unsafe for US visitors.” 

While the bi-national effort against the drug cartels is a serious ones, “visitors are not targeted” he said.  Kramer expects efforts by Mexican leaders, including Rosarito Beach hugo Torres, to be sucessful in rebuilding Mexico’s image, but said the country’s economy and many of its people currently are suffering because of the significant loss of tourism dollars, as reported in the Baja Times.

Kramer also discounted concerns related to the H1N1 (swine flu) as it had virtually no impact in Baja.  He cited as an example some cruise lines canceling voyages to Ensenada and diverting them to San Diego, which actually had more confirmed cases of the flu.