SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The head of Tijuana’s Tourism and Conventions Committee says the city has seen a 30-percent drop in tourism since last year, and long border waits as well as the city’s perception that it is not safe are to blame.
“Inflation and an economic recession worldwide are also affecting the tourism industry everywhere, cities like Las Vegas continue to see a drop in visitors,” said Karim Chalita Rodríguez, the committee president.
Chalita Rodríguez stressed there are many factors having an impact on the border economy and tourism, including the uncertainty over tariffs and U.S. immigration policies.
“There are many areas reporting a drop including medical tourism, hotels have 50 to 60 percent occupancy rates, five years it was always above 70 percent, we are definitely seeing fewer visitors.”
He said in previous years, there were anywhere from 60,000 to 70,000 tourists visiting Tijuana during the summer on weekends — now there are 40,000 to 50,000.
“Many of the visitors coming are simply here to see family and aren’t really considered tourists.
According to a survey done recently by Chalita Rodríguez’s office, 68 percent of all visitors to Tijuana come from the United States with almost all others from the interior of Mexico.
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