SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The president of Tijuana’s Tourism and Conventions Bureau said the number of visitors to Tijuana significantly dropped during the second half of 2023.
Karim Chalita Rodríguez says having fewer tourists hurts many industries south of the border.
He stated medical tourism — foreigners visiting Tijuana for cosmetic, medical or dental care — dropped from 30 to 80 percent depending on the procedure.
“The restaurants saw approximately a 30 percent drop in business. Hotels are also down,” he said.
The reason, according to Chalita Rodríguez, is the dollar’s drop in value versus the peso and the long waits to cross the border in both directions.
“It used to be, before the long lines, tourists would visit while staying in California. Now they’re saying, ‘Why go down there when I’ll be in line longer than the time I spend in Tijuana,'” he said.
Chalita Rodríguez hopes things rebound soon, especially the number of Americans seeking medical or cosmetic treatments south of the border.
“We believe December, comparing to last year, will increase visits by 10 percent, ” he said. “By the end of the year, we’ll be at the same levels as last year, but only because the first part of this year was positive as we saw numbers go up.”
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