Baja California still safe for tourists, travel club exec says

Surfers, fishermen, hunters, golfers or anyone else monitoring the high level of drug-related violence in northern Baja California must be wondering what I'm wondering: When will cartel members, who are frenetically fighting among themselves, kill each other off and end the savage brutality?

Answer: Not as long as there is demand for their product in the United States.

Latest casualty report, in a 24-hour spree over the weekend: 12 dead, including two decapitated bodies, whose heads were found nearby in plastic bags. Municipal police said six of the killings were in Tijuana, three were in Rosarito and three were in Ensenada.

So reports the Latin American Herald Tribune.

There've been Outposts reader comments regarding the number of people murdered this year by groups linked to cartels in Mexico. The Mexico City daily El Universal places the number at about 4,500.

But if there's a silver lining for tourists, it's that they're not being targeted. I called Hugh Kramer, president of Discover Baja, today as he was preparing to drive from San Diego to his family's condo at La Jolla del Mar just south of Rosarito.

"I feel as safe once I get south of the border as I do north of the border," said Kramer, whose travel club provides insurance and other services for Baja travelers.

Kramer, in fact, says he feels safer now than he did "in the past few years" because Mexico has bolstered law enforcement efforts, rooted out corrupt cops, and established tourist police forces in Tijuana and the Rosarito Beach district "that are trained especially to deal with tourist issues."

Tourists, Kramer says, "are basically treated like royalty down there now, because the area has become so economically depressed, so the government is doing basically everything it can to welcome tourists and give them a sense that they are safe."

They're reasonably safe, that is, if they stay within tourist zones, avoid driving at night and exercise the same common sense they exercise while traveling anywhere.

Still, it's a tough sell. Many Discover Baja clients are die-hard Baja lovers who typically drive straight through Tijuana, Rosarito and Ensenada en route to points south, well beyond the cartel war zones.

That explains why business at Discover Baja is down only about 20% compared to last year.

Business south of the border has been much harder hit and tourism is suffering in part, Kramer says, because of sensational media reports regarding, as he jokingly says, "the decapitated bodies and heads rolling across the dance floor with nobody out there dancing."

But the violence is real, and although Kramer considers Baja California to be safe, his group will not try to convince those who are wavering to go there. That decision is up to them, "because you can get blown away anywhere. Even San Diego."

--Pete Thomas

Photos: Police patrol the streets of Rosarito Beach (top photo), and a surfer takes a ride at a nearly empty surf spot. Credit: Don Bartletti/Los Angeles Times, top, and Ryan Brandt/For The Times

Comments

[Besafe]

Why would you want to spend your hard earned dollars on a vacation where you had to stay within tourist zones and avoid driving at night? No thank you. To find out what the travel industry doesn't want you to know visit:
WWW.MEXICOVACATIONAWARENESS.COM

[Les C]

There are two problems with the current situation.... being in the wrong place at the wrong time when there is a drug cartel shootout and/or dealing with corrupt cops who may want a couple bucks or something more.

I don't feel like I could be in a possible gang shootout in La Jolla or Laguna Beach, but do in Rosarito. Check it as it's already happened. And dealing with corrupt cops who may be working with drug cartels is not for me.

Clean it up, especially the corruption and I will return...

LC

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[Micheal Fanning]

Baja is suffering from many problems not just the daily gang shootings. The "faux" real estate boom where deposits were not returned when developers ran out of cash. The great Trump project where people put deposits on a pile of dirt, some to the tune of $250,000 and no one from Irongate or Trump will talk about refunds they received 2 years ago. The Rosarito debacle is being passed off as the "Cancun" north. Cold ocean,polluted and substandard buildings that are isolated and have zero infrastructure. If you need a paramedic and your mid Rosarito- Ensenada or a firetruck your toast.
The once beautiful La Paz has a horrible project on the Magote that has ruined the eco-system, Loreto more unfinished projects and lost retiree dollars.
This and you hear it's safe for tourists, how do you say collateral damage in espanol?

[Jon K.]

Les C,

I agree with your assessment. Mexico is very beautiful, but its just not worth it. I'd rather visit someplace beautiful in America or American territories.

The corruption is the worst part of it. The entire place stinks of it and it is so tragic being in this country that could be so wonderful looking around and thinking, "If these people could just get their acts together and eliminate corruption, this place could be a paradise, but it's not and probably never will be."

Better to stay away. Tourist dollars just enable Mexico's corruption, anyways.

[Jimmy]

I am not totally surprised because the article is written by a travel agent. If he is not marketing what he is selling, he is not doing his job but I would not go as far to say you can get blown away in SD just as easily as in Baja right now. Yes, anything can happened anytime anywhere but do we need to put ourselves in those situations? I don't think so. To draw such conclusion is almost sounds like my son when he was 5 years old - why make you bed in the morning and you will be mess it up at night anyway...

[Joe Stevens]

The Kramers have a huge financial interest to have things portaryed as they are not.

Baja Mexico is now one of the most UNSAFE locations in the world.

Shame of the Kramers and their need for money, no matter what it does to the victims of the crimes happening now in Baja Mexico.

[Big G]

What do you do? The corruption has been going on in Mexico since Santana sold off the SouthWest!!! .. The murders? The drug cartels are killing each other off. I look forward to the Rosarito/Ensenada Bike Ride every year for the past four years. I was there last September and the worst thing that happened to the 5 of us was the crappy TACOS at the Fiesta Finish Line!!! I guess I have faith in a government (MEXICO, especially Rosarito) that their biggest asset is tourism and they must do whatever it takes to rid their great cities (Yes, Rosarito is great) of all the negative.. I guess when your born and raised in EAST LA, you have been chased by hounds!!! ... All you have to do is keep your nose clean and dont be where you shouldnt be.. Remember, play with fire and you will get BURNED!!!! VIVA MEXICO and the BIKE RIDE!!!

[mm. rodriguez]

There's no place like Baja! We like to go to San Quintin, 4 hours south of Ensenada. I've notice more military presence, and I welcome it. They are friendly as long as you cooperate with the searches. Once we crossed the Tijuana border when it was dark, that was a mistake. We were pulled over by two corrupt cops and they took a $400 dollar "mordida". We learned our lesson -travel only during daylight hours (That was 4 years ago). Military check points have dramatically stopped this fraudulent activity. Don't travel alone and you should be okay. If you do get pulled over and the cop wants a "Mordida" tell him you want to see the judge and they will let you go!!