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For the First Time, New Travel Notices for Mexico Specifically Separate La Paz and Other Regions, Confirming It as One of the Safest Cities in North America

Wall Street Journal
Press Release | March 13, 2012, 11:00 a.m. EDT

LA PAZ, Baja California Sur, Mexico -- In a significant move that recognizes the safety of La Paz and Baja California Sur, the U.S. State Department's latest 2012 travel update states no security concerns for the region. For the first time, the regular update includes "no advisory" in effect for La Paz and the entire South Baja region. The move reaffirms the reputation of La Paz as the city of peace and abundance on the Sea of Cortez, and one of the safest places in the world to live in and visit.

"We applaud the U.S. State Department for recognizing what every visitor to La Paz experiences here: That it is a beautiful, peaceful city, and - along with the entire South Baja region - it is an entirely secure and rewarding place for vacations, for owning a second home, or for retirement," said Agustin Olachea, President of La Paz Tourism Board, and spokesperson for the La Paz Developers Tourism Council. "Travelers can feel confident coming here, knowing that the peace that one quietly encounters in La Paz extends directly from the abundant ocean life and cultural richness that sets La Paz apart from any place on the planet."

The report marks the first time that the State Department has broken down its Mexico travel update into specific populated areas and regions. According to an unnamed State Department source, the "granularized" report was compiled at the request of American business groups interested in employee security. It was not done to appease various boosters of Mexican tourism. Previous to this report, the US State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs issued travel warnings to larger, more general areas for Americans visiting Mexico. The result was confusion, with some tourists curtailing plans for visiting Mexico in spite of huge areas of the country unaffected by recent drug-related violence.

The safety of Baja Sur in particular was also underscored by the presence of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other international leaders at last month's G20 Foreign Ministers Summit in Los Cabos.

source...

I'm sure that this will get absolutely no mention is any NOB publication. Which is very sad news for the many struggling small business people in Baja who rely on tourism for their livings.