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By JULIE WATSON | Associated Press
November 30, 2013 (AP)

Dan Johnson hadn't crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in years despite the fact the San Diego native lives 20 minutes away and spent most of his life making weekend runs for Baja California's surf and fish tacos.

"Everybody was scared," Johnson said of San Diegans' impression of their Mexican neighbor after violence spiked about eight years ago. But now Johnson, like an increasing number of Americans, is being lured back by a region that has transformed itself while fighting the drug war.

Once centered on timeshares and rowdy bars largely frequented by Americans and Canadians, northern Baja California's tourism industry is rebounding with the exploding fame of local chefs, the expansion of boutique hotels and a burgeoning art scene creating a buzz in travel magazines.

This year, foreigners made up more than 45 percent of all visitors, after dropping to a low of less than 25 percent when cartels unleashed unprecedented bloodshed, leaving beheaded bodies on Tijuana's streets. Sport fishing licenses — which are almost exclusively sought by Americans — have increased more than 75 percent during that time, according to Baja California's tourism department.

Homicides in the state fell sharply, from 1,528 in 2010 to 584 in 2012, according to the latest figures from Mexico's National Statistics and Geography Institute.

But the biggest jump in foreign tourism came after the region's nouveau cuisine, called Baja Med, caught the attention of celebrity chefs like Anthony Bourdain and Rick Bayless, said Baja California's former Tourism Secretary Juan Tintos, who retired Nov. 1.

Baja Med combines the region's seafood, cactus pads and chiles, with Mediterranean flavors, such as olive oil, vinaigrettes, and sun-dried tomatoes.

Foodies from San Francisco to Brooklyn have followed the celebrity chefs in a deepening path to Baja's chic restaurants, like Javier Plascencia's Mision 19 in Tijuana that offers panoramic views of the borderlands while serving tamarind Martinis topped by whipped coconut milk.

"The world of gastronomy has helped us transcend the border," Tintos said. "It has helped people overcome their fears."

The more sophisticated travel industry is largely the result of the industry turning to the domestic market to make up for the lost tourist dollars from foreigners.

A string of boutique hotels that mix traditional Spanish architecture with modern twists have opened in the wine-growing region of Valle de Guadalupe, a region nicknamed the Napa of Baja that is little more than an hour's drive from the border.

Some offer wine-making, cooking and yoga classes or tours to tasting rooms where visitors can enjoy seafood caught off nearby Ensenada's coast, homemade cheeses made at the surrounding ranches paired with local wines. The Mexico City boutique hotel developer, Grupo Habita, opened Endemico, a sleek cluster of wood-and-steel cabins perched among giant boulders with a sweeping view of the valley.

Along the coast, Ensenada has gone from Mexico's sixth cruise ship destination in 2010 to its second this year. It is surpassed only by Cozumel, Tintos said. The number of ship passengers visiting the port is expected to double from 339,000 in 2013 to more than 700,000 next year, based on the cruises' contracts.

Carnival Cruise Lines plans to make 200 calls a year to Ensenada starting in January when it will add a second ship to operate three- and four-day cruises from Long Beach, said Terry Thornton, senior vice president of itinerary development.

Derrik Chinn, a former San Diego newspaper reporter who moved to Tijuana in 2009, has seen business for his tour company, Turista Libre, double in the past two years.

His tours promise "no gringo stereotypes," which have built the misguided image that the city is nothing more than a mecca of brothels and tasteless souvenirs, like the shellacked, sombrero-wearing reptiles holding up tequila shots hawked by vendors among the lines of idling cars waiting to cross back into the United States.

Chinn's trips cater to everyone from thrill-seekers who delight in hurtling down a giant waterslide at a Baja water park or in watching a match of masked wrestlers being catapulted out of the ring to art and music enthusiasts eager to catch one of Tijuana's chamber opera performances or learn about its 1930s covered alleyways being revived by artists.

Even so, Johnson has many friends who are still afraid to go back. Others dread the wait at the U.S. border crossings, frequently hours long.

The U.S. government's latest travel advisory tells Americans to "exercise caution in the northern state of Baja California, particularly at night." It notes there were 278 homicides in Tijuana from January to June 2013 and that some assassinations were in areas frequented by U.S. citizens.

Tijuana's Mayor Carlos Bustamante objected to the advisory, noting the city's crime rate has dropped by 25 percent since 2010 following a purge of corrupt police.

Johnson said he and his wife have never felt any danger since returning on multiple trips.

"You do get kind of aggressive vendors who fight for the few tourists who are there," he said. "But it's more entertaining than scary."

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Originally Posted by Noticias

[SIZE="1"][B]By JULIE WATSON | Associated Press
Once centered on timeshares and rowdy bars largely frequented by Americans and Canadians,

That's as far into the article as I could get.

Can't say for sure about other parts of the peninsula but we have definitely seen an upswing in tourism around here. Campo Alvaro just a bit south of us has been busy with campers almost every weekend and the traffic out here at the beach with NOB plates is probably 3-4 times what it was a couple of years ago.

Most folks that I get a chance to talk to tell me that they feel it is much safer now so I suppose there is some validity to the article...

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

Can't say for sure about other parts of the peninsula but we have definitely seen an upswing in tourism around here. Campo Alvaro just a bit south of us has been busy with campers almost every weekend and the traffic out here at the beach with NOB plates is probably 3-4 times what it was a couple of years ago.

Most folks that I get a chance to talk to tell me that they feel it is much safer now so I suppose there is some validity to the article...

With Captain Montero returning as Police Chief in Rosarito Beach, we feel more confident about Rosarito security too. You still need maintain sitautional awareness and avoid driving around at night (when the narcos use the streets around Popotla).

Let's, just for complete understanding, study the ethnicity of the new wave of visitors.

Just curious.

Originally Posted by DENNIS

Let's, just for complete understanding, study the ethnicity of the new wave of visitors.

Just curious.

The biggest increase we have seen out our way are white skinned Americans and Canadians. The hispanic tourists (both local and latinos living NOB) numbers never really dropped much over the past 5-7 years.

Why is that important to you?

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

The biggest increase we have seen out our way are white skinned Americans and Canadians. The hispanic tourists (both local and latinos living NOB) numbers never really dropped much over the past 5-7 years.

Why is that important to you?

It's of interest to me, the different reasons motivating Americans to go to Mexico. Some make the journey to get drunk and screw, while others cross as a pilgrimage to "Mi Tierra."
If marketing were my prime concern, I'd be even more interested.

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

The hispanic tourists (both local and latinos living NOB) numbers never really dropped much over the past 5-7 years

That has been my observation around Rosarito?Ens. in the last few yrs., I'm about
70 mi. no. of TJ, my aquaintances have not changed their hesitation about
driving down, but there is not the hesteria about negative Baja News as in the past,
so I think something is changing. Aside, talked to someone who recently returned
from a Mex Coast Cruise, they were the first Cruise Ship to port in Mazatlan
in 3 yrs., the Pres of Mex was there to greet the boat
Yes it was the Holand Ship, and it wasn't the Pres but the Governor

Originally Posted by sancho

That has been my observation around Rosarito?Ens. in the last few yrs., I'm about
70 mi. no. of TJ, my aquaintances have not changed their hesitation about
driving down, but there is not the hesteria about negative Baja News as in the past,
so I think something is changing. Aside, talked to someone who recently returned
from a Mex Coast Cruise, they were the first Cruise Ship to port in Mazatlan
in 3 yrs., the Pres of Mex was there to greet the boat

If this was the same crusie ship berthing in Mazatlan last month- it was a bumpy return to business for them. No presidential welcome reported in this article just the governor, US Consul General and the state tourism departments.

Reporteros.com: BALACERA ALTERA IMAGEN TURÍSTICA EN MAZATLÁN

Mazatlán, Sinaloa. - A few hours after the arrival in Mazatlán of the cruise liner Veendam, of the Holland American Line, there was a breakout of several gunshots in the port area, which caused fear among the residents located in the residential and nearby school area, and the city police mobilized an impressive security operation.

It was 7AM when the cruise liner arrived, and around 2,000 tourists among the passengers and crew started to debark a few hours later. They were met at the pier esplanade with music from a band and young models with tall feathered costumes.

The governor of Sinaloa, Mario López Valdez, headed the welcoming committee, accompanied by the Secretary of Tourism, Francisco Manuel Córdova Celaya, mayor Alejandro Higuera Osuna, United States Consul for Hermosillo, John Travenner, in addition to other officials, chamber leaders and service providers.

And while the governor was giving out the message to those involved in the tourist industry that "satisfying the tourist is not just a job for authorities, but is in everybody's court," in the news media there was an unofficial report circulating of a gunfight on Avenida la Marina.

A 11:20AM yesterday, federal agents were reported to have asked for the help of municipal police, saying they were following a Pearl colored Escalade, with Sonora license plates UB81193, with three occupants who ignored a command to stop and fled northbound on Avenida Canseco, also known as Avenida La Marina.

It is presumed that the federal police shot out the tires of the SUV, and at the Mediterráneo subdivision it spun 180 degrees and hit a federal patrol vehicle head on.

After the crash, the three suspects in the SUV started to flee towards some vacant land in the area. While the search was going on for the suspects, the area was closed to traffic, including from Sábalo Cerritos.

Minutes later, one of the suspected men fleeing the police was found on a property beside Avenida paseo del Atlántico, and was arrested and taken to a federal patrol vehicle. Meanwhile, the Escalade was towed away.

The area filled up with federal, ministerial and municipal police, and the Mexican Army. Elements of the Civil Protection and firemen also supported the operation.

After the cruise liners withdrew from Mazatlán in 2011 due to the crime rate in the state, the port has received only 40 of these ships, in 2012, only one arrived.

The arrivals are still far from those of 2010, the last year the cruise ships arrived regularly in Mazatlán, when there were 170 cruise ships with 441,000 visitors aboard. Around 4,940 passengers on three cruise ships will arrive in the remainder of 2013, according to what is scheduled at API.

Originally Posted by DENNIS

It's of interest to me, the different reasons motivating Americans to go to Mexico. Some make the journey to get drunk and screw, while others cross as a pilgrimage to "Mi Tierra."
If marketing were my prime concern, I'd be even more interested.

The new wave of tourists is hard to put a single label on. We have seen a broad mixture of people coming through lately and if I were to try to list the most common socio-economic descriptions it would probably look something like this:

1. Older Baja vacation travelers now coming back
2. Recent college grads / young families
3. 50/60 something year olds giving Baja another look in planning for retirement
4. Fishermen
5. Camping/Adventurers
6. Off-roaders
7. Surfers (Both old and new)
8. Investors

Not sure if I got that in the right order as far as numbers go but the curious thing I have found is that many of those from group 3 have told me that they had previously considered the Rosarito-Ensenada corridor for retirement but were scared away by the double whammy - drug violence and economic collapse. Those who are giving Baja another look now seem to be looking further south. Not sure if that is truly the trend or maybe those who are looking at the Rosarito-Ensenada area never make it down this far and my numbers are skewed.

Those who come south across the border to "get drunk and screw" probably tend to get all of that activity they need closer to the border. The new wave of tourists making it down our way lately have been very well behaved and seemed concerned about leaving a good impression so as to keep the door open for them next time they are down.

A good friend near here tells me that is because they are mostly CANADIAN!!!

Yes - he is from Canada...

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

Not sure if I got that in the right order as far as numbers go but the curious thing I have found is that many of those from group 3 have told me that they had previously considered the Rosarito-Ensenada corridor for retirement but were scared away by the double whammy - drug violence and economic collapse.

And...the border wait? I can't understand why that doesn't top the list. Last Sunday, at the tail end of a long weekend, the wait at San Ysidro was reported to be 4 hours, when in fact, a second hand report through Nomad put the time at 5.5 hours.
There haven't been wait times this long since Operation Intercept which I remember all too well. Seven hours was the norm.

Operation Intercept - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Originally Posted by DENNIS

And...the border wait? I can't understand why that doesn't top the list. Last Sunday, at the tail end of a long weekend, the wait at San Ysidro was reported to be 4 hours, when in fact, a second hand report through Nomad put the time at 5.5 hours.
There haven't been wait times this long since Operation Intercept which I remember all too well. Seven hours was the norm.

Operation Intercept - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That doesn't apply to most expats because they either have a sentri card or ready lane credentials. People living in Ensenada or further South will not be crossing daily anyway so the border wait will be less of an issue for them.

Originally Posted by DENNIS

And...the border wait? I can't understand why that doesn't top the list. Last Sunday, at the tail end of a long weekend, the wait at San Ysidro was reported to be 4 hours, when in fact, a second hand report through Nomad put the time at 5.5 hours.
There haven't been wait times this long since Operation Intercept which I remember all too well. Seven hours was the norm.

Operation Intercept - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So long as goods are higher quailty and cheaper in the USA- Mexicans who can will shop there. Long lines be damned.

Originally Posted by Woooosh

So long as goods are higher quailty and cheaper in the USA- Mexicans who can will shop there. Long lines be damned.

It's funny, I seldom think of K-Mart shoppers lined up on a Sunday afternoon, but you present a good point to ponder. The demographic in the line changes as the day wears on.