Maureen Cavanaugh: Springtime and Baja California have always gone hand-in-hand for young adults in San Diego. Rosarito, Tijuana and Ensenada are traditional spring break hot-spots for college kids, and there are plenty making the trip this year. But, overall tourism in Baja is down. Americans are just not traveling south of the border as much as they used to, and some say it's because Americans are worried they will not be safe.
In recent years, there have been a number of news reports documenting kidnappings and violent shootouts in Baja California. It's no secret that Mexican law enforcement is cracking down on well-funded and heavily armed drug cartels. The clash between the police and the cartels has resulted in neighborhood gunfights and sometimes horrific homicides.
But, critics are claiming we're not getting the whole story. They say the constant drumbeat of media reports about violence in certain areas of Baja is unfairly branding the whole region as unsafe.
Dialing 078 from a U.S. cellphone while in Baja California will connect you to the department of tourism toll free.
Guests
- Sandra Dibble, staff writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune . Sandra has been covering news in Baja California for 14 years.
- Vicente Calderon, a reporter for TijuanaPress.com .
- Ives Lelevier, vice secretary of tourism for Baja California .
- Hugo Torres, mayor of Rosarito.
