Concerned about the challenges facing the tourism sector, restaurant owners and tourism entrepreneurs in Rosarito have begun organizing to develop and present recovery strategies aimed at revitalizing the industry.

Initial meetings have sparked the involvement of previously disengaged tourism business owners, who have contributed ideas that will soon be submitted to the municipal government and tourism agencies.

Participants have drafted a document outlining short-, medium-, and long-term proposals focused on promotion, public safety, and the city’s image.

In terms of promotion, one of the key suggestions is to launch a travel agenda targeting cities in Southern California, showcasing efforts being made to ensure tourist safety—an approach that proved effective in 2009 and 2010 through collaboration between the mayor’s office, the local tourism board (COTUCO), and the private sector.

Other promotional ideas include:

• Utilizing Mexican consulates in Southern California for tourism promotion,
• Organizing press conferences to boost Rosarito’s visibility,
• Leading media tours in Southern California, funded by joint public-private tourism resources,
• Strengthening regional marketing efforts and building partnerships with travel agencies in cities such as Hermosillo, Chihuahua, Culiacán, Los Mochis, Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Mexico City,
• Promoting dual-destination trips that include Rosarito alongside visits to the Guadalupe Valley and San Diego.

On the security front, proposals include continuing efforts to address police extortion and abusive vehicle towing practices—an issue business owners say poses a serious threat to tourism, particularly on weekends when recovering an impounded vehicle can be especially burdensome for visitors.

They are also calling for:

• Greater police transparency through the use of body cameras,
• More technological tools to assist tourists,
• Streamlined processes for paying fines and filing complaints.

Additionally, they suggest developing a mobile app or website to guide tourists to local attractions and inform them of steps to take in the event of an incident or abuse.

Medium-term proposals focus on traffic and parking challenges in the tourist zone. Business owners noted that a lack of parking spaces forces local workers and street vendors to occupy designated green zones, leaving few options for visitors.

Proposals to address this include:

• Eliminating yellow curbs and maintaining only green and blue parking zones,
• Offering 1 to 2 hours of free parking in green zones for customers,
• Introducing app-based payment options for extended parking time, limited to 2 or 3 hours.

These measures, they say, are designed to make Rosarito more tourist-friendly and improve the overall visitor experience.