Federal Office for Security of Tourism Proposed

A Federal Office for Security of Tourism that would be available to visitors to report and file complaints if they have been victims of a crime or abuse when visiting Mexico is being proposed. The office would offer the security and confidence that this country needs to foment tourism, an industry in which we invest millions of pesos.

Wilfrido Ruiz, chairman of the South Bay Economic Development Council, stressed the importance of such an agency to help revive the tourist industry in Mexico. The agency would improve the overall image to our visitors and decrease robbery, assaults and extortion, as well as abuse from the very agencies that provide services to tourism.

Wilfrido Ruiz stated that millions of dollars are spent on tourist related advertising but the bad press about the insecurity in some cities is what is responsible for the reduction of the number of visitors to Baja California.

Tourism is the third most important source of income for the country. The Federal Office for Security of Tourism basic responsibilities would be to assess the current state of security, create a climate of confidence with honesty and promptness, and even get involved is such cases as automobile accidents and mechanical breakdowns.

The Baja California Federal Office for Security of Tourism was an initiative instituted by former Governor Roberto de la Madrid Romandía. It was an agency run by the State of Baja California, but it disappeared in 1989 during the Governor Ernesto Ruffo Appel administration.

Mr. Ruiz’s proposal was very well received by the business community on the Mexican side of the border. It is important that the authorities sign-on to the idea and realize the magnitude of its importance. He added that such an agency would not be a burden to their budget.

Currently there are other agencies that guarantee other basic rights, such as the consumer protection agency Profeco (Procuraduría Federal del Consumidor) and the environmental protection agency Profepa (Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente), among others.

He concluded by stating that the new agency would not have offices in every State but rather only in the States that cater to tourism and whose economy depends on tourism, such as: Baja California, Baja California Sur, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Nayarit, Sonora, Sinaloa, Quintana Roo, Guadalajara, Yucatán and Mexico City.