Sunset on The Malecon at La Paz
A new travel warning for Mexico was issued Wednesday Dec 24th
by the U.S. State Department for the first time includes the state of Baja
California Sur as an area of concern, urging travelers to exercise caution when
visiting La Paz, the state capital.
“According to the Department of Interior of Mexico, in 2013
Baja California Sur registered its highest homicide rate since 1997,” the
warning states. “Many of these homicides occurred in La Paz, where there has
been an increase in organized crime-related violence.”
The State Department’s review of conditions in Mexico makes
an effort to distinguish between different parts of the country.
Several states have no travel advisories, and until this
latest report there had been none for Baja California Sur.
The bad news is offset by good news, said Baja Sur’s Tourism
Secretary, Ruben Reachi Lugo, noting that the alert is limited to the state
capital and not the municipality of Los Cabos and that "we have not had
any tourist who has had any problems " .
"It really is a federal subject for the United States, it
is a warning to be careful . What we have worked for over time is to counteract
bad news with good news, for example the
recent visits of celebrities like George Clooney, Jennifer Aniston and Lea
Michele “.
Before Hurricane Odile , the official recalled , Los Cabos
had 13,500 hotel rooms, now it has " about 75 % open " and by March
31 the expectation is to be 95 % open, including the Westin Resort & Spa ,
Me Cabo , Hyatt Ziva and Esperanza Resort .
The budget for tourism in 2015 will suffer " a
relatively minor impact against last year ", in the first quarter with a forecast
decrease of up to 6% " because of the Hotels not yet fully open"
however , he announced , investment is expected to be in the region of $600
million dollars in 2015, of which $100m will come from JW Marriott, the rest of
LeBlanc , Villa Group, Starwood Hotels & Resort, Grand Solmar Rancho San
Lucas, and Pueblo Bonito , through Novaispania brand.