Baja officials expecting 60,000 Americans over Memorial Day weekend

SAN DIEGO ( Border Report ) — Tourism and Chamber of Commerce officials in Tijuana are expecting more than 60,000 Americans, mostly from Southern California, to visit Baja this holiday weekend.

“This is an important holiday in the United States. It’s a day to honor those who have fallen defending their country,” said Karim Chalita Rodríguez, president of Tijuana’s Convention and Tourism Commission. “It’s also a holiday when a lot of people travel.”

Rodríguez says they expect a 50% increase in the number of visitors compared to an average weekend.

That’s an additional 63,000 tourists to Baja, according to Rodríguez.

“On average, every visitor spends anywhere from $150 to $200 during their visit,” he said. “We are concerned people might stay away due to the ongoing gasoline shortage in the city, but we don’t see that will have a big impact since most visitors who drive fuel up north of the border.”

Rodríguez remains optimistic the number of visitors in the Tijuana region will increase beyond this weekend.

During the first quarter of the year, Rodríguez and other officials noticed a substantial drop in tourism as people stayed away because of inclement weather.

As for the demographics of the visitors, Rodríguez says they’ve noticed that over the last 20 years or so, tourists who do visit Baja are mostly of Mexican descent.

“Eighty five percent are now Hispanic,” Rodríguez said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.