Arizona, Mexico join tourism push
A contingent of binational business and tourism leaders gathered Thursday in Tucson with one clear goal: to set a course to improve the sagging perceptions of the Arizona-Sonora border region.
Mexico’s tourism industry has taken a hit in recent years due to drug-related violence that has scared off many Americans from going south.
Arizona businesses have suffered through a difficult past few months in the aftermath of the state’s passage of SB 1070, the immigration law that triggered boycotts and prompted some Mexicans to avoid coming north for fear that they would be harassed by police.
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Arizona business leaders said they need their Mexican counterparts to spread the word that Arizona remains a welcoming place for Mexicans to shop and visit.
Hahaha..oh, excuse me.
“The message I want to get out to everyone is that nothing changed,” said Regina Harmon, general manager of Foothills Mall, just north of Tucson. “You are still welcome here, and you are still important to us.”
Mexican shoppers nearly disappeared from the mall in the first two weeks after Gov. Jan Brewer signed SB 1070 into law on April 23, Harmon said. Those shoppers have since returned, but she said it’s still important to make sure Mexico knows that Arizona values their friendship and business.
Mexican shoppers account for about 40 percent of all sales at Foothills Mall, she said.
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Somebody should have pointed that out to Brewer a couple of months ago.