With the festive December holidays approaching, Tijuana is launching a unique incentive to attract American tourists and streamline their return home during the Guadalupe-Reyes (Mexican Christmas season) marathon: free “medical passes” designed to expedite border crossings.
The program will run from December 12 to January 6 and it aims to counter a significant slump in tourism, with sectors like medical services, restaurants, and retail reporting declines of 30% to 60%. The strategy is to encourage spending from Southern California visitors by offering a tangible perk for their return trip.
Modeled after a similar initiative during the “El Buen Fin” sales event, the program works as a partnership with the Secretariat of Economic Development of Tijuana (Sedeti). American tourists who make purchases at participating restaurants, medical centers, and other local businesses can take their receipts to the National Chamber of Commerce (Canaco Tijuana). Upon showing proof of U.S. residency, they will qualify for the complimentary pass, which facilitates faster processing at the Tijuana-San Diego border ports of entry.
Officials detail that the core objective is to draw tourists from Southern California to Tijuana during the crucial Christmas and New Year period.
