Nogales, Son. strives to polish image


Mariana Alvarado and Marisa Gerber Arizona Daily Star Arizona Daily Star
Posted: Monday, April 11, 2011 12:00 am

Words can hurt.

But merchants and residents of the economically ailing border town of Nogales, Sonora, hope words can also heal.

The National Chamber of Commerce in Mexico has kicked off a campaign to encourage a positive outlook about the people and businesses in Nogales and other Mexican tourist cities.

The Spanish slogan, "Let's speak positively about Nogales" can be found on everything from lapel pins to hats.

"We want to promote a good image of the city - Nogales is not all bad news," said Jorge Valenzuela, director of the tourism office in Nogales.. "Like other cities in the world, bad things happen here, but for one bad there are many positives."

Drug-related violence in the city has scared off many tourists in recent years. And while some longtime businesses cling to hope that tourists will return, others have relocated north of the border.

Elvira's Restaurant moved to Tubac from Nogales, Sonora, a year and a half ago after business dried up. The restaurant had been in business in Mexico since 1927.

Owner Ruben Monroy Jr. said the recession, a new passport requirement and a fear of violence in Mexico kept people away.

Now his restaurant has recouped many of its lost patrons, he said.

Another popular Sonora eatery, La Roca, is trying to survive in the spot where it's been in business for 39 years.

General manager Alicia Martin said her U.S. clientele has dropped by about 85 percent in three years.

Although she feels safe, she said the "fear factor is paralyzing."

"We're hoping to keep the doors open, but it's been really hard," Martin said. "It's been devastating."

She said even if the restaurant closes, she wouldn't move to a U.S. location.

"What has made my business successful are my employees," Martin said, "and they have their families in Mexico."

Outreach effort

Officials with the Nogales, Sonora, chamber of commerce and the tourism department hope to help businesses like La Roca.

They are visiting restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, curio stores, car agencies, banks, medical offices, government offices, and even schools to ask citizens to join the effort to spread good news about the town.

"We have promoted this between the employees by giving away pins, hats, etc. ... in places where there's contact with the community," said Raul Carbajal, vice president of the chamber of commerce. "If we don't speak positively about ourselves, who's going to do that?"

The campaign includes public service announcement on radio, television and in newspapers. The message "One word can change everything" flashes on a large, digital billboard near the DeConcini Port of Entry.

So far most of the stores and merchants in downtown Nogales have joined the effort, Valenzuela said. The idea is to keep them informed about projects, so they have positive information to share with shoppers.

There is, for example, the ongoing renovation of the historic downtown area and Plaza Pesqueira with an investment of about $320,000, he said. The city has also installed a surveillance system in the plaza to monitor activity.

Francisco MartÃ*nez, owner of Los Azulejos restaurant, two blocks from the DeConcini Port of Entry, said the campaign was needed.

"People have received it well. It's going to be effective in the long run," he said. "We see it as a civic-awareness campaign."

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