TIJUANA. Get your bikes ready for the 35th annual edition of the famous Rosarito-Ensenada Bike ride. This year, the ride will fall on September 27th, which just so happens to be World Tourism Day.

According to Ives Lelevier, Vice Secretary of Tourism for the State of Baja, "In order to commemorate World Tourism Day, we have many activities lined up to celebrate the day, including the traditional bike ride which has become one of the most important sports-tourism related events in Northern Mexico."

She also stated that according to information from organizors, it is anticipated that eight thousand people from Mexico, the United States, Colombia, Venezuela, China and even some European countries will be coming out to ride the route along the coast.

Lelevier explained that, "previously, the majority of participants came from the United States, but there is much more diversity now and we have people arriving from Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey, for example; we also see that national tourists have responded to our campaigns within the country, in response to promotion policies put in place by Governor Francisco Vega."

Contrary to previous plans, the event organizor Ana Duarte stated that the ride will take place on the same route as always– the free road from Rosarito to Ensenada- now that the toll road has almost been repaired and will be reopen by that time, according to the Secretary of Communications and Transportation and the Federal Highway and Bridges administration. The toll road is set to reopen next week after a near year-long closure for repairs work to a collapsed portion.

"The ride will start in Rosarito Beach, directly in front of Rosarito Beach Hotel at 10 am and the finish line will be in Ensenada, next to Hotel Corona at approximately 12:30, where the traditional festival including food, music, and entertainment will take place", she stated.

Ana Duarte added that the bike ride is coming at one of the best moments for the region, which is still recovering from a heavy recession that affected many sectors in the state.

"Fortunately, we are heading in to great times, just a few years ago we were hit by a crisis that required us to put in greater effort than ever before to continue with these events, and we can now say that attendance levels are up" she stated.

Finally, the Secretary of Tourism assured that on September 17th they will announce a complete calendar of activities to celebrate World Tourism Day. For those that will not participate in the bike ride, there will be plenty of other options, including art and sports events, and even educational events aimed at promoting the tourism industry in the state.

Editorial@sandiegored.com

borderzonie@gmail.com