The Tijuana International Airport unveiled its new California Welcome Center Tuesday, which marked the first center of its kind to open at a U.S. border crossing.
The center is staffed with local travel experts and concierges to help travelers make the most out of their visit to San Diego, according to the its website.
Its goal is to “reiterate California’s welcoming message” to all international travelers “no matter how they cross the border.”
“We are a better state, we are a stronger state because of our binational relationship,” said State Assemblymember Todd Gloria at the center’s grand opening Tuesday.
Travelers will land at the Tijuana International Airport, cross over a 390-foot pedestrian bridge into Otay Mesa, and arrive at a terminal where the new California Welcome Center is located.
The pedestrian bridge is exclusive to the airport and is part of the Cross Border Xpress in the area. It opened in 2015.
“Our travel industry is so dynamic. It generates so much opportunities and business all over the world,” said Alex Pace, president and CEO of Global Marketing and Sales, which operates the California Welcome Center in San Diego. “I don’t think there’s any other welcome center in the world that has, you know, this opportunity.”
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In 2018, approximately 2.2 million people used Cross Border Xpress. The number of travelers at the crossing is expected to jump to 2.7 million by the end of 2019.
“California’s relationship with Mexico is far more than economic,” Gloria said. “It is about the millions of people who cross into our region to work, to visit their family, and to seek a higher education, and all that both of communities have to offer.”
Gloria said this message is cemented in the welcome center.
There are 18 welcome centers across the state, five of which are in Southern California. Tuesday's opening was the first to San Diego.
California Welcome Centers are overseen by the California Office of Tourism.
