Baja California Governor Honors 15 American Expatriates On World Tourism Day

Governor Osuna to Award Baja Image Committee Expats who Help Enrich the Baja Region. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) September 29, 2012 - Baja California Governor José Guadalupe Osuna Millán honored 15 American expatriates as part of a Foreign Resident Appreciation event on Sept. 27 (World Tourism Day) at the Autonomous University of Baja California. Governor Osuna awarded a select group of foreign residents for their exceptional contributions to the Baja California region at 10 a.m. in the Rubén Vizcaíno Valencia theatre, at the University Campus.

The award recipients are a group of expatriates who for the past year have become positive ambassadors for the region, as members of the "Baja California Image Committee". Hugo Torres, who along with Juan Tintos Funcke, Baja California's Secretary of Tourism, heads the committee, said the group has joined state tourism authorities in promoting Baja California to Americans.

Governor Osuna Millán chose "World Tourism Day" for the celebration to symbolize the effect that tourism has on social, cultural, political and economic values in Baja California as well as worldwide.

"Visiting other countries and regions like Baja California helps to preserve cultural heritage and enhance peace and mutual understanding," said Baja California State Tourism Secretary Juan Tintos Funcke.

"We are honored that so many Americans make Baja California their adopted home and encourage anyone thinking of a trip or second home to consider our wonderfully rich region of Baja California", added José Guadalupe Osuna Millán, Governor of the State of Baja California.

Award recipients are:
• Anne Hines, Tijuana
• Tillie Foster, Ensenada
• Margit Gantt, Ensenada
• Connie Ellig, Ensenada
• Gil Sperry, Rosarito
• Dr. Gregory Payne, Rosarito
• Susanne Stehr, Rosarito
• Ron Raposa, Rosarito
• Ken Bell, Rosarito
• Judy Westphal, Rosarito
• Tom Reeve, Rosarito
• Elma Sotomayor, Rosarito
• Vivian Scott, San Felipe
• John and Rachel Pack, San Felipe

"I've wanted to live in Baja California since I first visited in 1976, and my wife and I feel fortunate to call Baja California home since 2005," said Rosarito resident and honoree Ron Raposa. "It's a privilege to enjoy this beautiful region and its people, but to also make contributions, like many of my fellow foreign residents have done. This recognition means a great deal to us."

"For decades, foreign residents have been an important part of Baja California, often coming first as visitors and then choosing to live here," Torres said. "Over the years, they have helped to improve life south of the border through charitable contributions, education and social life. The entire State of Baja would like to thank them for their efforts."

The Autonomous University of Baja California is located at Calzada Universidad No. 14418. Tijuana, Baja Mexico. For more information about Baja California, visit www.discoverbajacalifornia.com.

About Baja California
Located just south of San Diego, Baja California, Mexico offers stunning Pacific Ocean beaches, warm waters of the Sea of Cortez, forests, mountains, deserts and bays. The state's five municipalities, Ensenada, Mexicali, Playas de Rosarito, Tecate and Tijuana, have unparalleled landscapes of tremendous beauty. Visitors can enjoy a variety of attractions including sport fishing, bike riding, off road racing as well as exploring the missions, cave paintings and wine country, among others.

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