Grand Opening of the International Welcome Center in Nogales, AZ

Announcing the Grand Opening of the International Welcome Center in Nogales, AZ

Our Tucson Hispanic Chamber is excited to announce the grand opening of an International Welcome Center in Nogales, Arizona. Nogales is Arizona and Sonora’s largest international port and the gateway for international trade and tourism for both states.

The International Welcome Center will be a destination for Mexican consumers and business people entering Arizona via Nogales, Arizona and for Americans traveling to Mexico. The Center, opening in November will be located within the former Banamex building located at 337 W Mariposa Rd in Nogales, Arizona. It includes a large lobby for tourism promotion and business meeting rooms. The Center supports Governor Ducey and Governor Pavlovitch’s Arizona-Sonora Megaregion initiative and will enable both states to strengthen the economic competitiveness of our binational region.

The concept is derived from decades of economic development analysis by leaders from both Sonora and Arizona. The Arizona Border Communities Roadmap, a collaborative agency effort in 2013 identified a Border Economic Vision which would 1) identify an economic development / tourism point of contact at the border, 2) focus on marketing and communicating the economic opportunities along our border, and would 3) strengthen local and state relationships and collaborations at the border. The International Welcome Center will provide those services as well as improving Arizona’s public image as a place “open for business” for Mexican businesses and tourists. Sonora will also benefit by the distribution of information on the safety of the state and tourism destinations. The Center will “tell the compelling border economic opportunity story” for our region.

The International Welcome Center is in a highly visible location to maximize the convenience for tourists and businesses both northbound and southbound in Nogales. In 2015, 3.1 million pedestrians and 3.4 million personal vehicles – with 7.1 million passengers – crossed the border northbound through the three land ports of entry in Nogales. In the same year, more than 3.5 million vehicle passengers traveled south into Mexico through the same ports.

The International Welcome Center will provide vital services to the Arizona Sonora Mega Region.
They include:

-Business Connections: Establish and/or strengthen relationships with companies in Arizona and northern Mexico and promote the region’s competitive strengths. Sustain the momentum of the Arizona Mexico Commission, Sonora Arizona Commission, Arizona Commerce Authority, ProMexico, and both Governor Ducey and Governor Pavlovitch’s offices.

– Develop Binational Tourism: Work collaboratively with Sonora and Arizona Tourism departments to leverage existing tourism assets and further develop visitor destinations within the binational region. The Center will also be a destination for visitors to pick up coupons from Chamber member businesses, maps and to gather information on traveling within the region.

El Centro también servirá como la Oficina de la Cámara de Nogales Cámara Hispana Ambos, que fue fundada a principios de 2015 y está afiliada a las 1800 empresas de la Cámara Hispana de Tucson. Las compañías interesadas en invertir y el patrocinio de la Internacional Welcome Center puede aprender más acerca de la publicidad y oportunidades de marca llamando al 520-620-0005 o visitando www.TucsonHispanicChamber.org.