TUCSON, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Mexican nationals traveling to Tucson, Ariz., to purchase Christmas gifts are proving to be a strong benefit to the area economy, a hospitality official says.
Radisson Suites Tucson National Sales Manager George Bon said with Tucson mired in an economic crisis like the rest of the nation, the annual influx of Mexican shoppers has benefited area stores, hotels and restaurants, The New York Times said Wednesday.
Bon said due to that positive influence on the Tucson economy, area store owners and hospitality workers are doing all they can to make the visitors comfortable.
"It's extremely vital to make sure we do everything we can do to accommodate them at this time," he said. "The bottom line is, we can't afford to lose them."
Mexican national Aurelia Peralta, 38, said middle-class to upper-class Mexican families are trekking hundreds of miles to Tucson to take advantage of the city's shopping selection and prices.
"We can find everything we want and it's much cheaper," Peralta told the Times.
