/ Modified feb 20, 2019 2:05 p.m.

Willcox Tourism Impacted by Perceptions About Border Crisis

Alan Baker, with the Willcox Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, says the city often receives calls from wary travelers.

This week, Arizona 360 embarked on a journey to continue our coverage of border-related issues. We traveled across state lines to trace the international border through New Mexico and to El Paso, Texas where President Trump held a campaign rally Monday. Our travels took us to the rally, and to communities along the way, where we sought to understand if rhetoric about border security reflects a crisis at the U.S. southern border.


Our first stop was the City of Willcox, a community fueled by agriculture and tourism. Lorraine Rivera met with Alan Baker, executive director of the Willcox Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture. While the city is more than 60 miles from the nearest port of entry, Baker said his community often fields inquiries from wary travelers concerned about their safety.

"They hear that it's a dangerous area, it's a warzone. It impacts us quite a bit." Baker said the city tries to promote a positive image of Willcox and Cochise County on social media to dispel any negative perceptions.

"The more you can show people out having a good time, the more people get comfortable with the area," Baker said.

Arizona 360
Arizona 360 airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on PBS 6 and Saturdays at 8 p.m. on PBS 6 PLUS. See more from Arizona 360.
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