Gov. Gavin Newsom is finally making his way back from El Salvador and wants Californians to know that even though its residents are fleeing the violence, it is a lovely surf spot.
A group of Salvadoran entrepreneurs and officials reportedly told Newsom that El Salvador's beaches have some of the best waves in the world and they want to make the country a tourist destination, with Newsom's help.
“Clearly tourism is such a dominant industry in California. We probably do it better than any other state,” Newsom said. “It seems natural for us to engage in mutual support in terms of what’s going on down here.”
It's confusing considering Newsom traveled to El Salvador to understand why immigrants are fleeing and coming to California.
However, Newsom said visiting El Salvador has made him less worried about the security situation in the country. He wants the U.S. and Central America to partner to promote tourism and boost El Salvador's economy.
The U.S. State department typically advises Americans to “reconsider” travel to El Salvador because of all the violence and crime.
But during his round table discussion Tuesday, Newsom says he’s learned during his visit that violence against tourists is extremely rare.
“There’s no way you could have told me that 48 hours ago, and now I’m hearing it in different places and different people, and I actually believe it,” he said. “There are some legitimate concerns… as you travel through to get from point A to point B, things can obviously flare up, there’s always exceptions, but there’s a completely different story there.”
So you heard the man, forget about California and catch some waves in El Salvador.
Photo: Getty Images