Although the U.S. welcomed 13.42 million visits from Mexico in 2011, there is still tremendous untapped potential for the U.S. in the Mexican market. The increased tourism expenditures and resulting job creation in the Southwest, as well as the rest of the nation, will only result from a shift in the nation’s strategic approach toward Mexico’s growing middle class, enhanced efficiencies at our land ports of entry, and improvements in visa processing at our embassy and consulates in Mexico.