Rosarito, long reliant on springbreakers to boost the economy, finds that the dearth of arriving students from the U.S is forcing businesses that catered to the seasonal crowds to close down. After waiting for several seasons for a revival of the good old days, some of the big players are throwing in the beach towel.

An article this week in Tijuana’s daily Frontera describes the scene along Rosarito’s Zona Barbachano, a traditional gathering ground for U.S. students. Eight clubs have closed their doors recently.

“The bad image that plagues both Rosarito and Tijuana have amounted to a catastrophe,” said Jorge Medina, manager of Club Iggy’s, a 5000-person capacity bar that has reduced its staff from 150 to 40. “It was three years ago when everything started to go bad, and now the springbreakers are only a memory.”