EL PASO, Texas -- Several billboards along the Interstate are trying to grab the attention of tourists from El Paso and New Mexico.

Despite rising violence, the Juarez Convention and Visitors Bureau is relaunching a billboard campaign to get Americans to cross the border.

"We're launching the campaign in El Paso and southern New Mexico and central New Mexico in order to promote visits to Juarez in the state of Chihuahua," said director of Tourism-Chihuahua Demetrio Sotomayor.

Just recently the U.S. State Department reissued a travel advisory warning Americans about increased violence in Mexico, particularly in Ciudad Juarez where around 1,000 people have been killed this year alone.

But Sotomayor said tourists shouldn't worry.

"They're not going against any tourist. It doesn't matter what nationality you are. They're not going against tourist, they're not going against people that do business here. They're only targeting specific people that are involved in organized crime," said Sotomayor.

El Pasoans, once Juarez visitors-- say they'll stay put until the situation straightens out, despite these billboards touting the land of encounters.

"There has to be a more concentrated effort on the part of the government to curb the violence down there and I don't think the army is helping and the city police are questionable," said west El Paso resident Anthony Tummillo.

"I've been told not to go over there now because of all the murders. I'm just afraid to go over as much as I would like to go over and get some silver and do some other fun things over there but I'm afraid to get caught in the crossfire ," said west El Paso resident Sandy Ramsey.

Others said the billboards may work.

"I simply saw it, I thought it was interesting that they were doing it," said Leo Balk ."I think it's helpful to make people think about going."

"We got a lot of good things to offer, we got great hotels, great restaurants," said Sotomayor. "We expect people to come over here and visit like they used to before."