The Pulse: Vallarta-Nayarit tourism numbers rise dramatically
Why it Rates: During the recession, Vallarta-Nayarit lost 400,000 air seats, 100,000 of which have been recovered. New figures released from the Mexico Tourism Board illustrate how the destination is making a strong comeback. - Claudette Covey, TravelPulse Mexico editor
In a private meeting with state authorities and representatives from the tourism industry, it was confirmed that approximately 100 thousand seats have been recovered and the upturn in number of international arrivals to Vallarta-Nayarit exceeded that of other beach destinations in Mexico, thanks to the current joint campaign.
The head of the Mexico Tourism Board (MTB), Rodolfo López Negrete, announced the figures and percentages that prove the Vallarta-Nayarit joint campaign was a success during 2013-2014 and endorsed its validity for 2014-2015.
The above took place on Thursday, Aug. 7, during a private meeting with the tourism secretaries of Nayarit and Jalisco, Rodrigo Pérez and Enrique Ramos, respectively, along with the Joint Committee and representatives from the hotel and tourism industries of Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit.
López Negrete assured those present that the joining of these two destinations was right on the mark and expressed gratitude for the multilateral collaboration that took place in order to obtain said results. He also urged those present to "continue with this program, which was born of a long term vision. It must be maintained, investing the necessary resources for years to come."
After the crisis of 2008, over 400 thousand seats were lost, which gravely impacted the destination. Rodolfo López confirmed 100 thousand of these had been recovered; this is a goal the destinations expect to repeat or even exceed by June of 2015.
One of the most relevant pieces of information offered was the upturn in foreign visitors arriving at the Vallarta-Nayarit International Airport during the first semester of 2014, reaching 18.5 percent, thus exceeding the numbers for Los Cabos and Cancún-Riviera Maya.
The average occupancy rate for Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit is around 67 percent during the year, with upticks that exceed 90 percent during the best seasons. "This is a very healthy occupancy rate on a general level for a destination and all of the hotels and businesses are benefiting from this; that's what it's all about: the generation of collective wellbeing and additional jobs," added López Negrete.
The initial investment operating this joint campaign for 2013-2014 was over $11 million USD, with an injection of capital from the Federation, the states, the destinations and the partners involved. Besides this budgeted resource, the MTB applied an additional $8 million USD to extend its impact across the Americas and Europe.
SOURCE: Riviera Nayarit blog posting
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