Puerto Vallarta hotels and other tourism related businesses including real estate and the restaurant sector are expected to publish a year-on-year net increase in visitor numbers to the end of the first quarter of 2011.

This coincides with the federal governments push to make 2011 the Year of Tourism in a focused effort to Offset the negative impact of US media attention on the drug troubles in isolated parts of the country mainly along the US border.

While the first half of the 2010-11 tourist season had many business worried, the season has brought a welcome increase in tourist activity to Mexico’s second largest tourist resort with an increase in demand for accommodation in the coastal city.

Many Vallarta hotels in attendance at the annual tourism event held in Mexico that brings tourism’s biggest players including hotels chains, travel agencies and brokerage houses were optimistic of the outlook for the 2011-12 tourist season. One marketing director of a leading Vallarta hotel beamed at the success of recent visitor numbers and deals reached at the tourism expo.

What’s more, the Pan-American games are likely to boast tourist numbers and bring an early start to the upcoming season promising an additional boom to Vallarta hotels and restaurants.

One of the most anticipated events of the Pan-American games is the hugely popular women’s beach volleyball play offs to be hosted in Puerto Vallarta.

Organizers confirm the rights to the international sporting event have been sold off and expect record numbers to travel to the various game locations across Mexico including Puerto Vallarta. The games, to be hosted in October, 2 months ahead of the official tourist season are expected to bring good news to the country of 2 years of negative press that began with the swine flu.

Mexican government officials reported an increase in visitors to the country in 2010, according to the figures released the country welcomed 8.2 million visitors from around the world including air, business and leisure combined. That amounts to a 17.8% increase over figures released for 2009 and 6.4% more than in 2008.

Despite the increase in overall tourist numbers to Mexican beach resorts, Hotels in Puerto Vallarta and across the country have had to resort to massive discounts in order to fill beds though few expect these trends to continue into 2012.

Mexico tourism spokeswoman Elizabeth Tjaden explained that many Canadians and Americans see Mexico as a more affordable option and, despite troubles along the border, the reality about safety in Mexico is finally being honesty represented in the media.