Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - The Mexican Government has just announced its budget for 2012. A recent issue of Vallarta Opina, a daily local newspaper, reports that an investment of almost 400 million pesos (more than 30 million dollars) has been budgeted for Puerto Vallarta and the Municipal Bay of Banderas.

This money is earmarked for ongoing as well as new public works and improvements. This is an historical sum of money for our municipality, and will serve to strengthen the infrastructure of our area.

Here are some of the improvements slated: about 200 million pesos has been dedicated to a project already underway – the hydraulic cement resurfacing of Highway 200 from the south end of the city to El Tuito – a town about an hour’s drive south.

Another 65 million pesos will go to finish the second tunnel, begun last May, and already quite far along in its construction parallel to the first tunnel on the Libramiento (city bypass). This will help ease traffic congestion in the city. On a light note, the first tunnel was done by hand some 30+ years ago, and took several years to complete.

Some other projects which are benefitting from the new budget: a new Regional Academy of Dance for the popular, much loved local folkloric troupe “Xiutla,” which will also benefit hundreds of local children who wish to study dance, as well as a sports infrastructure, and another bridge for the Bay area.

The Tianguis Turistico is a huge travel conference coming in March to Vallarta. This is an historical first, as these tourism conferences (tianguis) customarily have been held in Acapulco for 36 years. This conference brings together many thousands of travel professionals, around 900 exhibitors and 15,000 travel agents and related travel businesses. This is a great marketing coup for our area. We’ll have more about this event in future articles.

All in all, Vallarta is investing in a rosy future. Shouldn’t you be part of it? Rivera Cuale awaits your visit to see how you can make this your next home.