Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - On August 18, the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board issued the following statement regarding the recent kidnapping at a Mexican beach resort frequented by tourists.

The search for the six men who were abducted during the raid by gunmen at the upscale restaurant is ongoing. Authorities said the son of imprisoned drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is among those abducted. Both the kidnappers and those kidnapped were members of criminal organizations.

Dear Travel and Tourism Member:

The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board regrets the unfortunate incident that took place on Monday, August 15, in one of our popular local restaurants. We understand that the media coverage this incident has received may have raised many questions from you and your clients but rest assured that national, state and local law enforcement are in town to ensure the safety of all locals, expats and visitors and wish to communicate that the destination and its tourism offerings continue to be completely operational.

As you know, Puerto Vallarta is one of Mexico's friendliest places. This world-class destination has received multiple accolades from Travel+Leisure, Conde Nast readers, the editors of International Living and AARP magazines, and the travel industry (AAA, Travvys, gaytravel.com.) The tourism industry has noticed this, with investment coming in on new hotels every year for the past six years as well as an increase in tour operators and business infrastructure.

However, the most important reward we have is the continued increase in visitor arrivals which has been taking place year after year since 2008. Currently Puerto Vallarta has an 80% occupancy rate and the seven months of the year reported a hotel occupancy rate of 72.6%, its highest level in a decade, almost 10% more than in the same period of 2015. Similarly, the Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR) saw 17% increase in passenger arrivals, in addition to the 164,933 passengers who visited the destination while on cruise calls to the Puerto Vallarta Cruise Port.

2015 was a record year for Puerto Vallarta with an occupancy rate of a 66.9% hotel occupancy rate reported by the Hotel Association, and the destination is set to surpass that percentage in 2016.

In the upcoming months Puerto Vallarta will be host to a number of international events and conventions including the International Gourmet Festival and the Most Beautiful Bays of the World annual conference.

This continued increase is due to a consistent and proactive promotions campaign which targets not only its primary markets such as Mexico, the US and Canada, but emerging destinations such as South America and Europe. In addition, the board has maintained a proactive public relations campaign focused on promoting the destination in different niche markets.