Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - The 2017 edition of 'Vallartazo,' an annual motorsport event in which people from all over Mexico rev up their motorcycles, ATVs, jeeps and 4x4 vehicles for a road trip that starts in Guadalajara and ends in Puerto Vallarta, begins this weekend.

Every weekend in August and September thousands of intrepid drivers will cross mountains, valleys and rivers to reach the promised land of beaches and fun - Puerto Vallarta.

Between jeep and 4x4 drivers and passengers, and members of all the different motorcycle and ATV clubs, event organizers and tourism authorities expect to welcome an estimates 42,500 people from Guadalajara and other regions of Jalisco, as well as from cities in El Bajío, Aguascalientes and Leon among others - and even from northern states like Chihuahua and Monterrey - over the next 8 weekends.

The director of the Conventions and Visitors Office, Miguel Andrés Hernández Arteaga, reported that participants in the 'Vallartazo' are socio-economic B + and higher, and the average number of passengers per vehicle is 2.5 people. Based on approximately 17,000 vehicle arrivals over the two month period, an estimated 42,500 people will stay between two and three nights in local hotels, representing between 120,000 to 150,000 room nights and an estimated income of $220 million pesos, in addition to around $350 million pesos in extra expenditures at Puerto Vallarta area businesses and restaurants.

The benefits of this caravan go beyond financial, he said, as after they have enjoyed their time here, these visitors will also become excellent promoters of the destination.

For his part, the north coast regional director of the Jalisco Ministry of Tourism, José Ludwig Estrada Virgen, said that this year 'Vallartazo' had been reorganized to provided better security and accompaniment for these travelers who bring the economic benefits to our city.

He mentioned that occasionally these visitors occupy entire hotels, which manage to sell all of their rooms to families and groups, since Vallartazo has become an important tradition in the motorsport world that is literally passed down from generation to generation and has been steadily gaining more followers.

The first 'Vallartazo' participants have already begun to arrive and it is expected that they will have so much fun in Vallarta that they'll recommend the event to their friends back home, which will bring more visitors to the Banderas Bay area on the following weekends.

In this regard, the Municipal Tourism Directorate has organized some special activities, such as Mexican Fiestas in Hidalgo Park and the main square. They hope to continue motivating tourist who enjoy sports, tourism, adventure and the traditional hospitality of the Vallartenses, to return to our beautiful city again and again.