Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico – Puerto Vallarta is working hard to get the word out that it’s open for business with health and safety protocols in place. Luis Villaseñor, the interim general director of the city’s tourism board, recently answered some common questions travelers have about visiting PV in times of COVID.
Q: What’s open in terms of resorts, beaches and attractions?
A: Puerto Vallarta has had an orderly and careful reopening since June 15 when the Government of Jalisco announced the gradual reactivation of activities, including hotels and beaches, after the state of Jalisco, and Puerto Vallarta along with it, was recognized with the ‘Safe Travels’ stamp from the WTTC.
Today, 62 Puerto Vallarta hotels are open, operating at 50% of their capacity and following cleanliness and sanitation protocol established and monitored by local authorities, in addition to protocols required by each property’s parent company or owner. Hotel swimming pools, beach clubs, spas, gyms and restaurants are open with certain restrictions in place.
Public beaches are open with safety protocols that include limiting the number of people occupying the beach at the same time in order to maintain a distance of 3 meters between groups of sunbathers, who are asked not to stay for more than four hours per visit.
After so many days of being stuck inside at home, tourists are enjoying a wide range of services under the new strict protocols; the nature and outdoor options are seeing a lot of action, as are many other unique experiences that add value to their trip. The smallest beach in Mexico, Colomitos, the longest suspension bridge in the world for RZRs and the hidden beach in Marietas Islands, are attractions with high visitor interest.
Puerto Vallarta’s iconic Malecón waterfront promenade is not yet fully open to the public, only access points to restaurants and shops.
Restaurants, cafes, bars and night clubs that apply established sanitation and safety protocols continue to operate at 50 percent of their capacity.
Theaters and other cultural activities, outdoor areas for carnivals, fairs and open-air cinemas are open in this same modality, as well as recreational parks and outdoor spas, among other attractions.
Q: What is the occupancy at Puerto Vallarta’s hotels and resorts these days?
A: Hotel occupancy in June was 12.5% (i.e. 50% of the 25% capacity cap) and July was 14.4% (i.e. 56% of the 25% capacity cap), with peaks up to 24% (i.e. 90% of the 25% capacity cap) on the weekends. Most of our visitors are coming from regional markets by land but, thanks to the current connectivity to major cities in México and some hubs in the USA, more people are starting to arrive by air.
Q: What about flights and inbound visitor stats?
A: Puerto Vallarta International airport kept reduced connectivity from the U.S. from the beginning of the pandemic. Since the reopening on June 15 there has been an increase of 46% in operations from June to July, which represented 600 flights coming into and out of PVR last month.
International flights are arriving from key sources of tourism, such as: San Diego, Los Angeles, San José, San Francisco, Phoenix, Dallas and Houston. Domestic flights are coming from Ciudad de México, Monterrey, Guadalajara, León, Aguascalientes and Tijuana.
In terms of passengers, in June, Puerto Vallarta received 15,000 visitors from the U.S., and in July [there was] an increase of 136%, to reach 35,400 people. National arrivals in June represented 20,900 people, and in July that number rose to 63,700 passengers, an increase of 205 percent.
In total, 35,800 passengers arrived in June, and 99,300 visitors came by air in July. This is a 177% increase month over month.
From January to July 2020, there was a 49.6% decrease in terms of passengers compared to the same period in 2019 (1,612,300 visitors vs 3,201,400 people respectively).
Q: Are most of the current visitors American?
A: The majority of international visitors come from the U.S. because it is the main international market of the destination and with which we currently have direct flights. Canada and the United Kingdom which are the next [largest] international markets still have travel restrictions on their citizens.
In general terms and for the season, the national market is the one that currently contributes the most visitors, mainly from regional markets such as Guadalajara, Aguascalientes, León, San Luis Potosí and Querétaro, cities that have a significant propensity to travel to the destination due to proximity.
Puerto Vallarta has an important competitive advantage in relation to other destinations such as Cancun or Los Cabos. Our geographical position is strategic because it is not necessary for national tourists to fly to get here. Almost 20 million people can drive to Puerto Vallarta in 8 hours or less.
Q: What is the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board doing to drive tourism right now, while keeping safety top of mind?
A: We are working under two channels, one local with an awareness campaign to reinforce the use of biosafety measures with the population and visitors, the other a digital promotion campaign to reach the consumer and awaken their desire to travel. Additionally, we are working very closely with national and international wholesalers with whom the destination has advertising campaigns. Other actions include virtual training for our partners and public relations activities.
Q: Is there reason for optimism?
A: Obviously the numbers are not as good as they’ve been in the past, but given the present situation in other destinations in the world, the fact that Puerto Vallarta, one of the most important tourist destinations in Mexico and in the world, is open and has been operating for more than two and a half months, in addition to taking firm steps in the opening of other activities related to tourism in our city, is a message of optimism, especially in a place where the population depends directly or indirectly on the sources of income of the tourism.
Q: Where can I get the latest information about Puerto Vallarta travel and tourism amid the pandemic in 2020?
A: You can find the most up-to-date information on our site, visitpuertovallarta.com.
BN Editor’s Note: If you decide to visit Puerto Vallarta, consider supporting Mexican-owned businesses to help offset the drop in tourism that was brought on by the pandemic. And please help curb the spread of COVID-19 in our community by practicing social distancing and all other preventive measures while in public spaces.
