One year after the reopening of beaches in Puerto Vallarta (June 15, 2020), tourism recovery is a reality in this destination, where all indicators are on the rise, such as hotel occupancy, the number of national and international flights, the announcement of new air routes as well as the reinstated ones, and of course, the generalized economic spillover.
The Puerto Vallarta Hotel Association reported that in May the average hotel occupancy closed at 58 percent, while in June it is forecast to be above 60 percent.
Due to the advances in the control of Covid cases, the government of the state of Jalisco increased the hotel occupancy ceiling to 80 percent, which will substantially improve the economic benefit that the tourism sector will capture in the upcoming weeks of the summer vacation period.
During this year, the Public Trust for Tourism Promotion and Advertising of Puerto Vallarta, headed by Luis Villasenor Nolasco, has carried out effective actions that keep this destination on the minds of travelers, and a relevant point was the “Puerto Vallarta revives with you” campaign, which highlighted the talents of our tourism workers, who are recognized worldwide for their quality, warmth and hospitality
BIOSECURITY PROTOCOLS
As you may remember, it was a year ago when, responding to the call of businesses in the local tourism sector, the governor of Jalisco, Enrique Alfaro Ramírez, announced that Puerto Vallarta could reopen its beaches to visitors, and that hotels could operate with up to 25 percent occupancy after installing all of the biosafety protocols mandated by the Health Secretariat to ensure the safety of visitors.
Over the past year, strict sanitary control measures have been implemented from the moment guests arrive with the use of masks mandatory in public areas, application of antibacterial gel, taking temperatures, and minimizing guest interaction with staff through the use of electronic devices.
In the beach areas of the hotels, the corresponding preventive measures have been implemented to guarantee that the indicated health protocols are complied with.
Throughout this process oriented by health actions, the tourist promotion of Puerto Vallarta has not stopped, and a year ago it began to be reinforced to accelerate the arrival of domestic visitors. To date, face-to-face promotional actions have been carried out in the natural markets of El Bajio, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Tijuana, Mexicali, Ensenada, Toluca, Saltillo, Chihuahua, Ciudad Juarez, Durango, Torreon and Monterrey.
NATIONAL AIR RECOVERY
The good news continues at the Puerto Vallarta International Airport, where 1,484 flights arrived in May and a total of 1,532 flights are expected during the month of June. These flights are expected to have a higher occupancy on weekends once Mexico’s summer vacation period begins.
Data from Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico indicate that in May of 2019, 78,900 domestic passengers arrived at the International Airport of this tourist destination, as well as 102,250 international passengers. In the same month of this year, there were 76,950 domestic and 92,750 international travelers, which indicates a solid progress in the recovery of visitors after the atypical year of 2020.
As for new flights, Puerto Vallarta continues to be a high demand market for national tourism. Proof of this is the new Viva Aerobus frequency from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua.
Puerto Vallarta will increase connectivity with the Monterrey market this summer. Aeromar recently announced that its new routes will begin operating on July 12, linking the main tourist destination of Jalisco with the capital of Nuevo Leon through flights via Aguascalientes and San Luis Potosi, destinations that offer a multitude of gastronomic, cultural and adventure attractions.
Flights depart from San Luis Potosi to PVR on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and from Aguascalientes the connection flies on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
INTERNATIONAL RECONNECTION
There is also exciting news at the international level, with new routes from the United States that expand connection options to places such as Santa Ana, Las Vegas, Charlotte, New York, and soon, Austin.
As of June 10, the arrival of the new Aeromar route from McAllen, Texas was consolidated with three weekly flights with a stopover in Guadalajara, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays with return from the two cities of Jalisco to McAllen. The aircraft has the capacity to transport 72 passengers, which is why 864 new seats are offered per month from that industrial region.
Added to this is the forthcoming arrival of Spirit Airlines, which will offer daily direct flights as of July 1st from Los Angeles as well as Dallas (DFW) and Houston (IAH), with three weekly frequencies on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
American Airlines confirmed a new flight from Austin, Texas starting November 2, with three weekly frequencies on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
REOPENING OF CANADA
After the reopening of flights from Canada to Mexico announced by the authorities of that country, the preferences for this destination have been noted. As of Saturday, June 5, the Westjet airline reopened the weekly connection between Calgary and Puerto Vallarta, a city of frequent travelers to this destination, especially during the winter.
Likewise, Air Canada announced the reopening of the Vancouver – Puerto Vallarta route will begin as of August 1st, a market that generates a high demand for travel and that is willing to visit this destination during the summer season.
Meanwhile, the ultra low cost airline Swoop confirmed its return with five frequencies, from Edmonton, three times a week from October 5; from Hamilton, two frequencies per week starting on October 5; and from Toronto, twice a week starting November 3. It will be followed by a flight from Abbotsford, also a couple of times a week starting November 3, and another from Winnipeg with two connections a week, starting November 4.
GROUPS, CONVENTIONS AND EVENTS
The recovery of the tourism segments was consolidated during the month of May when some high-level congresses were held, including the VI Convention of Industrialists of Jalisco, which was the destination’s first Covid-19 protected event, with all participants tested to guarantee that there were no cases among the congressmen or attendees.
Corporate groups and congresses continue to arrive at different hotels, which will help raise occupancy in the run-up to the summer vacation period.
May also saw the return of sporting events, such as the spring edition of the Vallarta Soccer Cup, the new Peugeot Cup and the Beach Volleyball Youth Championship.
Among last month’s most significant events was Vallarta Pride, which was attended by thousands of LGBTQ+ tourists from all over Mexico, the United States and the world. The city’s respect for diversity, hospitality and multiple tourist attractions attracted this segment, which left occupation high and a ‘millionaire’ economic spill.
Undoubtedly, one year after its reopening, Puerto Vallarta’s tourism recovery is verified with strong figures, it remains constant but, above all, responsible.
Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trust press release translated and edited by Luis Antonio for BanderasNews.com.
