VALLARTA ADDS MORE CRUISES AND “BACK2 PUERTO VALLARTA” OPPORTUNITIES

The head of Municipal Tourism, Mr. Carlos Gerard Guzman, announced that the Carnival Miracle ship will begin arriving in Puerto Vallarta every week starting in October, when the season opens for cruise ships to arrive in our port, to the delight of the tourism sector.

If last year 82 cruise ships arrived in Puerto Vallarta, which translated into the visit of approximately 205,000 cruise takers, yielding an economic benefit of around 18 million dollars, during 2014, 117 arrive cruise ships are scheduled to come, totaling about 40% more than last year, with the arrival of nearly of 292,500 tourists to the destination, and an expected economic impact of approximately 26 million dollars.

Gerard said that, "This is certainly is a big commitment that, as Vallartans, we all have, from tour operators, to restaurateurs, hoteliers, taxi drivers, and tour guides, a great commitment to restored confidence in the cruise line industry."

Regarding this important news, the North Coast Regional Tourism Director, Ludwig Estrada Virgen, said that Carnival Miracle has a maximum capacity of 2,124 passengers and 930 crew members, and their arrival was achieved through the efforts of the three levels of government.

Meanwhile, the marketing manager of the Port Administration (API) Vallarta, Solomon Pineda Guerrero, mentioned that this story is an indicator of Puerto Vallarta’s strong positioning as a national and international tourist destination.

At the same event, we were also told about the Back 2 Puerto Vallarta campaign. Starting September 2, they will begin distributing t-shirts, bumper stickers and other objects to promote said campaign, which has as its aim to attract cruise takers back to the destination and lengthen their stay.

In this regard, Carlos Gerard said, "It's a very intense campaign that takes a set of tools, and we will make flags, posts, maps, t-shirts; we have already been in communication with taxi drivers and tour guides to add the “Back 2 Puerto Vallarta" logo to their uniforms, so that visitors feel increased confidence and realize that it is something institutional, aimed at the return of tourists to Puerto Vallarta, whether via another cruise or, even better, by air, to lengthen their stay."

Luis Angel Cantu, Director of the Tourism Time Share Promoters and Developers Association (ADEPROTUR), reported that in order to carry out this campaign, more than 500,000 dollars have been invested, seen in the mariachi receptions for all the cruises which have taken place since last January.