WTM London 2022: Puerto Vallarta Goes 2019 One Better in Tourism Figures

We sat down with Luis Villaseñor , general director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trust at the World Travel Market in London

By Verónica de Santiago

Puerto Vallarta has a lot to offer travelers, with activities for all tastes, as Caribbean News Digital was able to learn from Luis Villaseñor, general director of the Tourism Trust of this city in western Mexico.

At the World Travel Market in London, which began this Monday, Puerto Vallarta has a larger stand with respect to the previous edition, and about his presence at this Fair Villaseñor said he is very happy to be able to attend, "reconnecting with partners, with an important participation, since we have direct flights from Manchester and London with TUI", and some operations with World2Fly. The intention is to continue strengthening the Spanish market, as connectivity between Mexico and Spain is very strong, he said.

In the case of Puerto Vallarta, Villaseñor explained, there is a flight from Spain to Guadalajara with Aeromexico, and with their presence at the WTM they seek to promote circuits and that European passengers may discover Mexico beyond the charro tradition. 

We have pyramids, volcanoes, haciendas, luxury products, a city with heritage destinations such as Guadalajara and its beach destination is Puerto Vallarta, very close, to add more value to Mexico.

We are here to continue strengthening the promotion in that sense by making alliances beyond the sun and beach destinations, he added and then explained that at present what is sold with TUI shows that the English tourist stays two weeks in the Puerto Vallarta area, as opposed to an American who stays an average of 4.2 nights. We are here looking for possibilities of new routes from Europe for 2023. In addition to what we have with Spain we are looking for connectivity with TUI Holland and Aeromexico. 

Regarding hotel and tourism investment, he highlighted the opening in November of the Four Seasons Tamarindo, among other facilities such as beach clubs, a butterfly farm, and a new terminal that will be the first "net zero" terminal in Latin America, which will be ready in 2024. In the port area there will be a new facility called Puerto Mágico, a commercial center for cruise passengers -this year they expect to receive about 195, since all the cruise lines have returned-, and also a new ferry port will be available in 2023 to be able to visit the Islas Marías. 

He also praised the holding of golf tournaments in Mexico, which hosted a PGA Tour stop this year, and in 2023 the VidantaWorld will be available, which is expected to attract more than one million tourists.

With respect to 2019, he assured Puerto Vallarta already surpassed that year's figures, with an increase in rates, occupancy -he expects to close the year with 75 percent occupancy-; passengers -six million, higher than the 5.2 in 2019-, and since April we surpassed 2019's results. In winter bookings, we also have good numbers, Villaseñor added.

What is pending, he said, is to recover the Copa flight from Panama, due to the availability of aircraft, but we hope to have it back in 2023. This way we connect with South America, since Colombia is a key market.

When asked by Excelencias about gastronomy, one of Puerto Vallarta's strong points, he commented that tourists highlight the people for their hospitality, and that sets us apart from other destinations, as we preserve the essence of a typical Mexican town that's at the same time cosmopolitan, which translates into gastronomy, with over a thousand restaurants. We host important gastronomic events such as Vinoma Fest (March), Restaurant Week (May, for fixed prices you can eat at more than 50 restaurants in the region), Vallarta Nayarit Gastronomic (October) and the International Gourmet Festival in November. 

These are the reasons that tourists like so much, in addition to other reasons why we are talking about growth in Puerto Vallarta, Villaseñor continued, such as the fact that we have the most varied hotel offer: there is only for adults, for families, pet friendly, wellness, for golfers, we are the leading destination for LGBTQI+ tourism in Mexico and Latin America, which allows us not to depend only on one single segment. 

Villaseñor also pointed out that there are many outdoor or sustainable activities, such as swimming with dolphins in the wild, whales, birds all year round, a new butterfly farm, and unique experiences such as the longest suspension bridge in the world and the smallest beach in Mexico. 

Among other facilities, he emphasized that the airport is within the city, it is easy to get around, they are surrounded by a bay and mountains and have the fourth most important botanical garden in North America and more than 110 kilometers of beach to discover, which gives us an authenticity that allows a high rate of repetition.

In the area of eco-sustainable tourism, he mentioned the Ejido El Jorullo cooperative, with hot springs and the breeding of white-tailed deer, which is in danger of extinction in Mexico. The people who stay there support this activity. 

The Estero Salado park reproduces mangroves and crocodiles, while there are other facilities with their own organic farms, bird watching, swimming with dolphins in the wild, which provides resources to NGOs to save these animals if necessary and contribute to research, among other offers, said Villaseñor. 

Regarding the connection with World2Fly, he informed that the aim is to generate greater mobility, because the Spanish traveler likes to explore, and to continue looking for other niches in Spain, such as golf, luxury tourism, gastronomy, ecotourism, among others.