Q & A with Luis CerdaDirector of Tourism in Mexico´s Puerto Vallarta

by Jose Carlos de Santiago

Puerto Vallarta has a lot to offer to tourists from around the world. This traditional Mexican town, spruced up by mountains and beaches, teeming with travel attractions like ecotourism, scuba diving and whale sightings, coupled with good shopping and services at very affordable prices.

This travel destination has seriously set out to lure far more visitors from overseas in 2006, especially from the Spanish market. With that view in mind, local authorities are betting on heavy investment to step up existing basic infrastructure. About this and other issues, Mr. Cerda talked in an exclusive interview with Caribbean News Digital.

Q.- How many Spanish tourists are traveling to Puerto Vallarta? What specific interests these Spanish travelers have in this destination?

A.- Well, I must say that the grand opening of the Barceló Hotel has obliged the company to advertise that facility. Since this is a Spanish establishment, the hotel chain needs to advertise the lodging in its top-priority market, that is, Spain.

I think Spaniards have always been interested in Puerto Vallarta. This is a genuine Mexican destination in which Spanish trippers find the traditional stuff, good shopping opportunities, great beaches, very affordable services. Nevertheless, the inflow of Spaniards has dwindled a bit recently because we´re not seriously tapping into that particular market.

If we manage to pull off some projects with Spanish tour operators, then we could possibly bring in far more Spaniards by means of a much broader travel package that would include Guadalajara, the mountains, Sebastian and other sightseeing spots, with Puerto Vallarta´s beaches providing the final stop.

Q.- There´s some heavy investment the government of Jalisco was involved in and which is very important from a promotional standpoint. What plans do you have in store to prevent Puerto Vallarta from letting go of the Spanish market?

A.- We´re planning to make a proposal to the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trusteeship based on the things we´ve talked about with Spanish tour operators here at FITUR. We´ve held talks with Vivatur, a major tour operator, and with a much bigger agency headquartered in Madrid. The main thing here is not to let all this go away just like that and to keep the promotional fire burning.

Q.- Is Puerto Vallarta a safe destination?

A. Absolutely. As a matter of fact, Puerto Vallarta is the second safest city of Mexico, in terms of beach destinations, only trailing behind Los Cabos. Our police department is one of the best trained and most efficient corps in the whole country.

Q.- What does Puerto Vallarta offer to Spanish tourists that they keep going by the thousands?

A.- First of all, the service, the kindness of the people, its beaches, its fancy hotels, its boutique lodgings, its five-star establishments. Accommodations add up as many as 18,022 rooms that overlook the sea and the wonderful mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental. So, as you may notice, we´ve got a little bit of everything to offer: mountains, beaches, a typical Mexican town, ecotourism, scuba diving, whale sightings and an assortment of interesting services for tourists of all stripes.

Q.- Has the Puerto Vallarta City Hall poured in some funds of its own?

A.- Sure. The local administration has invested in municipal services with as many as 80 million pesos in public works. There´re plans in the offing for far heavier investments in those fields later this year. Puerto Vallarta´s economy depends almost entirely on tourism, so whatever investment aimed at getting the job done is welcome news for the destination.

Q.- Can you mention some specific works the City Hall has conducted lately?

A.- Right now, the administration is working on new walkways and the enhancement of the road leading to the city, as well as the overpass connecting to Cerro El Salado. The total investment for these works is somewhere around 60 million pesos. In addition, a huge refurbishment of the Hidalgo and Benito Juarez parks is now under way.

Q.- Is there anything else you´d like to add?

A.- That we´ll be waiting for all of you, from Europe, at Puerto Vallarta with open arms.