The media has run wild with reporting unverified details of an incident that occurred in Puerto Vallarta on Monday, August 1st at La Leche Restaurant. We kindly urge our readers and travelers to adhere only to the information provided by authorized authorities and government in order to avoid rumors and hear-say. With Journey Mexico’s main office and staff located in Puerto Vallarta, we can confirm this unusual, isolated incident does not represent the daily situation of Puerto Vallarta.
Following are statements issued by the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board:
August 15, 2016 – New York – The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board deeply regrets the events that occurred this morning in one of the city’s restaurants and confirms that no tourist was involved or affected in this incident. As an immediate safety measure, security has been reinforced in Puerto Vallarta to ensure that residents as well as tourists can continue with their normal activities.
The Governor of the State of Jalisco, Aristoteles Sandoval, announced earlier that an investigation involving different security forces on the Federal, State and Municipal, levels was launched, as well as the authorities of the neighboring state of Nayarit, to find those responsible. Early findings from the investigation led by the State Attorney of Jalisco, Eduardo Almaguer, stated that in a first examination, the victims and perpetrators belong to criminal groups from another region of the country, confirming the likelihood of this being an isolated case.
“As representatives of the tourism community of Puerto Vallarta, a city recognized by the warmth of its people and the ease with which visitors enjoy the destination’s diverse offerings, we do not tolerate violence of any kind,” said Agustin Alvarez general director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board. “We are following the instructions by the different government authorities and encourage the community to do the same; as well as pay attention to information and facts solely communicated by the authorities in charge, in order to dispel false rumors and avoid confusion that do not represent the actual situation in Puerto Vallarta and ensure we do not compromise the security of our residents and tourists.”
It is important to note that the authorities are taking the necessary measures and Puerto Vallarta is fully operational with all tourism services and attractions open and following their regular schedules without any interruptions.
We hope that this isolated and unprecedented event has minimal impact in our city. We are committed to proactively providing accurate information from official sources in a timely manner in order to keep our industry, residents and travelers informed, safe and well taken care of at all times.
Additional information on Puerto Vallarta is available at www.visitpuertovallarta.com
August 17, 2016 – The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board regrets the unfortunate incident that took place on Monday, August 15, in one of our popular local restaurants We understand that the media coverage this incident has received may have raised many questions from you and your clients but rest assured that national, state and local law enforcement are in town to ensure the safety of all locals, expats and visitors and wish to communicate that the destination and its tourism offerings continue to be completely operational..
As you know, Puerto Vallarta is one of Mexico’s friendliest places. This world-class destination has received multiple accolades from Travel +Leisure, Conde Nast readers, editors from International Living AARP and the travel industry (AAA, Travvy’s, gaytravel.com). The tourism industry has noticed this, with investment coming in on new hotels every year for the past six years as well as an increase in tour operators and business infrastructure.
However, the most important reward we have is the continued increase in visitor arrivals which has been taking place year after year since 2008. Currently Puerto Vallarta has an 80% occupancy rate and the seven months of the year reported a hotel occupancy rate of 72.6%, its highest level in a decade, almost 10% more than in the same period of 201. Similarly, the Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR) saw 17% increase in passenger arrivals in addition, 164,933 passengers visited the destination while on cruise calls to the Puerto Vallarta Cruise Port.
2015 was a record year for Puerto Vallarta with an occupancy rate of a 66.9% hotel occupancy rate reported by the Hotel Association, and the destination is set to surpass that percentage in 2016.
In the upcoming months Puerto Vallarta will be host to a number of international events and conventions including the International Gourmet Festival and the Most Beautiful Bays of the World annual conference.
This continued increase is due to a consistent and proactive promotions campaign which targets not only its primary markets such as Mexico, the US and Canada but emerging destinations such as South America and Europe. In addition, the board has maintained a proactive public relations campaign focused on promoting the destination in different niche markets.
It is our commitment to continue a proactive promotion of our destination and provide you, your clients, your readers and passengers with a destination unique in Mexico that provides culture, adventure and history in an environment that feels safe and welcoming to all.
Additional information on Puerto Vallarta is available at www.visitpuertovallarta.com
