Puerto Vallarta breaks records with the arrival of national and international passengers to exceed pre-pandemic tourism levels. Luis Villaseñor, head of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Promotion Trust, told TravelPulse that international arrivals were 38% higher than in August 2018.
Luis Villaseñor pointed out that the increase in the influx of tourists in Vallarta comes mainly from North America. More than three-quarters of foreign visitors travel to the United States, with a quarter arriving from California. Chicago is the third largest metropolis in the country, after Los Angeles and San Francisco. Canada is the second country that most visits Puerto Vallarta, behind the United States.
Since last year, all US routes have been restored, and 14 Canadian cities fly directly to Puerto Vallarta. The tourism director of Puerto Vallarta says that it is the Latin American destination with the most direct flights.
It is estimated that 30,000 Americans and Canadians live in Puerto Vallarta, which, according to the official, confirms the safety of the destination.
He claims that Puerto Vallarta tourist offices advise expats and the LGBTQ+ community on language matters and refer them to a prosecutor’s office.
The tourism plan of this place includes the construction of homes for retirees from all over the world and the use of the good infrastructure of its hospitals.
“This year we are going to promote wellness trips for retirees.” According to Villaseñor, there are two types of retirees: those who are physically active and move around, and those who have chronic degenerative diseases or mobility problems and want a better climate and a pleasant vacation experience.
Another part of the strategy is the renovation of the Puerto Vallarta International Airport, with a significant investment to make it the first airport in Latin America to meet zero grid standards by collecting rainwater and installing energy solar panels to supply light and geothermal solutions to cool and heat the water in the different spaces of the terminal.
Luis Villaseñor affirms that 2022 will be a great year for tourism in Puerto Vallarta. More than 100 million passengers are expected at the Puerto Vallarta International Airport in 2022, compared to 71 million in 2019.
