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| Photo by Emily_M_Wilson/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images |
The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board has issued an updated statement on travel safety in the destination following Tuesday’s kidnapping of several customers from an upscale Puerto Vallarta restaurant.
“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,” the statement read.
The Tourism Board also pointed to the multiple awards the destination has received, such as those from Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast readers and editors from International Living AARP, as well as continued visitor growth since 2008. Currently Puerto Vallarta has an 80 percent occupancy rate and the seven months of the year reported a hotel occupancy rate of 72.6 percent, its highest level in a decade, the Tourism Board said. Similarly, the Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR) saw 17 percent 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 a 66.9 percent hotel occupancy rate reported by the Hotel Association, and the destination is set to surpass that percentage in 2016, the Tourism Board said.
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 U.S. and Canada but emerging destinations such as South America and Europe, the Tourism Board said. In addition, the board has maintained a proactive public relations campaign focused on promoting the destination in different niche markets.