Guides and local merchants reject the ferry proposal

Approximately 250 merchants and tour guides gathered in the drawing room of the Pullmantur naval terminal, expressed their rejection towards the proposal of corporate organisms for the port to function as a "Naval bridge between Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas", as it operated in the 70s.

Led by Cecilio Gutiérrez Escobedo and by the municipal director of Tourism, Carlos Gerard, the tourism service providers of the naval terminal, rejected what they considered the return of the "ferry", for this would mean a transformation of the tourism purpose of Puerto Vallarta.

Furthermore, said Carlos Gerard, Puerto Vallarta lacks the necessary infrastructure, such as the warehouses and the direct highways, as there are in Manzanillo and Mazatlán, therefore tourism service providers, taxi drivers, tour guides, merchants, tour operators, besides tour service providers in general "are opposed to changing the purpose of the tourism port to one of cargo and ferry, due to the damage to the environment, economy and society.

Carlos Gerard, observed that Puerto Vallarta can't compete with toll ports such as Manzanillo or Mazatlán, Topolobampo, Guaymas or La Paz, whose calling has been to be of cargo or of ferry. If this proposal was followed, the destiny would have "a very big setback".

He informed to all of those present, that in order for the authorities of SCT to proceed to modernize docks 2 and 3, there needed to be more demand and an increase in arrivals to Puerto Vallarta between 2002 and 2007.

Even to make the investment, they requested recommendations and suggestions to the shipping companies, to the FCA which is the Caribbean Cruise Association, which is the company that brings cruises to Puerto Vallarta. That is why the investment was justified.

In consequence, he said, in order to change the calling of the port, first there needs to be studies and then ask the freighters, the importers or exporters, if it is affordable and if it will let us compete against Manzanillo and Mazatlán, “because they do have a direct highway to Guadalajara, they do have an infrastructure, they do have a customs sistem and billions of pesos of investment, so that the port can have the purpose which it has.

OPINIONS

Abrahan Ibarra Ibarra, president of Pacific Guides, said that cruise tourism doesn't generate only 4 percent of tourism revenue, but that it goes up to almost 50 percent of the income of Puerto Vallarta, and from this concept comes the direct livelihood of more than 2 thousand families.

Joel Martínez Hernández, leader of the merchants of the crafts market of the naval terminal, recognized that in 30 years there have been high seasons, medium and low, but none has been as low as the present one.

Despite that, he said that he knew a time when the ferry worked and the merchants of the crafts market didn't get any business from that mode of transport.

Cecilio Gutiérrez Escobedo, from his behalf, declared that besides lacking highways and the necessary infrastructure, the port also lacks warehouses and all that is necessary for the functioning of those type of industries.

The tour guides, craft merchants, downtown merchants, restaurateurs and tour operators in general, decided yesterday to send a letter to Aristóteles Sandoval, and to President Enrique Peña Nieto, so that the tourism purpose of Puerto Vallarta is reinforced and they make the necessary investments in promotion, to attract more cruise tourists, so that this industry is reborn.

The signing leaders of the letter exposed that it is clear that the proposal to retake the ferry to Puerto Vallarta, comes from corporate organisms.

THE DATA:

The tour guides, craft merchants, downtown merchants, restaurateurs and tour operators in general, decided yesterday to send a letter to the governor, Aristóteles Sandoval, and to the President Enrique Peña Nieto.

[readon1 url="http://vallartaopina.net/2013/06/12/guias-y-comerciantes-locales-rechazan-propuesta-del-ferry"]Source: Vallarta Opina - Translated by: Rene Tripp[/readon1]