The Riviera Nayarit has its sights set on the emerging market of Colombia, where they hired a public relations agency as a result of the 60% increase of Colombian visitors to Mexico that came about thanks to the recent elimination of visas requirements.

The Mexico Tourism Board (MTB) presented the “Live it to believe it” campaign during the Vitrina Turística Anato 2014, the most important tourism event in Colombia and one of the most relevant of its kind in Latin America.

The trade show takes place the during the last three days in February, during which five national campaign spots were presented including that of the joint Vallarta-Nayarit campaign.

The Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) took full advantage of the magnitude and reach of this event, which included the participation of 30 thousand buyers and sellers of tourism products and services from Colombia and around the world that came to view the offers presented by over 700 exhibitors from approximately 30 countries.

As an emerging market, Colombia presents a very real and tangible opportunity for the Riviera Nayarit. Once Mexico eliminated the visa requirements for Colombians there was a 60% increase in visitors from this coffee-producing nation to our Aztec lands.

The Riviera Nayarit CVB met with new wholesalers as well as those they had already established relationships with since the previous year, vigorously reinforcing their interest and commitment to sell the destination.

Those wholesalers included Pelicanos Tours, Cielos Abiertos, Viajes los Nómadas, Travel Depot, Uga Turismo, Solways, Viajes Falabella, Luz Verde and Turivel, among others.

This visit also cemented the new representation the CVB will have in Colombia with the hiring of a public relations agency that will be tasked with increasing the presence of the destination and its hotel infrastructure with the travel agencies and tour operators in this country. They will also be charged with expanding awareness of the destination through the local Colombian media.

With the help of these promotional and positioning endeavors the Riviera Nayarit seeks to capture the emerging market that Colombia represents for Mexico.

2013 showed an average of 65.67% yearly occupancy rate, which compared to that of 2012 showed an increase of 2.03%. Approximately 2,389,408 tourists stayed in area hotels.2013 was a year of restructuring and results for the Riviera Nayarit as far as occupancy rate is concerned. This was determined from the final results of the poll commissioned by the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The average annual occupancy rate for 2013 was 65.67%, which compared with that of 2012 showed an increase of 2.03%. The sample polled in the Riviera Nayarit included the municipalities of Banderas Bay, Compostela and San Blas. The months with the highest occupancy rate of the year were February, March, July and December.

According to Fernando González Ortega, president of the Banderas Bay Hotel and Motel Association, once the tendency has been reversed they expect a positive domino effect to go into play, as long as the efforts of all of the sectors involved in the tourism development of the region continue.

“When the tendency is reversed, the first growth indicators take a lot of work to establish,” said González Ortega. “However, once that happens, the growth is obtained much more rapidly. The increases are mathematical during the first few years and geometrical during the next, that is, it’s harder at the start until the ripple effect starts taking hold.”

The number of visitors that occupied hotel rooms in 2013 was 2,389,408. This calculation does not take into consideration tourists that stayed in apartments, villas or other vacation rental properties.

Of the more than 14 thousand hotel rooms offered in the Riviera Nayarit, 3,475,922 room nights were sold; 56% of these were to national tourists and 44% to international tourists; 75% were in the Banderas Bay area, 24% in Compostela and 3% in San Blas.

The recovery of the international market is an indicator of the trust the foreign tourist is placing once again in the Riviera Nayarit.

In an effort to consolidate the Riviera Nayarit as a top premium beach destination in the romance segment, the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) coordinated the productions of the Revista Nupcias (Wedding Magazine).

 The Nupcias team arrived in February. This bimonthly Mexican publication helps women with practical tips on how to organize their wedding, honeymoon and their first home.

The topics of the productions were “Groom and Bride” and “The Honeymoon,” shot at the Iberostar Playa Mita and the area around the Litibú development, including its golf courses and beaches.

The first photo shoot will be published in the March-April book, with the second following in the May-June publication. Previous articles promoting different resorts and towns in the Riviera Nayarit had already been published in 2010 and 2012 with good results.

The Revista Nupcias’ demographic is composed of 95% women between the ages of 21 and 35, with an ABC+ socioeconomic level at 93%. 97% of their readership also frequents restaurants, have at least two credit cards and another 81% vacation at least once a year.

The magazine distributes 40 thousand issues in Mexico with a reach of 280 thousand readers per issue.

The book is a wedding planner that helps brides-to-be and newlyweds pick out the dress, hair, makeup, accessories, montage and romantic destinations, as well as offer topics on sexuality and the home.

“It’s a pleasure to be working together again and to keep showing everyone how beautiful the Riviera Nayarit is through the pages of Nupcias,” said Sandra Notario, editor-in-chief of Revista Nupcias.

Weddings and honeymoons celebrated at the destination by Mexican couples are on the rise. International celebrities are also choosing to come here to celebrate their honeymoons.

Taking into account that Mexico is the main source of tourism for this destination, the public relations office of the CVB is looking to maintain and increase this captive market through events like these.

In just a few days the video he shot in Monteón and Sayulita received more than 70 thousand “Likes” on Facebook.

The recently activated Facebook campaign titled “Around Mexico with Messenger” consists of following a 19-year-old youth around the country and publishing videos and pictures of the places he’s visited—now including the Riviera Nayarit.
 
Using the hashtag #chicoprovinciano, Cris Núñez is sparking social media sensation, receiving online recommendations on places to visit and things to do.
 
During his visit to the Riviera Nayarit he stopped at Playa Canalán in Monteón, as well as Playa los Muertos and Patzcuaritos in Sayulita, where he learned how to surf.
 
“I would say Sayulita is a magical place,” he said during his 2:08-long video. “I learned how powerful it is to meet people who will let you do what you want to do. It was amazing.”
 
The intention is for Facebook users to keep in contact with Cris and to continue to repost his videos. On February 4th he published his Riviera Nayarit video, which in less than a week garnered over 70 thousand “Likes.”
 
This campaign was launched in Mexico, thanks to the very active Facebook participation of its citizens, who on a daily basis number some 30 million users around the country.
 
Cris was chosen after a long search for the ideal representative for the project, even though he had never left Guanajuato, where he’s been living since he was three years old.
 
The trip began on January 28th and so far he’s visited San Miguel de Allende, El Oro de Hidalgo, Mexico City, Tulúm and the Riviera Nayarit.
 
Click here to see the video: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=617640174958438

The Riviera Nayarit was invited to the Festival to expand on the topic “Top Birding Destinations in Central and North America: Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit,” thanks to the shows James Currie taped in this destination.

The 18th San Diego Bird Festival will take place from February 27 – March 2, 2014 and the Riviera Nayarit will play an important part in the event thanks to its reputation as one of the most important birding destinations on the continent.

The credit goes to James Currie, who was invited by The Great Egret Society to attend the Festival and show the first episode of two featuring the Riviera Nayarit, “Top Birding Destinations in Central and North America: Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit.”

Currie is the creator, host and producer for the birding show, Nikon Birding Adventures TV. James created two shows in the Riviera Nayarit in 2013, one of them on Isabel Island, which subsequently aired on the Discovery Channel twice at the start of this year.

Currie is known for his professionalism in his birding life, having organized excursions for over 12 years, while photographing and recording images from the Amazon to Australia, Africa and Madagascar, just to name a few.

James will also be the keynote speaker for this edition of the Festival. The Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau truly made a wise decision when it made the arrangements for James Currie’s visit to the destination, as the results continue to generate excellent exposure.

The San Diego Audubon Society is dedicated to the protection and appreciation of birds, other wildlife and their habitats through education and research, focusing on environmental restoration and conservation.

This particular chapter dates back to 1948 and since then they have created two wildlife sanctuaries in San Diego; their goal is to have three thousand volunteer hours dedicated to the birds.

Much like San Blas, San Diego is an area where there is a huge concentration of birds, both endemic and migratory, with more than 500 species. Both regions are actually migratory corridors for birds of the Americas.

The nature programs focusing on the Riviera Nayarit have elicited a lot of interest. This Festival is a wonderful showcase to entice visitors interested in birding, especially important considering that in the United States alone there are 15 million confirmed birdwatchers.

Click here to visit the Festival’s official website: http://www.sandiegoaudubon.org/

(Reuters) - CVS Caremark Corp said on Wednesday that it would stop selling tobacco products at its 7,600 stores by October, becoming the first national drugstore chain in the United States to take cigarettes off the shelves.

Public health experts called the decision by the No. 2 U.S. drugstore chain a precedent-setting step that could pressure other retailers to follow suit. It comes at a time when pharmacies are taking on a much bigger role in healthcare.

President Barack Obama, a former smoker, praised the move, saying CVS had set a powerful example.

"Today's decision will help advance my Administration's efforts to reduce tobacco-related deaths, cancer, and heart disease, as well as bring down healthcare costs," Obama said in a statement.

CVS, whose Caremark unit is a major pharmacy benefits manager for corporations and the U.S. government's Medicare program, said the decision would strengthen its position as a healthcare provider.

Pharmacists have had a long tradition of being a source of community health information, a tradition drugstore chains have embraced by putting walk-in clinics in their stores.

CVS started its MinuteClinic retail health centers in 2000 and is now the largest U.S. pharmacy healthcare provider, with more than 800 locations across 28 states and the District of Columbia.

"I think CVS recognized that it was just paradoxical to be both a seller of deadly products and a healthcare provider," U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Thomas Frieden told Reuters.

CVS Caremark Chief Medical Officer Dr. Troyen Brennan said in an opinion piece he co-authored in the Journal of the American Medical Association that the increased health coverage available through the U.S. Affordable Care Act "comes with a price," that of promoting public health.

Some U.S. cities, including Boston and San Francisco, already ban the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies, but nonsmoking advocates hope the voluntary move by CVS will have a ripple effect across other drugstore chains.

Walgreen Co, the largest pharmacy chain, and third-ranked Rite Aid Corp said they would still sell cigarettes for now but would continue to evaluate the product category.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc, which is the world's largest retailer and sells cigarettes, declined to comment.

Some retailers stopped selling cigarettes years ago: Target Corp decided to drop them in 1996, while East Coast supermarket chain Wegmans Food Markets did so in 2008.

But being the first retail pharmacy chain to publicly ban tobacco products gives CVS a major advantage as a leader in the growing health and wellness trend.

"This is a trend we're going to see many, many retailers and food companies jump on," said Alexandra von Plato, president and global chief creative officer of Publicis Healthcare Communications Group.

Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said CVS's announcement could help lead more people to quit smoking.

Although adult smoking rates have fallen from 43 percent of Americans in 1965 to 18 percent currently, the habit remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, killing more than 480,000 people each year.

Last month, the American Lung Association and other advocacy organizations called on political leaders to commit to cutting smoking rates to less than 10 percent of the population in a decade and to protect all Americans from secondhand smoke within five years.

SMALL FINANCIAL IMPACT

CVS said the decision would not make a big dent in its financial results. The move will cost the company about $2 billion in annual sales and 6 cents to 9 cents in profit per share this year. Analysts expect 2014 revenue of $132.9 billion and earnings of $4.47 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Declining smoking rates, along with new competition in the last two years from the low-cost Family Dollar Stores Inc and Dollar General Corp chains, suggest prospects for tobacco product sales were shrinking at CVS. Dollar stores have far more locations and offer goods at lower prices.

U.S. cigarette sales fell 31.3 percent between 2003 and 2013, according to Euromonitor International.

"We believe the move will be viewed as a positive long-term decision by CVS, despite the near-term profit drag, as it paves the way for increased credibility with both healthcare consumers and payers," ISI Group analyst Ross Muken wrote in a note.

CVS's decision follows several recent deals bolstering the company's position in the healthcare market.

In December, CVS said it expected its pharmacy benefit manager revenue to rise between 7.25 percent and 8.5 percent in 2014, easily outpacing growth of 2 percent to 3.25 percent in its retail business.

Also in December, CVS and pharmaceuticals distributor Cardinal Health Inc announced a 10-year agreement to form the largest generic drug sourcing operation in the United States. A month earlier, CVS said it was buying Coram LLC, Apria Healthcare Group Inc's specialty infusion services business.

CVS said it would replace some of lost cigarette sales through smoking cessation programs at its pharmacies and through Caremark. The company said the programs would be also be a key selling point as it tries to land more corporate contracts this year.

Tobacco companies, meanwhile, shrugged off the announcement.

"It's up to retailers to decide if they're going to sell tobacco products," said Altria Group spokesman Brian May. Altria, whose brands include Marlboro, accounts for 46.5 percent of the U.S. cigarette market.

David Howard, a spokesman for Camel and Pall Mall cigarette maker Reynolds American Services, said: "We value the long-term relationship we had with CVS and respect their commercial decision."

Shares of Altria, Reynolds American and CVS were down about 1 percent in midday trading.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Nik Modi said he expected little impact on tobacco companies, with more than 75 percent of sales coming from convenience stores and only a small portion from drugstores.

What's more, Modi said, consumers will probably just go elsewhere to buy cigarettes.

But Dr. Richard Wender of the American Cancer Society said CVS's move would have an effect.

"Every time we make it more difficult to purchase a pack of cigarettes, someone quits."

[readon1 url="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/05/us-cvscaremark-cigarettes-idUSBREA140RP20140205"]Source: www.reuters.com[/readon1]

The "reality show" House Hunters International visited the Riviera Nayarit on the second week of January to film another edition of the popular program of real estate, known worldwide for showing extraordinary homes.

The petition came from a house hunter who wants to buy a property in Punta de Mita, place where the three possibilities that will be offered to him were recorded.

As long as they analyze the offer conditions of each, an elimination process is made until the buyer decides which house to buy.

As part of the program, aspects and places to enrich the values of the property are recorded; in this case, they were directed by the Office of Visitors and Conventions of the Riviera Nayarit, to visit the Islas Marietas, the Marina Riviera Nayarit, El Anclote and the Golf Field Litibú.

This program, in search for real estate of every architectural style, will now have its edition in the Riviera Nayarit, revealing also the interest that the destination generates for house hunters.

The producer of this program is Leopard Films, who comes from from New York and sent three people to carry out the recordings that will be published, in approximately seven months, once summer ends.

The Home & Garden Television (HGTV) Channel, is the one that transmits this series, which is not only seen in the United States by 94 million homes, but it is also seen from Sao Paulo to Praga, referencing the worldwide coverage that the channel has.

Such global coverage will give Riviera Nayarit an impressive display to show its qualities to the world.

[readon1 url="http://www.periodicoexpress.com.mx/nota.php?id=282780"]Source: Periódico Express de Nayarit Translated by Rene Tripp[/readon1]

Klagenfurt comes back to the FIVB World Tour after a year's hiatus

Lausanne, Switzerland, January 22, 2014 – Klagenfurt will once again welcome the crème-de-la-crème of the beach volleyball world as the Austrian city gets set to host the ninth double-gender Beach Volleyball Grand Slam of the 2014 season from July 29 to August 3.

With nine Grand Slam events initially announced as part of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour at the start of the year, the addition of Klagenfurt brings the total up to 10, which is the current maximum number of FIVB Beach Volleyball Grand Slam events set for a calendar year.

Considered by many to be the premier international beach volleyball event, this year will mark the 17th time that the Lake Wörthersee site has hosted a stop on the international circuit. Klagenfurt had also hosted the European Championships in 2013. With the exception of last season, the men’s World Tour has been in Klagenfurt every year since 1997 and the women’s since 2001. In 2001 Klagenfurt also hosted the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships. This year’s tournament will make Klagenfurt the most experienced host in the World Tour’s history with 16 men’s and 12 women’s tournament to its name.

“Beach volleyball players and fans have come to expect the best from Klagenfurt,” said FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F°. “I am proud to have the opportunity to now build on the previous successes of this stop on the World Tour and look forward to once experience all the excellent venue has to offer.”

“We are very happy to organise the A1 Beach Volleyball Grand Slam in cooperation with the FIVB at the lake Wörthersee in Klagenfurt / Carinthia again this year,” said Hannes Jagerhofer of the ACTS Group the official promoter of the event. “The dates for the Grand Slam are hereby confirmed and official. We are sure that this year’s Grand Slam will exceed all expectations of all sponsors, partners, fans and athletes by offering an exceptional week in Carinthia.”

Earlier in the month, the organisers of the Moscow Grand Slam announced a date change (now scheduled to take place from June 11 to 15) to accommodate Klagenfurt’s inclusion in the 2014 beach volleyball calendar. Other changes to the calendar include the withdrawal of the Sanya women's only Open in China, which was tentatively scheduled for November 5 to 9.

A record $10.2m in prize money, 10 Grand Slams, an inaugural FIVB Grand Slam Final and 10 Open tournaments will be the highlights of this year’s record-breaking beach volleyball calendar.

The ever-popular Stare Jablonki, returns as a Grand Slam after hosting the World Championships last year. The venue on the banks of Lake Mazury will now welcome beach volleyball players and fans from August 19 to 24.

There are also Grand Slams in Fortaleza (Brazil), Berlin (Germany), Moscow (Russia) and Gstaad and the Grand Slams conclude with the first ever FIVB Grand Slam Final, which will offer $500,000 in prize money.

The participants in the FIVB Grand Slam Final, for which the location and dates are still to be confirmed, will be made up of the top eight nations on the FIVB Beach Volleyball Grand Slam ranking with a maximum quota of two teams per country, per gender. The newly conceived Grand Slam Final has yet to be assigned and the FIVB is in negotiations with the promoters who have shown an interest in staging this event.

Also making a return to this year’s calendar is Stavanger in Norway, another popular stop on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour. The unique dockside venue, which hosted the 2009 World Championships, was last present on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour in 2011, after 13 straight seasons, but returns with a Grand Slam from June 24-29.

Through the year there are a host of familiar cities hosting Grand Slams; Long Beach in the USA continues for a second season after a successful debut in 2013, while The Hague in the Netherlands is planning on spreading the tournament over four different cities in preparation for their hosting of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in 2015.

Fuzhou (China), Anapa (Russia), Xiamen (China) and Phuket (Thailand) will once again host Open tournaments with a further five organised in Puerto Vallarta (Mexico), Prague (Czech Republic), Parana (Argentina) and Doha (Qatar) with Durban in South Africa once again bringing the season to a close in December. It is hoped that two more events will be held in India (tentatively in November) and La Reunion (tentatively in December), with organisers expected to confirm their participation in the coming weeks.

The newest addition to the 2014 beach volleyball calendar, the FIVB U17 Volleyball World Championships will be held in Bahia Banderas in Mexico, providing yet another opportunity for young beach volleyball players to come to the fore and gain international experience in their sport. Poland’s town of Myslowice will once again do the honours of hosting the FIVB Beach Volleyball U23 World Championships while Porto in Portugal will put its previous experience of hosting the FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championships to practice yet again in 2014.

The second edition of the Youth Olympic Games are set to take place from August 16 to 28, 2014 in the Chinese city of Nanjing and it will be the first time beach volleyball will be included in the sporting line-up.

[readon1 url="http://www.fivb.org/EN/BeachVolleyball/Competitions/WorldTour/2014/Event/viewPressRelease.asp?No=44233&Language=en&TournCode=MPUE2014"]Source: www.fivb.org[/readon1]

Mexico is making quite a comeback in recent months. The basic facts stay the same: Tourists and locals alike are sometimes caught in the crossfire of rival drug cartel battles, or can become the victims of "express kidnappings," when they are held captive until either a ransom is paid or money is withdrawn from a bank account — a scheme similar to the popular "String Trick" in Paris. However, the U.S. Department of State says, "millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year for study, tourism and business, including more than 150,000 who cross the border every day."

As of right now, there are no travel advisories in effect for most major tourist areas including Cabo San Lucas and La Paz in southern Baja California, Campeche, San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas, San Miguel de Allende and Leon in Guanajuato, Acapuco, Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico City, Morelia, Lázaro Cardenas, Riviera Nayarit, Oaxaca, Huatulco, Puerto Escondido, Puerbla, Queretaro, Mazatlan, Villahermosa, Tlaxcala, Merida and Chichen Itza in the Yucatan Peninsula, and in Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, and Tulum. Basically, if you stick to major tourist areas or cities that are for the most part not border towns, you'll encounter roughly the same amount of crime you can expect in any other major city. The best part: affordable hotels, attractions, family fun.

The Riviera Maya is a great spot for taking the family on vacation due to the variety of budget-friendly all-inclusive resorts, while the Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit areas offer similar perks on the Pacific side.

Did Mario Lopez really cause turbulence for his fellow travelers when he touched down in Mexico for vacation last month?

According to a report, he tried to cut the customs line in Puerto Vallarta, making what sounded like a stir by loudly informing whomever could hear that he was a "celebrity," thank you, and airport employees were prompted to make a separate line for first-class passengers.

Lopez was then ushered to the front of that line, due to his elite-person status, per the New York Daily News.

But an eyewitness tells E! News that none of this (other than the fact that Lopez was in Mexico with his family for Christmas and had to go through customs at the airport) is true.

The source, who was right near the customs area and could see Lopez the whole time, said no such to-do occurred and no special line was formed for first class travelers.

Which is good news, because it's so much nicer to see him smile.

A rep for Lopez also slammed the accusation to the Daily News, saying: "Mario would not, and has never behaved, in such a manner. He was traveling with his mother, wife, daughter and newborn. This accusation is ridiculous."

Otherwise, the Extra host appeared to be having a grand time on his holiday getaway with mom Elvia, wife Courtney, their 3-year-old daughter, Gia, and their 5-month-old son, Dominic, at the Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa. The whole fam stayed for about a week and spent plenty of time soaking up the sun poolside at the luxury oceanfront resort.

[readon1 url="http://www.eonline.com/news/505264/did-mario-lopez-really-play-the-celeb-card-at-airport-in-mexico-to-skip-the-customs-line?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories;utm_source=eonline;utm_medium=rssfeeds;utm_campaign=rss_topstories">http://www.eonline.com/news/505264/did-mario-lopez-really-play-the-celeb-card-at-airport-in-mexico-to-skip-the-customs-line?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories;utm_source=eonline;utm_medium=rssfeeds;utm_campaign=rss_topstories"]Source: www.eonline.com Photos by: Sean O'Neill, PacificCoastNews[/readon1]

Travelers don’t need frequent flyer points to get a free night at an upscale hotel in Mexico. They just need to be willing to go home with a little extra baggage.

From now through March 15, guests of the Hacienda San Angel, a boutique operation in Puerto Vallarta, will get a free one-night stay if they adopt a cat or dog from the resort city’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals shelter.

This “Puppy Love” program was created by Janice Chatterton, the hotel’s owner, who founded the S.P.C.A. chapter there in 2007. Much like guests of her hotel, Ms. Chatterton said in a release, the animals have “spacious rooms” and a large garden and grassy areas in which to play. Though the hotel’s Mexican colonial architecture, open-air villas and views of both Banderas Bay and the Sierra Madre mountains make it just a tad more luxurious, to be sure.

Adopters can make use of their free night on a return visit within the next year, a convenient prospect for hotel regulars who tend to visit annually to celebrate special occasions and birthdays, Ms. Chatterton said in an email. But she is confident that her offer will be enticing to newcomers as well.

“We have occasionally had guests come here for the specific purpose of adopting an animal,” she said. And although it would be advantageous to Ms. Chatterton if those guests also fell in love with her hotel, her main purpose in this, she said, is to help people find “a new and truly unconditional love” with one of the animals.

[readon1 url="ntransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/22/at-a-mexican-hotel-plump-a-pillow-adopt-a-pet/?_php=true&_type=blogs&partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0"]Source: ntransit.blogs.nytimes.com Photos by:David Porras [/readon1]

The clinic will take place from March 14-24 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Emeryville, CA (PRWEB) January 14, 2014

KGB Kiteboarding is offering their customers a chance to participate in their favorite hobby at the MX Kite Clinic in the Mexican city of Puerto Vallarta from March 14-24.

The PV "Kite Like Pro Clinic" will focus on kiteboarding progression during 10 fun-filled days with personalized instruction by pro kiters and IKO Instructors at a variety of awesome, vast kite beaches throughout the Banderas Bay Area. Puerto Vallarta is a city that has much to offer besides kiting, from day trips and adventures, to nightclubs and restaurants.

Travelers will stay in their own well-appointed private rooms at a local "kiter-owned," all-inclusive resort right in the heart of Puerto Vallarta. Mornings will be free to sit by the pools, visit the on-site spa, explore the surrounding area, take advantage of exclusively-discounted adventure tours or just sleep in. In the early afternoons, vacationers will be transported to various windy spots in the bay area for coaching.

During the clinic, participants will be kiting, training and hanging out with pro kiters Rich Sabo-Best, Sam Medesky-Best, Andres Tapia-Ozone and others to be announced. They will use the latest gear with boat and radio helmet assistance. IKO-certified coaching will be private and semi-private for all skill levels and disciplines, including freeride, freestyle-wakestyle and course racing. Adult kiters and non-kiters of all skill levels are welcome.

At check-in, guests will be encouraged to create their own daily schedule of training versus other activities. KGB Kiteboarding will be hosting a few evening parties for all the guests and the pros to become acquainted at various restaurants and nightclubs throughout the clinic week. There will also be a massive wrap-up party and awards ceremony on a 100-foot luxury yacht planned for the clinic’s end.

This 10-day "Kite Like a Pro Clinic" has first-timers, advanced kiters, or those simply wanting a Mexican vacation covered.

For the cost of $1,649, the trip includes:

1. 10 days, 10 nights of all-inclusive resort accommodations at the Las Palmas By The Sea, located in the heart of PV close to the Malecon and nightlife
2. Private room with bay and pool views and in room Wi-Fi (single occupancy per room)
3. Multiple swimming pools with on-property beach access
4. All in-resort meals and drinks
5. Up to seven days of IKO-certified instruction, including all skill levels
6. Pro Kiters Rich Sabo, Sam Medysky and others TBA, will be on hand to help
7. A student-to-instructor ratio of 2:1 with boat support and radio-assisted helmets
8. 10-mile downwinders and day trip excursions
9. Exclusive discounts on local adventures, activities and toursNightly entertainment in-resort and nightclub parties
10. Massive private wrap-up party on a 100-foot yacht
11. Airport shuttle and all lesson transportation

There are only 20 spots available for this clinic, so don’t hesitate to reserve a space. A $100 deposit is required for all reservations. Discounts are available. Please contact KGB Kiteboarding with any questions by calling 888.411.0732, emailing info(at)kgbswag(dot)com, or visiting their website at http://www.kgbswag.com.

About the company:
KGB Kiteboarding is made up of a small group of passionate and experienced kiteboarders that really love the sport and desire to personally share that stoke with all of their clients. They pride themselves on their excellent customer service.

They offer a full selection of Stand Up Paddle boards & Kiting gear in addition to water, snow & power kiting lessons & rentals.

[readon1 url="http://www.prweb.com/releases/kitesurfing-lessons/kitesurfing-shop/prweb11489529.htm"]Source: www.prweb.com[/readon1]