The website www.Huffingtonpost.com, selected the five places that are growing, with new tourism offers or special events this 2014

The online newspaper and blog www.huffingtonpost.com, also known as Huff Post, begins the year making its recommendation “The 5 Coolest Places to go in 2014”, in which it included Riviera Nayarit for its growth and great tourist offer, as well as its events this year.

This series of places that the website recommends, has the objective to provide alternatives regarding fashion, tourist offer, international recognition or special events that will happen this 2014, for all of those who are starting to plan their vacations and who like modern, world-class destinations.

It points out the clear rebirth of the Nayaritan destination, which has started to recover the tourism of its best periods thanks to the security that it offers its visitors, who besides the great hotels and the all included, can experience the charms of the towns without going too far.

“It is for this reason that Riviera Nayarit is one of our travel selections for 2014: It has calm beaches, small and charming beach cities with an authentic flavor. But it also has a great expat community and it shares an airport with Puerto Vallarta to the south”, mentions the article.

The website makes a special recommendation of visiting the Haramara Retreat, Sayulita, for being a yoga retreat next to the sea of wild vegetation in the outskirts of the town. What stands out is the fact that there is no electricity and that it maintains a tight bond with nature, looking to attract people who seek relaxation. “The structures have been constructed using traditional construction techniques to minimize the environmental impact. Each room is located in a private and independent palm roofed cabin without glass or screens in the windows that separate it from the jungle, only mosquito nets and curtains to avoid insects". Explains the text.

The site offers coverage about politics, mediums, business, entertainment, fashion, the green movement, international news and humor. It is located among the 100 best of the world and it is number 25 in popularity in the United States.

In the complete list there is Nicaragua, Rio de Janeiro in Brasil, Paris in France, Vieques of Puerto Rico and obviously Riviera Nayarit.

[readon1 url="http://www.periodicoexpress.com.mx/nota.php?id=282071"]Source: Periódico Express de Nayarit Translated by Rene Tripp[/readon1]

Over 600 weekly seats will begin flying between the destinations starting on March 30, 2014; in 2013, the Monterrey Airport was in second place on a national level with more flights to Vallarta’s Gustavo Díaz Ordaz Airport.

Volaris airlines informed the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) that on March 30, 2014, they would begin two weekly flights between Monterrey and the Gustavo Díaz Ordaz Airport, shared by Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit.

The flights will take place on Thursday and Sunday departing from Vallarta to Monterrey at 8:10 p.m. and arriving at 9:40 p.m.; the return flights will be on the same days and will depart Monterrey at 6:10 p.m., arriving in Vallarta at 7:50 p.m.

One Airbus-319 with 144 seats and one Airbus-320 with 174 seats will be rotating through the specified days and schedules, allowing for an estimate of over 600 new seats arriving to the destinations on a weekly basis.

The flight was confirmed in mid-December; there are currently only a few details that need to be finalized in order to complete all the arrangements for this new connection.

According to a poll conducted by the Riviera Nayarit CVB in 2013 to determine the profile of its visitors, the Monterrey Airport is the second point of origin within Mexico that sends most flights to the Riviera Nayarit at 25.26%, second only to Mexico City at 52.63%; third and fourth place are held by Toluca with 8.07% and Tijuana with 7.37%.

When listing cities that visit the Riviera, Monterrey is in fourth place with 2.41%, behind Guadalajara with 23.68%, León with 7.44% and Mexico City with 7.24%.

In the list of states that send the most visitors to the Riviera Nayarit, Nuevo León takes 4th place with 3.04% behind Jalisco at 38.72%, Guanajuato with 13.77% and the Federal District with 8.75%.

The numbers from Monterrey and Nuevo León are expected to rise in 2014 thanks to this new connection.

The Riviera Nayarit CVB was contacted by Volaris to begin the arrangements that would soon allow the establishment of more flights between the Northern city and the Banderas Bay.

The Nayarit Secretary of Tourism receives the full support of the Government of the Republic of Mexico; therefore, in 2014 actions will be taken to increase the $250 million peso budget obtained in 2013 for the “Vallarta-Nayarit, Live it to believe it” joint campaign.

Raúl Rodrigo Pérez, Nayarit’s Tourism Secretary, assured 2013 was a year of achievements for the Riviera Nayarit; he also stated the difficulties stemming from the years 2009 – 2011 had effectively been turned around, and that 2014 now presents an even bigger challenge.

“Since Governor Roberto Sandoval took office in 2011 we have had excellent figures for occupation, promotion, awareness, investment and public works; this has prompted the arrival of new hotels, new rooms that signify new jobs and a higher revenue for the State,” said Rodrigo Pérez.

Key to these accomplishments was the launch of the joint campaign, “Vallarta-Nayarit, Live it to believe it.” This is why it will be re-launched mid-year and the objective will be to exceed the $250 million peso budget obtained jointly from Nayarit, Jalisco and the Government of the Republic.

In order to reach this goal different measures need to be taken including events, advertising campaigns and flights, as well as barter with magazines and airlines, all of which he mentioned was already on the agenda thanks to the Government’s disposition to lend its support to the destination.

“The investment will definitely be increased, because we host very important events such as the Mexico Cup Regatta,” stated Rodrigo Pérez. “President Enrique Peña Nieto announced his National Tourism Policy in our state, which made us the frontrunner for national tourism. We’re the destination with the strongest push.”

The budget will be directed at bringing new flights in from South America and Europe, which is what the joint campaign is trying to attract.

“The Riviera Nayarit CVB is the driving force behind the promotion of the destination; it is under excellent management, which is why the Governor confirmed Marc Murphy. This is an office that functions like a well-oiled machine and an example to other offices in the country and around the world,” said Rodrigo Pérez.

The State Secretary of Tourism urged all of the sectors involved in tourism to continue to work together towards achieving the goals that will consign the Riviera Nayarit to the position of the top tourism destination in the country.

Always ahead of the game, the Riviera Nayarit once again proves to be one of Mexico’s top destinations thanks to its beach attractions, its indigenous culture, its galleries, boutique hotels and Gran Turismo properties—the highest rating available in the country. This time it shares the spotlight with Oaxaca de Júarez and Guanajuato.

The Forward Travel team has put together a list of the world’s top 18 destinations according to their experience, taking into consideration every attraction, from snow to beach to adventure, shopping, gastronomy and trends.
 
“The Riviera Nayarit and its Chic Hippies” was named along with Oaxaca de Juárez and Guanajuato as top national destinations.
 
“It’s one of the most interesting destinations in Mexico. This beach region has focused on its indigenous culture like no other. You can take excursions to experience the Huichol handicrafts as well as other tours to peruse galleries filled with modern art, not to mention the boutique hotels and the Gran Turismo properties,” stated the article.
 
This series of lists is divided into subtopics such as International Destinations, Accommodations, Travel Experiences, Gastronomy and Travel Trends.
 
According to the article, the Riviera Nayarit is “divided into more than 10 separate tourism regions, where new travelers arrive looking to enjoy a blend of experiences. Thanks to its layout it’s not hard to define a schedule where you can encounter different hotel offerings and travel styles—all of them quite different from anything offered in other destinations in Mexico.
 
Montreal, Japan, Dubai, Granada, Spain’s Girona, Paris, Brussels, New Zealand, Florida and Thailand were also on the list of recommended destinations.
 
Revista Forward is a travel and lifestyle magazine that offers readers details on destinations, tours and road trips to the interior of the country, with information that includes the history of the location, its main attractions and activities plus more precise data such as where to stay, where to eat, details on sustainable tourism and travel tips.

Hotels, restaurants, clubs and, in general, business and commerce of tourist services benefited from the flow of visitors that arrived

The end of the year season has been the best for this region of Banderas Bay due to the excellent results obtained in the end of the year of 2008, which has been the highest in terms of occupation, tourism flow and economic impact of recent decades.

According to hoteliers, restaurateurs and merchants, the closing of the year and the start of 2014 were quite good, due to the fact that an important presence of foreign tourism was kept, especially coming from the United States and Canada, from which this winter season, quite a good recovery is expected.

Hotels and restaurants, clubs and, in general, all the business and commerce that offers services and tourist products benefited with the flow of visitors that arrived for the end of year and the new year.

For many of the entrepreneurs of this region, integrated by Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit, this 2014 looks great in terms of tourist recovery.

Entrepreneurs and hoteliers even assured that the tourist flow for this year is expected in numbers very near to those registered during the year 2008, in such a way that the year 2014 could be the year of consolidation for the tourist sector in this region of the Mexican Pacific.

They point out that both the arrival of more foreign tourism as well as the expectations for this winter season and the rest of the year have a lot to do with the joint promotion campaign Vallarta-Nayarit, supported by the federal Ministry of Tourism and the Council of Tourist Promotion of Mexico (CPTM).

They assure that the realization of a promotion campaign is stronger and more intense, and the arrival of more flights coming from several important cities of the United States and Canada have promoted the tourist recovery of Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit.

They also pointed out that the migratory opening that the federal government established and, without a doubt, the recovery of the economy in the United States, are important aspects that have promoted this recovery.

THE DATA:

Employers and hoteliers assure that the tourist flow for this year is expected to be very close to the number registered during 2008

http://vallartaopina.net/2014/01/06/este-fin-de-ano-el-mejor-para-toda-la-region-desde-el-2008/

This end of year hast been the best for all the region since 2008

Hotels, restaurants, clubs and, in general, business and commerce of tourist services benefited from the flow of visitors that arrived

The end of the year season has been the best for this region of Banderas Bay due to the excellent results obtained in the end of the year of 2008, which has been the highest in terms of occupation, tourism flow and economic impact of recent decades.

According to hoteliers, restaurateurs and merchants, the closing of the year and the start of 2014 were quite good, due to the fact that an important presence of foreign tourism was kept, especially coming from the United States and Canada, from which this winter season, quite a good recovery is expected.

Hotels and restaurants, clubs and, in general, all the business and commerce that offers services and tourist products benefited with the flow of visitors that arrived for the end of year and the new year.

For many of the entrepreneurs of this region, integrated by Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit, this 2014 looks great in terms of tourist recovery.

Entrepreneurs and hoteliers even assured that the tourist flow for this year is expected in numbers very near to those registered during the year 2008, in such a way that the year 2014 could be the year of consolidation for the tourist sector in this region of the Mexican Pacific.

They point out that both the arrival of more foreign tourism as well as the expectations for this winter season and the rest of the year have a lot to do with the joint promotion campaign Vallarta-Nayarit, supported by the federal Ministry of Tourism and the Council of Tourist Promotion of Mexico (CPTM).

They assure that the realization of a promotion campaign is stronger and more intense, and the arrival of more flights coming from several important cities of the United States and Canada have promoted the tourist recovery of Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit.

They also pointed out that the migratory opening that the federal government established and, without a doubt, the recovery of the economy in the United States, are important aspects that have promoted this recovery.

THE DATA:

Employers and hoteliers assure that the tourist flow for this year is expected to be very close to the number registered during 2008

<p>[readon1 url="http://vallartaopina.net/2014/01/06/este-fin-de-ano-el-mejor-para-toda-la-region-desde-el-2008/"]Source: Vallarta Opina Translated by Rene Tripp[/readon1]</p>

Colombia’s media has been brimming with praise for the Riviera Nayarit since its successful promotional campaign that took place during the last week in November.

When following up with the Colombian media after the many promotional efforts undertaken throughout 2013—reinforced by the tourism campaign that took place in November—the destination was pleased to find the Riviera Nayarit is filling the pages and airwaves of Colombia with its many attractions.

The Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) has undertaken several events in this country including press conferences, FAM trips for travel agents and members of the press, as well as the participation in the Anato Fair, the most important event of its kind in Colombia that is attended by other South American countries as well as participants from the Caribbean and Europe, including airlines.

Titles such as “The Riviera Nayarit: The Best Way to Enjoy Mexico,” “The Riviera Nayarit Set Its Sights on Colombia,” “The Riviera Nayarit has Arrived to Renew Mexico’s Tourism Efforts,” “The Riviera Nayarit, a Paradise of Freedom and Beauty,” and “The Riviera Nayarit: A Grand Destination in Mexico,” among others, are just a sample of the many headlines that were published in Colombia’s principal media.

The Agencia de Viajes Colombia, Revistae-go.com, sevenoticias.com, hsbnoticias.com and Colombia.com are just some of the print and web media that have waxed eloquent on Mexico’s Pacific Treasure.

“With its warm climate, sunny days year round and lush tropical vegetation adorning spectacular vistas, the Riviera Nayarit is a getaway where freedom and beauty are present in every corner. It’s a true representation of the color and magic of Mexico’s culture,” published Sevenoticias.com.

“The gastronomy is another one of Mexico’s many riches and especially that found in the region of the Sea of Cortes, where the Banderas Bay has its beginnings, curving through the coast of the state of Nayarit. It’s a pleasure within reach of everyone who visits, as the options and the variety, not only in the type of cuisine but in the prices as well, is quite extensive,” wrote Colombia.com.

The hotel infrastructure, the sports and eco activities, the towns of Sayulita, San Francisco, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and the ancestral culture of the area were, as always, the highlights of the stories, showing how the Colombian media appreciated and wished to share with its readers the many attractions of this paradise known as the Riviera Nayarit.

Excellent start of 2014 for the international cruise sector with the arrival, the day of yesterday Wednesday January 1st, of two cruises, today a triple arrival and tomorrow January 3rd, two more ships will arrive to the port.

For this month of January a total of 17 arrivals are expected of the total of 107 programmed, up to now, for this year.

According to the program of the Integral Port Administration (API) Puerto Vallarta, yesterday on Wednesday, the cruise ship Veendam of the shipowner Holland, with a capacity of a thousand 440 passengers and a weight of over 55 thousand tonnes; and the Sapphire Princess, for two thousand 600 passengers, capable of moving 113 thousand tonnes; came to visit this tourist destination and they situated themselves in the docks one and two, respectively.

Today January 2nd there will be a triple arrival, with the presence of the Carnival Miracle, for two thousand 680 passengers and a weight of 86 thousand tonnes; the “small” Silver Whisper of the shipowner Silversea, for 382 passengers and a movement capacity of more than 28 thousand tonnes, and the Norwegian Star, of a thousand 266 passengers and more than 55 thousand tonnes.

Considering both days, around 8 thousand 300 cruise tourists are expected, who will leave an economic impact of more than 750 thousand dollars among tourism service providers.

Puerto Vallarta closes the year with the visit of the cruise MS Explorer of the shipowner V Ships Leisure, of 836 passengers and more than 24 thousand tonnes.

[readon1 url="http://notivallarta.com/2014/01/02/excelente-inicio-del-2014-para-el-sector-de-cruceros-internacionales/"]Source: NotiVallarta Translated by Rene Tripp[/readon1]

Puerto Vallarta still has availability of rooms for those who in the last minute select this destination for their Christmas holidays and New Year's Eve, so made known José Ludwig Estrada Virgen, regional director of tourism in the North Coast.

In this sense, Estrada Virgen indicated that after the holidays officially started in many government departments, as well as in the schools of all the levels, this past weekend, the influx of visitors has been greater in comparison to previous days.

He added that since the past Saturday, there was an increase in the arrival of national tourists who decided to visit Puerto Vallarta to enjoy the Christmas celebrations, as well as to say good bye to 2013 and receive 2014.

However, he pointed out that although in the previous days to Christmas the hotel occupation considerably increases, it is in new year when the people travel the most.

"We are sure that it is for new year when people are really going to start coming,"he even referred that traditionally for this date the occupation in the destination is exceeded, although many people stay with family and friends. The regional director of tourism in the North Coast, recognized that in this as in other vacation periods, the national tourism strengthens the destination and therefore this December of 2013, will not be an exception.

Estrada Virgen clarified that although for this same period of last year, a big number of foreign visitors had been lost, this year the numbers are positive and he considers that this momentum will be kept until April of 2014.

In this context, he assured that definitely the week of the end of 2013 and start of 2014, will be favorable for the destination, he even stated that this could have a better behavior than the same period of last year “I think that the occupation capacity will be surpassed”.

In regard to the behavior of the reservations up to now and of which hotel categories have been mostly favored, he stated that for now the accommodation centers ranging from three stars to great tourism, conserve the same level, and he insisted in that the destination still has spaces to receive visitors”.

[readon1 url="http://notivallarta.com/2013/12/24/puerto-vallarta-aun-con-disponibilidad-de-habitaciones/"]Source: NotiVallarta Translated by Rene Tripp[/readon1]

The president of the Hotel Association of the city, Ignacio Cadena Beraud, commented that the investment is a sample of confidence in our country

The news of the purchase of the hotel Four Seasons and an attached terrain of almost 20 acres from Bill Gates is more noteworthy than what could be thought at first, because this represents the investment of a very well known person, which denotes the confidence of this famous entrepreneur in Mexico and in particular in Vallarta-Nayarit.

In opinion of the president of the Hotel Association of Puerto Vallarta, Ignacio Cadena Beraud, the investment of 200 million dollars of Bill Gates for the purchase, through Cascade Investment, of the hotel Four Seasons, is more significant for the message that it sends to the financial sector than for the resources that it represents.

In interview for Vallarta Opina, the hotelier leader, commented that by itself the news is important because it speaks of a future investment that is of big value but beyond that, the image that this operation promotes of Mexico is truly interesting, because “it reflects confidence and approval of the guarantees that this region offers to the investors”.

THERE ARE GUARANTEES

Ignacio Cadena mentioned that the investment clearly says “I believe in Mexico, I believe in its authorities and recognize in Vallarta, not only a splendid place regarding its natural beauty but a geographic space with a lot of future possibilities”.

An investor looks for guarantees of profitability, it is obvious that nobody invests to lose, and you can only get that where there is security, order, possibilities of development, and some other factors, which this region offers to the big capitals, since they find stability, security and tourist promotion, driving the arrival of thousands of vacationers each year.

The leader of the local hotel sector, added that the news definitely has gone around the world and thus “we feel very strengthened with this event since it shows this as a safe place that it is worthy of the confidence of big investors”.

It is to be expected, he added, that this investment brings a new development in a neighboring terrain to the Four Seasons hotel, surely there are market studies and analysis of tendencies and prospectives, because the big entrepreneurs do not invest by chance, bur are seeing something in the future, in the medium and in the long term to consider that it is a good business to invest here.

The data

Last week it was made known through Cascade Investment that the multimillionaire Bill Gates, bought the hotel Four Season for 200 million dollars

[readon1 url="http://vallartaopina.net/2013/12/23/trascendente-la-inversion-de-bill-gates-en-esta-region/"]Source: Vallarta Opina Translated by Rene Tripp[/readon1]

Starwood Group teamed up with Aeroméxico to promote this FAM trip with luxury travel agencies from Brazil that had already sold our destinations.

 
The Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) took part in the FAM trip put together by the Starwood Group and Aeroméxico to promote the Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta among six Brazilian luxury travel agencies from December 10 – 14.
 
All of these agencies are major producers of luxury travel and most have already sent clients to the destination; now that they know the destination for themselves, they will be able to send over even more couples and families. 75 percent of these agencies are in the Virtuoso network, an indicator of the quality of their customer base.
 
Araci Barroso Mello of Faro Turismo, Joana Sofia Nunes from Alatur, Carolina Lopes from Monumento Turismo, Deyves Dias from GSP Travel, Gabriel Leite from Teresa Perez, Rosana Barres from Queensbery were our guests under the guidance of Aeroméxico’s Karina Nascimento and Starwood’s Camila Julliao.
 
Among the many activities they enjoyed at the St. Regis Punta Mita Resort were three of the hotel’s signature rituals, two of them emblematic of the Punta Mita property—the Tequila Ritual and the Fish of the Day Ritual—as well as the Champagne Ritual, performed in St. Regis properties around the world.
 
As for culinary pursuits, the St. Regis Punta Mita pampered the agents with an haute cuisine tasting in Carolina, their 5-star restaurant. The Riviera Nayarit CVB also took them to Don Pedro’s in Sayulita, where they couldn’t leave without tasting the famous chocobananas.
 
When it comes to luxury, relaxation is key. To that end, they enjoyed a SPA treatment at Reméde Spa and a beachfront yoga session.
 
During their visit to Puerto Vallarta they stayed at the Westin Resorts & SPA. They toured the Cuale River Island, the Romantic Zone, the public art displays on the boardwalk by the sea, the Cerro and the art galleries.
 
As usual, the Marietas Islands were a must for the Riviera Nayarit; they also took part in the Marine Safari headed by Punta Mita Expeditions and visited the Pacífica and Bahía golf courses in Punta Mita, which left them speechless.
 
The promotion to Brazil is constant and directed at different segments; visits from guests from this Amazonian country are expected to be on the rise, as attested by early numbers.

The illumination is working at one hundred percent, the air extractors work adequately and the correct signage is in place

After confirming that the works in the second tunnel were concluded and that the infrastructure is apt for its use, the night of this Wednesday, municipal authorities opened the traffic circulation in this freeway section.

The deputy director of Traffic, Jesús José Rodríguez Campoy, the coordinator of Civil Protection and Firefighters, Sergio Ramírez López and the general director of Infrastructure and Services, Oscar Delgado Chávez, were in charge of reopening the circulation of this road, in which they also ascertained, that the illumination is working at one hundred percent, the air extractors work adequately and the correct traffic signage is in place, which was taken care of by the under management of Traffic.

In the area several traffic elements were installed to guide the motorists in both tunnels and avoid car accidents.

This operative by the traffic police will continue all night and tomorrow Thursday to drive the vehicular traffic.

DELIVERY AND FAILURES

It should be recalled that it was on the past January 6th when the second tunnel was opened to circulation but had to be closed in July due to the strong rains which damaged it. It was an investment of more than 175 million pesos, resources that were labeled since the three year term of Javier Bravo Carbajal and continued with Salvador González Reséndiz. The work initiated around February of 2010.

The tunnel has a length of 490 meters, in addition to a drainage system, through which the filtering of the fluids of the natural aquifers of the hill to this road will be avoided, as happened to the previous tunnel before this system had been applied to it.

It was the past July 11th when the Ministry of Communications and Transport (SCT) and the City Council of Puerto Vallarta closed the circulation in the second freeway tunnel so that the construction company Omega of Mexico, could repair the damages to the coating caused by the rains of the past weekend, the illumination and the placing of extractors, which required an investment of 40 million pesos.

In his turn, the director of Infrastructure and Services of the municipality, Óscar Delgado Chávez, explained that the decision was taken after the supervision made on the project from the SCT, representatives of the construction company and the City Council; who confirmed the damage on the concrete coating in consequence of the water accumulation and saturation of materials at the top of the tunnel, on the entry from north to south; which caused the split of the shell, as a result of the recent rains.

Also in that occasion, the municipal civil servant clarified that the tunnel does not present structural damage, for which there are no greater risks in the zone and the repair works initiated, which concluded a few days ago so that the tunnel could be reopened to vehicular circulation last night, five months after its initial delivery.

The data

The illumination works and the placing of the extractors had an investment of 40 million pesos.

[readon1 url="http://vallartaopina.net/2013/12/19/reabrieron-anoche-el-2o-tunel-del-libramiento/"]Source: Vallarta Opina Translated by Rene Tripp[/readon1]

With Flavors from Argentina - A celebration in Red and Black

This Saturday December 14th, the anniversary party of the restaurant Café Des Artistes was carried out, one of the most important celebrations of the year, starting out with the spectacular concert of Bohemia Viva, that with its music delighted the audience and put it to dance, making it an unforgettable night.