Eating well has never been a problem for us in Mexico.

The indescribable combination of flavors has drawn us to her shores for decades. That said, one reason we chose to drive the PanAmerican highway is so we would have access to our own kitchen, which has done well by us over the last six months, party to save money and partly because I simply love to cook. However, eating inexpensively in Mexico does not mean never eating out. In fact, eating well in PV runs the gamut of prices.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.- B.C.’s ability to engage the Asia-Pacific region doesn’t depend entirely on Asia, but also south along the Pacific coast.

Last week, Ottawa said it will lift visa requirements for travellers from Mexico starting Dec. 1. The announcement came during a two-day state visit by Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto ahead of the “Three Amigos Summit” of the leaders of the NAFTA nations.

Claudia Franco Hijuelos, Mexico’s consul general in Vancouver, said in an earlier interview that the visa issue was one of the top reasons for Pena Nieto’s visit, noting the restrictions seriously hamper Canada’s ability to do business with Mexico — especially in sectors like tourism and international education.

“Why is lifting the visa restrictions so important? Because it does slow down interactions,” Franco Hijuelos said. “All the good synergies that you can have from the large contingent of Mexican students coming to B.C. every year — 5,000 of them and their families — if it were easier for them to come here, those numbers would surely increase, which is good for business and B.C. and bilateral interactions.”

Under the new visa rules, Mexicans wanting to work or study in B.C. will still need to apply for a permit, and those wanting to fly through a Canadian airport would need an Electronic Travel Authorization added to their passports. But normal leisure travel will no longer require a visa.

The change isn’t without its opponents. Officials in Ottawa identified a number of risks, such as an increase in the number of false asylum claims, and the possibility that the U.S. could clamp down at Canadian border crossings.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, however, has said keeping the visa restrictions would limit economic growth.

Another party that has lobbied Ottawa to drop the requirement has been the Vancouver Airport Authority. YVR has long wanted to leverage its sizeable air traffic from Asia and connect passengers to Mexico and Latin America, making Vancouver a crucial hub. The visa restriction had been one of the main obstacles, said president and CEO Craig Richmond.

“Mexico is a vibrant and growing market for Canada, and we are thrilled to see the visa requirements lifted,” Richmond said in a statement. “Whenever we ease entry requirements, add new flights or welcome larger aircraft, the entire province and ultimately country benefits from higher tourism spending, increased tax revenue and the creation of new jobs.

“Once the cumbersome regulations are lifted, we anticipate visitor numbers from Mexico will increase.”

Last month, Tourism Vancouver said the city will welcome 9.8 million overnight visitors this year, 400,000 more than last year’s record high. One of the key drivers has been Mexico, where the increase for the first three months of 2016 was 45.2 per cent. Officials attributed that growth to a new daily non-stop flight between YVR and Mexico City.

Mexico also offers B.C. the most direct gateway to the rest of Latin America, something that cannot be overlooked, said Paola Murillo, director and founder of Latincouver, which promotes cultural and business exchange between the two regions.

“I certainly believe that with each passing year interest in trade is growing,” Murillo said, citing existing ties in mining and clean technology sectors. “There are many opportunities to use the talents and skills of Latin American students that are increasingly coming to Vancouver.

“The challenge is to quantify the type of contribution that each region can provide to the other, such as the number of local companies currently trading or interested in doing business in Latin America, the amount of investment available both in British Columbia and in the Latin American region.”

Franco Hijuelos said a mission featuring technology-sector entrepreneurs and students made its way to Vancouver in June as the latest sign of increased visibility of Mexico and Latin America in B.C.

“It’s very important to keep the North America perspective alive,” she said. “We believe that a regional approach gives the three of us (in NAFTA) an opportunity to project to the rest of the world, because there are competitive advantages we can achieve regionally.”

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - A Mexican federal judge banned the entry of fresh potatoes from the United States amid concerns that pests they contain may damage the environment, Mexico's Federal Judicial Council (CJF) said on Tuesday.

Britain's vote to leave the European Union triggered a 7% fall and more spending cuts

Telecommunications costs dropped 23% with reforms, says SCT

Oasis Bay Restaurant

The grand opening of the Oasis Bay restaurant recently took place in downtown Puerto Vallarta. it was a very successful event, Fernando Pineda the owner of the restaurant Oasis Bay, spoke with Vallarta Today and explained that one of the reasons he opened a new restaurant.

Over 20 joint business meetings were held with Tour Operators; there will be an estimated 15% increase in the production of room-nights in 2016; the Destination’s hotels took part in approximately 330 appointments.

Puerto Vallarta, Jal. - There’s much to choose from including up to 65% discount per stay; kids stay free; spa credits; resort credits; discounts on amenities such as boutique purchases and a variety of free services included upon reservation.

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The Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta’s tourism attractions were promoted via 58 face-to-face appointments; the Riviera Nayarit as a Virtuoso Destination was of special interest to agencies and consortiums that belong to this category.

June was a month of intense promotional activity for the Riviera Nayarit Conventions and Visitors Bureau (CVB), which together with the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trust ended this period in Hollywood, Florida, by participating in the Global Travel Marketplace East 2015 (2015).

This was the third year in a row for the GTM, organized by Travel Weekly. The event is held on the East and West coasts of the United States, attracting mostly owners and top executives of agencies linked to consortiums.

“The Joint Promotional Campaign is in search of new Emerging Markets, but that doesn’t mean we’ve been neglecting the Natural Markets that have always been there for us; we’re looking to diversify without losing what we’ve already established,” commented Marc Murphy, Managing Director for the Riviera Nayarit CVB.

The agencies Travel Weekly invites to its events are chosen according to their average annual sales, which must reach a minimum of one million US dollars in order to be able to participate.

Fifty-eight face-to-face appointments with travel agents were held to promote the tourism attractions of both destinations. It’s of note that the agencies and consortiums belonging to Virtuoso were present at the event and showed particular interest in the Riviera Nayarit thanks to its classification as a Virtuoso Destination.

Agents from Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, New England (Boston), New York, Texas, Washington and other states were present at the event. Agents from Vancouver, British Columbia and Toronto, Ontario were present from Canada.

Over 20 of the Destination’s hotels are offering discounts of up to 55%, savings on Spa treatments and golf clubs, kids stay free deals and more; these promos are valid through August 9th. Book today!

The Riviera Nayarit is a tourist destination that likes to pamper its visitors, which is why they’re offering these great Summer Promos. The Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and the Banderas Bay Hotel and Motel Association (AHMBB by its acronym in Spanish) are pleased to announce these exclusive deals.

“You have to give in order to receive. In the Riviera Nayarit we believe the best way to take care of our guests is by offering them a break for their budget, besides, of course, the excellent service and warmth our Destination is known for,” commented Fernando González Ortega, President of the AHMBB.

There’s something for everyone from Nuevo Vallarta to Punta de Mita, including Flamingos, Bucerías, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and Litibú.

There are over 20 hotels extending excellent deals for their guests, among them Villa La Estancia, Villa del Palmar, Samba, Villa Varadero, Hard Rock Hotel, Rancho Banderas, Marival Resort, Marival Residences, Matlali, Riu Jalisco, Riu Vallarta, Riu Palace Pacífico, Iberostar, Dreams Villamagna, Grand Velas, La Tranquila, Occidental Grand, Bel Air, Las Palomas, Paradise Village, Vista Vallarta and Ocean Breeze.

The promotions include everything from discounts of up to 55% to savings on Spa treatments and golf clubs, kids stay free deals and more.

These Summer Promotions are good through August 9, 2015. Click here for details http://www.rivieranayarit.com/special_deals and book your stay today!

The three axes of Joint Promotion (Advertising, Training and Public Relations) presented their strategies to eight accounts in Chile and another eight in Argentina.

Marc Murphy, Managing Director for the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), undertook an intense business trip to Chile and Argentina accompanied by the Destination and Puerto Vallarta’s three Promotional offices in order to strengthen their Joint Promotion efforts in South America.

They visited both countries from June 22-26, 2015, where they offered presentations in order to set out the strategies with which they will strengthen the alliances they have in place to activate these South American Emerging Markets.

“We went there to meet with the executives and general managers of each account that we have worked with in these countries in order to explain the integration of our offices and the three main axes of Promotion: Advertising, Training and Public Relations,” added Murphy.

In order to cement relationships with business partners and honor their alliances the teams hosted dinners with the account managers in Chile and Argentina.

The tour operators in Argentina include: American Executive, Eurovips, Trayecto Uno, MDC Turismo, Logran Travel, Ola, Julia Tours and Freeway. In Chile: Repse, Solways, ADS Mundo, Cocha, Expan, Euroandino, Panamericana and Viaclub.

The topic of airlift was discussed with Aeroméxico Airlines in order to find a way to support the tour operators with ticket prices with the intent of motivating South American travelers to visit the region.

Other actions included a training workshop in Chile for the MICE and Leisure department of retailer Viajes Falabela, a leading agency in Santiago de Chile, the capital of that country.

The teams also hosted a breakfast conference in Argentina, attended by representatives of 16 tourism-related media.