The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board announced that the Pacific seaport city of Puerto Vallarta will see 116 cruises visit its shores this year, 43 % over 2013 when 81 cruises called the port.

The port will welcome 52 cruises from September through December of this year, which added to the 64 already touched Vallarta waters will reach a total of 116, 81 more than the received arrivals last year.

International cruise ships arriving in Puerto Vallarta this year will leave an economic impact of $25.6, representing an increase of 43% percent compared to 2013.

The four cruise lines that most often visit Puerto Vallarta are Norwegian, Princess, Carnival and Holland America, in that order. As for passengers, Puerto Vallarta is estimated to end the year with the arrival of about 266,800. For the rest of the year will be two arrivals triples, eight double and three overnights.

A total of 141 cruises have already confirmed stations to Puerto Vallarta for 2015, including Carnival Cruises will have a ship arriving throughout the year. Carnival represents 34% of arrivals; Princess 20%; Norwegian 19% and Holland American 16%.

Puerto Vallarta is one of Mexico’s leading tourism destinations because of its lush nature with the Bay of Banderas coming together with the Sierra Madre across the city and its rich colonial architecture. Today the 96 year-old Mexican city is a world-class destination where cruises are welcomed with Mariachi bands and can enjoy a wide array of activities.

One of the most popular activities in Puerto Vallarta for locals and visitors alike is enjoying the destination’s Malecon, a 6 mile pedestrian-only boardwalk surrounded by many shops and restaurants and connects Puerto Vallarta’s Downtown with the Romantic Zone. Visit numerous art galleries, try one of the over 360 restaurants in the area or shop in some of the luxury boutiques located in the area, including works by Sergio Bustamante, the artists who made many of the statues located in the Malecon. International visitors can get their taxes back for certain goods right before they board the ship.

Adventure seekers will find that Puerto Vallarta has it all, from paddle boarding to rappelling down a waterfall. Tour Operators such as Canopy River offer unique opportunities to Zipline across rivers and ride mules down the Sierra Madre Mountain range. At Dolphin Discovery visitors can swim with dolphins and sea lions while guests can speed down the country side with Wild Treks Adventure’s ATVs. Go Gay!PV also offers numerous outdoor adventures for the LGBT traveler.

Vallarta Adventures incorporates cultural, adventure and ecological activities in its tours that range from visiting ghost mining town in the middle of the jungles to all-inclusive beach day and even the fastest zip-line in Mexico.

Those looking for a more relaxing time may enjoy Puerto Vallarta’s luxurious offerings at one of its Beach Clubs includingLido Beach, Mantamar Beach Club and Casa Velas’ Ocean Club. Spa treatments are also a big favorite with CasaMagna Marriott Ohtli and Villa Premire’s Spa one of the most frequesnted. Passangers are also able to get day passes to enjoy the many hotels in Puerto Vallarta including the pools at the Secrets, Westin or Fiesta Americana

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140 travel agents participated in the events in Toronto and Montreal, Canada, a country that continues to increase the number of tourists that it sends to Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit.

The promotional activities of the Vallarta-Nayarit joint campaign are still in full swing, with cocktails and seminars held in Toronto, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec, on the 17th and 18th of September.

The Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta convention and visitors bureaus collaborated with the Mexico Tourism Board (MTB), informing Canadians about the fantastic recovery this market has had within the region, news the Canadian agents received to great acclaim.

There were a total of 60 travel agents in Montreal and 80 in Toronto, all of whom participated in the cocktails and seminars in both cities to be updated on the latest news from both the Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta.

The MTB’s support was in evidence throughout the events. Montreal MTB Director Manuel Montelongo and Rodrigo Esponda, North American Director for the MTB in Toronto, were in charge of sharing the statistics and data regarding the increase in Canadian tourism to Banderas Bay.

There were a total of 10 hotels participating in the events from both destinations, as well as wholesalers from Air Canada Vacations, Sunwing and Air Transat. Aeromexico also participated, as it offers direct flights from Montreal to Mexico City with excellent connectivity to the Vallarta-Nayarit International Airport.

The main objective of these promotional activities is to maintain the recovery obtained with Canada, which is reflected in the statistics of this year’s first semester. The Leisure Market was also reinforced, which is and will continue to be the main source of tourists for Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit.

Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) today released a new joint 2015 Global Travel Price Outlook report with the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). The report gives an early indication of what businesses can expect in 2015, helping them plan ahead during the upcoming budgeting period.

The report highlights that demand from emerging markets such as China, India and Brazil and improved economic growth in advanced economies, combined with limited advances in travel supply, will result in an upward pressure on rates, particularly in high-demand travel markets. The study shows that travel managers are prepared for this, however, with those surveyed by GBTA expecting airfares to increase most among all categories due to consolidation in major markets.

“With business travel prices on the rise, this study is the key to effective budgeting,” said Christophe Renard, vice president, CWT Solutions Group. “Working with the GBTA Foundation has allowed us to share best practice, industry knowledge and expertise to create a wide-ranging look at the year ahead.”

“The study reveals that travel managers expect price increases next yearacross the board on travel categories including airfares, hotel room rates and rental car rates,” said Joseph Bates, GBTA Foundation vice president of research. “Risks to the forecast including the escalating Ukrainian crisis; declining European inflation; burgeoning debt in China and oil price shocks could potentially have a negative influence on travel demand and pricing however, so travel managers are advised to consider contingencies for these risks in their planning.”

The 2015 Global Travel Price Outlook is split by category: Air; hotel; ground; and meetings & events, making for easy comparison across regions.

Air
With rising demand, favorable cost structures and slowly expanding capacity, airfares are expected to rise gradually through 2015, by as much as 2.2 percent, although low-cost carriers are limiting price increases in some regions.

Latin America will see the highest price increases of any region advancing 3.5 percent, while price growth in Europe will be much more modest. Expect the growth in traffic among low-cost carriers to lead to diminished pricing power of many legacy carriers in Asia Pacific and North American air prices to be driven by airline consolidation and falling capacity.

Hotel
Hotel suppliers will be in a better negotiating position than they have been for some time in 2015, due in part to stronger demand and investor interest, and favorable capital costs. This improved outlook could lead to greater pressure on negotiated rates for travel managers and buyers, and globally, prices are expected to rise by as much as 2.6 percent.

Price growth will be led by Latin America, with an expected 6.3 percent increase in managed rates. Hotel prices in North America and Asia Pacific will see moderate growth, while hotel rates throughout EMEA will grow more slowly than the global average throughout 2015.

Ground
In contrast to the air and hotel sectors, the ground transportation industry has an abundance of supply. With industry consolidation and strong competition, global prices are expected to remain flat throughout 2015.

The trend will be similar across all regions, except Latin America, where moderate price growth of 2 percent is expected in 2015, based on generally high travel demand throughout the region.

Meetings & Events
Compliance will remain a concern for the meetings and events sector next year, regardless of industry or geography. While there are some exceptions by country, there are several trends expected across the industry in 2015, including a rise in the use of social technology.

It is expected that there will be more domestic meetings and shorter booking lead times across the globe in 2015. Mid-price hotels offering core meetings & events services will be most popular.

To view the report in full, please visit the GBTA site here. CWT will be releasing 2015 price forecasts for the meetings & events and energy, resources & marine industries later this year.

[readon1 url="http://www.travelpulse.com/news/business-travel/cwt-and-gbta-release-2015-global-travel-price-outlook.html"]Source:www.travelpulse.com[/readon1]

Transportation Security Administration chief John Pistole said today his agency would actively seek to expand its TSA Pre-Check program by utilizing private-sector security companies to help pre-screen air travelers who are deemed low-risk security threats.

The program currently has more than 600,000 enrollees who have been pre-screened by the TSA and can go through special ‘Pre-Check’ lines at selected airports with wait times as low as five minutes.

Pistole said he hoped “millions” of air travelers sign up for the Pre-Check program. Currently, there are almost 500 TSA Pre-Check lanes at airports around the country.

Almost immediately, the move drew praise from the United States Travel Association and the Global Business Travel Association.

GBTA Executive Director and COO Michael W. McCormick in a statement said, “GBTA is pleased to see today’s move by TSA to engage third party systems to enroll travelers into TSA-Check. GBTA and its members have long called for expanding the pool of eligible travelers. This will allow new and more convenient ways for business travelers to enroll in TSA-Check.

"For example, we are hopeful that group enrollments will soon be performed at places of business, versus individual enrollments at TSA facilities. This private-sector solution is a better, more efficient use of resources while still maintaining an emphasis on safety and security, which is of the utmost importance to GBTA.”

"Thanks to the new TSA Pre-Check Private Sector Pre-Screening initiative, more Americans who do not pose a security threat will be able to apply for expedited airport screening, making our skies more secure and travelers happier," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. "TSA and Administrator Pistole are to be credited for yet another innovation that taps into private sector and commercial capabilities, and will keep TSA Pre-Check delivering on its promised benefits."

[readon1 url="http://www.travelpulse.com/news/airlines/tsa-to-evolve-pre-check-program-with-private-sector.html"]Source:www.travelpulse.com[/readon1]

During the first two weeks of September 22nd the Riviera Nayarit CVB, the Puerto Vallarta CVB and local hotels hosted travel agents from different regions in North and South America. 

With an eye towards the upcoming high season, the first two weeks of September saw an increase in the promotional activities undertaken by the Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta convention and visitors bureaus in order to attract more tourism.

Starting with our neighbors to the far north, eight Canadian travel agents and one video producer flew down for a FAM trip titled “Tripcentral;” the group had the chance to visit both destinations during the second week of September.

During the same time frame, the Travel Leaders Owners’ Retreat took place with visits to the Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta from their homes in the United States. This FAM included more than 60 owners of the top agencies belonging to the Travel Leaders’ consortium in the US.

The Hotel Iberostar Playa Mita hosted the group, which decided to tour through the Riviera Nayarit. Both the Canadians and the Americans visited Punta de Mita, San Pancho and Sayulita.
Last but not least, the Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta hosted a FAM trip for the top ten agencies in Peru, which visited Mexico’s Pacific Treasure for the first time.

It’s important to point out the Peruvian agencies have a holistic, integrated format when they sell destinations, offering vacations, group and incentive travel, destination weddings and other segments at every agency. This trip took place from September 2nd through the 5th, and was organized thanks to the Hard Rock’s initiative.

During their stay they visited Nuevo Vallarta, San Pancho, Sayulita and the Marietas Islands; they were charmed not only by the top-notch services offered by the hotels, but also by the destination’s cuisine and the genuine warmth of the local community, which will undoubtedly spur them on to sell the Riviera Nayarit in Peru.

The Riviera Nayarit CVB congratulates the vision of both the Iberostar Playa Mita and the Hard Rock Hotel, because it parallels the strategies adopted for the region by the Mexico Tourism Board and the state governments of Jalisco and Nayarit. act the organizers of the event, Consuelo Elipe and Carlos Elizondo: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call 045 (322) 105 0778. Click here to visit the official website: Vallarta Nayarit

The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board became a member of the United States Tour Operators 

Association this August in an effort to increase destination inclusion in new travel packages to Mexico.

USTOA active members represent some of the top names in travel and tourism, and account for a sizable portion of the tour operator market in North America. Its members must bond a million
dollars in a travel protection plan to join the association.

As a member of USTOA Puerto Vallarta will have direct and unprecedented access to travel industry leaders and decision makers representing the top US based travel companies whose combined
annual sales volume over $11 billion.

The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board's PR agency, LATITUDE, whose CEO, Nathalie Pilovetzky has been a part of USTOA's Board of Directors for two years and has hosted two of the association's out of
country meetings in Chile and Ecuador, worked on obtaining membership approval with the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board's team.

Additional information on Puerto Vallarta is available at www.visitpuertovallarta.com

TAX REFUND FOR FOREIGN TOURISTS

​Foreigners visiting Mexico on a tourist visa can obtain the refund of tax* that has been retained in the acquisition of merchandise, in commerce established in our country, whenever the following requirements are met:

Over 1,500 international travel agents were updated on the destination during the Chicago and Detroit trade shows; the Iberostar Playa Mita received the Crystal Apple Award as the best all-inclusive family hotel.

The joint Vallarta-Nayarit promotion continues to be a success, this time making an appearance at the Apple Vacations Trade Shows 2014, which took place in Chicago and Detroit.

There were a total of 1,500 international travel agents who received updates on the Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta’s hotel offerings and attractions. This information was given to the agents thanks to the promotional work of the Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta convention and visitors bureaus.

Apple Vacations was founded in 1969 and has positioned itself as one of the main tour operators in the United States, with offices in more than 20 cities.

The company specializes in charter flights and sales of all-inclusive products, a growing tourism trend worldwide because of the ease these services offer travelers.

The annual Trade Shows took place on September 8th and 10th, during which the Iberostar Playa Mita received the 2014 Crystal Apple Award as the best all-inclusive family hotel.

It’s important to point out the Iberostar Playa Mita was inaugurated just nine months ago and its positioning continuously promotes the destination and its attractions.

For a complete list of winners of the 2014 Crystal Apple Awards, click Apple Vacations Crystal Awards 2014

The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board will be participating at this year’s North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) Conference & Marketplace.

Thirty-one travel agents from Aguascalientes visited the region to be updated on the destination; Aguascalientes is the third largest provider of tourists to the Riviera Nayarit.

Thirty-one travel agents from Aguascalientes visited the Riviera Nayarit from September 6-8 on a FAM trip sponsored by the CVB in order to get updated on what’s new in the destination.

During their stay they visited Nuevo Vallarta, San Pancho, Sayulita and the Marietas Islands, and were duly charmed by the high quality of service not only at the hotels but also during the tours, as well as the area’s gastronomy and the warmth of the local citizens. Together, these qualities will make it easy for them to sell the Riviera Nayarit to their clients.

It’s of great importance for the CVB to attend to all of the segments that represent a constant and growing stream of tourism towards the region. Aguascalientes is, in fact, one of the most important domestic markets that visit the destination.

According to the Riviera Nayarit CVB Survey, Aguascalientes holds third place among the states of origin for our domestic visitors: at 10% it shares its spot with Mexico City, behind Guanajuato with 14% share and Jalisco, in first place with 34% of the share.

These numbers correspond to the first semester of 2014; they also show Nayarit and Michoacán share fourth place with a 5% share.

Taking into consideration the numbers shown by the Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP, by its acronym in Spanish) and evaluating the increase of domestic tourists during the first semester, it can be inferred that 70% of domestic tourism to the destination arrives via land and the other 30% via air.

With the inauguration of the new Jala-Bahía de Banderas highway there will be an even better connection with market segment that travels by land and with it an increase in domestic tourism.

Another determining factor in the recovery of domestic tourism to the Riviera Nayarit is flight connectivity, which this year has increased thanks to the new domestic flights into the Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport.

Reconfirming that Puerto Vallarta Continues to be Friendly, Safe and Welcoming

The Mexican state of Jalisco is on the verge of signing a protocol to allow exports of fresh berries to China, heralding a new era for the country’s burgeoning berry exports.