Journalists representing Sunday Mirror, Mail on Sunday, Daily Express, Manchester Evening News, Cosmopolitan, Woman Magazine, and Sunday Times, have all come to “Live it to believe it”, the area’s tourism slogan.
The media will experience some of the area’s ecotourism adventures, such as, Las Marietas Island, an international icon of the Vallarta-Nayarit tourism campaigns. The Marieta Islands were originally formed many thousands of years ago by volcanic activity, and are completely uninhabited. The islands are about an hour long boat ride west-northwest from the coast of Puerto Vallarta and are visited daily by hundreds of tourists, yet no one can legally set foot on the islands.
Protection by the government has created an environment conducive to the development of the marine ecosystem, and is a popular location for snorkeling and scuba diving. People often report seeing sea turtles, manta rays, octopus, wild dolphins, humpback whales and thousands of species of tropical fish around the islands. The islands are also home to a few thousand birds, with species such as the Blue-footed Booby. Currently, the Mexican government allows only a few companies to go to the islands for public tours because of conservationist efforts.
The press will also experience the Rhythms of the Night cruise and dinner show, an expedition through the mountains of Sierra Madre, surfing in Sayulita, and an evening sailing trip in the Bay of Banderas.
In May direct flights from Manchester and London were opened to Puerto Vallarta, and in June the Tourism Board of Mexico visited London. Earlier this month the British and Mexican Governments established joint culture programs to begin in 2015.
