Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco – During the current summer vacation period, Puerto Vallarta, the main tourist destination in Jalisco, has experienced a significant increase in hotel occupancy, reaching 78.6%. This figure is notably higher than the 70.5% recorded during the same period last year, marking a positive trend for the local tourism industry.
According to Luis Villaseñor, Director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trust, nearly 240,000 tourists have stayed in hotels so far this season, each spending an average of 14,620 pesos. This influx of visitors has generated an economic impact exceeding 3.5 billion pesos for the destination.
“With the strong performance in the first half of the year and these excellent summer season figures, Puerto Vallarta is on track to continue breaking historical records in hotel occupancy, tourist influx, and economic impact by the end of 2024,” stated Villaseñor.
The domestic market has played a crucial role in bolstering tourist numbers during the summer holiday period. Villaseñor highlighted the importance of prior promotional actions across various regions of the country, which have contributed to the increased influx of domestic tourists.
Rise of Hosting Platforms
In addition to the surge in hotel occupancy, Puerto Vallarta has also seen a significant number of tourists opting for digital leasing platforms. The Tourism Trust reported that approximately 50,000 people are currently staying through these platforms, with an occupancy rate of 56%. These visitors have contributed over 600 million pesos to the local economy during their stay.
Of the total tourists visiting Puerto Vallarta during this period, 71.5% are from other Mexican states, 22% from the United States, 5.2% from Canada, and 1.3% from other countries. This diverse influx of visitors highlights Puerto Vallarta’s appeal as an international tourist destination.
Growth in Air Tourism
The growth in tourism is also reflected in the air traffic at Puerto Vallarta’s international airport. According to Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), the airport handled 4.3 million passengers from January to July 2024, representing a 1.8% increase compared to the same period in 2023.
International travelers accounted for much of this growth, with numbers rising from 2.5 million in the first seven months of 2023 to 2.6 million in the same period of 2024. However, domestic air tourism saw a slight decline of 4.5%, dropping from 1.7 million passengers in the first half of 2023 to 1.6 million in 2024.
Raúl Revuelta, GAP’s General Director, mentioned in an interview with El Economista that the ongoing expansion and modernization projects at the Vallarta airport are part of a 10 billion peso investment under the current five-year plan (2020-2024). “We have almost 15 months of work left; we expect that all the investment we have brought to Vallarta will be 100% operational in 2026,” said Revuelta.
