Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit received more than 600 travel agents from 550 agencies during the 25th Congreso Ponte Las Pilas, a tourism trade event aimed at turning hotel visits and destination training into summer travel sales.
The congress, organized by Record Vacation, brought travel sellers from across Mexico for hotel inspections, networking, and industry programming across the bay. The event placed Puerto Vallarta hotels, Riviera Nayarit properties, and destination marketers in front of agents who still help shape vacation bookings, especially in the domestic market.
The program began with visits to host hotels and participating properties, giving agents a closer look at rooms, services, and guest experiences they may later recommend to clients. A welcome event was held at Krystal Puerto Vallarta, where the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trust was recognized for its support of the travel-agent sector.
Hotel visits tied to summer bookings
The main program later moved to the Centro de Convenciones at Paradise Village, where Jorge Benavides, director general of Record Vacation, addressed participating agents and hotel partners. Published event details say participating hotels also received recognition for their role in the congress.
Hotels named in the program included Buenaventura Grand, Canto del Sol, Dreams Vallarta Bay, Friendly Fun, Crown Paradise Golden, Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta, Krystal Puerto Vallarta, Krystal Grand, Las Palmas by the Sea, Meliá Puerto Vallarta, and Sunscape.
The schedule also included the conference “Éxito sin pretextos,” led by Adriana Macías, followed by a closing stand-up presentation by Daniel Sosa. The tourism portion, though, was built around a simple business goal. Agents were brought into the destination before the summer period so they could sell it with fresh information, not old brochure copy.
Trade events keep Vallarta in front of sellers
The event comes after another major tourism sales push earlier this year, when Gala 2026 drew about 750 tourism professionals and more than 5,000 business meetings to Puerto Vallarta. Together, the meetings show how much local promotion still depends on direct relationships between hotels, wholesalers, and agents.
When travel agents know which properties have been renovated, which hotels suit families or couples, and which areas are easiest to sell, that can shape bookings months later.
The 25th Congreso Ponte Las Pilas Puerto Vallarta Riviera Nayarit also gives the bay another trade-sector appearance during a year when the destination is working to keep travel demand steady. PVDN recently looked at how Puerto Vallarta is trying to win back travelers in 2026, with new routes, promotions, and uneven travel data all part of the picture.
Event details published after the congress said the goal was to strengthen business ties, update agents on the destination, and encourage summer sales for Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit.
