Puerto Vallarta’s tourism sector says the destination has regained confidence after a difficult start to the year and is preparing for stronger summer tourism demand.
Rafael Romero, director of sales and marketing for Hilton Vallarta, said in a radio interview that the first months of 2026 were affected by security concerns, especially among travelers from the United States and Canada.
Romero said the turn began around Semana Santa, when hotels reached full occupancy during peak days. He said international visitors have increased since May, while promotions and stronger travel connections are helping hotels prepare for summer.
Tourism confidence improves before summer
The message from the hotel sector is more upbeat than it was earlier this year, when Puerto Vallarta was still trying to recover from the perception damage caused by February security disruptions.
Romero said the destination’s main challenge is still international perception.
“The most important challenge is changing the perception of how they see us on security internationally,” Romero said, according to the interview. He added that the destination “looks very good” and that tourism leaders are inviting buyers and partners to see conditions directly.
That effort included GALA Vallarta 2026, the annual tourism business meeting held in March. The Puerto Vallarta tourism board said GALA Vallarta brought together more than 750 tourism leaders, including wholesalers, agencies, airlines, tour operators, and hotel representatives.
The event was used to reinforce business ties after a rough start to the year. It also gave hotels and tourism operators a chance to push fall and winter contracts, not just last-minute summer bookings.
Air routes and the Guadalajara drive
Romero pointed to air connectivity as one reason the tourism sector is feeling more confident. He said flights from Canada and the United States have increased, while Volaris has added direct domestic links from Puebla, San Luis Potosí, and Aguascalientes.
Volaris lists new routes starting in June 2026, including connections to Puerto Vallarta from Puebla, San Luis Potosí, and Aguascalientes. Those routes give the destination greater access to central Mexican markets, which do not always require longer international trips.
The shorter road connection from Guadalajara is also part of the summer pitch. Romero said the drive can now take about two and a half to three hours via the toll road, bringing Puerto Vallarta closer to travelers from Guadalajara, the Bajío, and nearby cities such as Morelia, León, and Aguascalientes.
Still, the recovery picture is not simple. Passenger data from Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico showed Puerto Vallarta handled 440,200 passengers in May, down 14.4 percent from May 2025. International traffic fell 26.5 percent that month, while domestic traffic was down 4.1 percent.
That means the destination may be seeing better hotel confidence and more bookings in some segments before the airport numbers fully catch up. Puerto Vallarta Daily previously reported that Puerto Vallarta airport traffic dropped sharply in March, with international demand driving much of the decline.
