Tourism leaders in Puerto Vallarta say the city is still feeling the effects of the violence that followed the February 22 attacks. They point to lower visitor traffic, fewer service sales, and weaker flight activity, even after Semana Santa, Easter week, and May holiday weekends. Airport data shows international passenger traffic fell sharply in March and April, while state officials have described the destination as recovering. The split shows how uneven the rebound may be for businesses that depend on steady visitors.
Puerto Vallarta businesses struggle with fewer tourists after February
Puerto Vallarta businesses tied to tourism say the city is still seeing fewer visitors after the February 22 violence.
Tourism-sector business leaders reported lower visitor traffic, weaker hotel occupancy, fewer flights, and softer sales in service businesses. They said the decline began after the narcoattacks in February and was not fully offset by Semana Santa, Easter week, or May holiday weekends.
The reports point to a recovery that may be uneven. State tourism officials have said the destination is recovering, but airport data and business comments show pressure remained visible into April and May.
Tourism businesses report weaker demand
For restaurants, shops, tour operators, hotels, and other service businesses, visitor volume matters daily. A hotel room that goes empty, a canceled flight, or a slower weekend can move quickly through the local economy.
Business leaders said the weaker activity has been felt across businesses linked to tourism services. Their concern is not limited to one weekend. They said the effect continued after the February attacks and carried into later holiday periods.
The violence followed the February 22 death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación. The attacks in Jalisco disrupted travel, pushed some tourists to remain in hotels, and led to flight cancellations. On February 23, GAP reported 47 cancellations at Puerto Vallarta airport and 71 at Guadalajara.
Airport numbers show the pressure
The clearest public figures come from the air travel industry. Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico reported that total passenger traffic at the Puerto Vallarta airport fell 17 percent in April compared with April 2025.
International traffic showed a deeper drop. The airport handled 287,500 international passengers in April, down 23.5 percent from the same month last year.
March was sharper. GAP reported that Puerto Vallarta’s international passenger traffic fell 32.1 percent in March compared with March 2025. Total March passenger traffic at the airport fell 24.4 percent.
The January-through-April numbers also show a weaker start to the year. Total passenger traffic at the airport was down 11.3 percent from the same period in 2025. International passenger traffic was down 15.2 percent.
Holiday travel did not close the gap
Puerto Vallarta entered the spring holiday period with expectations for stronger travel. Earlier projections pointed to about 67,000 visitors from March 30 to April 5. That period was expected to bring 80 percent average hotel occupancy.
For Easter week, projections pointed to about 62,000 visitors and an average hotel occupancy of 75 percent. Those figures showed that the destination was still expected to see a substantial holiday flow.
Business leaders now say those holiday periods were not enough to reverse the decline. That is the main tension in the current picture. The destination had visitors, but some businesses say the volume did not meet their needs.
Recovery message remains mixed
State tourism officials have described Puerto Vallarta as recovering from the February disruption. They have also pointed to coming events and promotions as part of the effort to strengthen demand.
The business view is more cautious. Leaders in the sector say the February violence had a longer-lasting effect on visitor decisions, service sales, and air travel.
For foreign residents, the issue is as practical as it is economic. Fewer tourists can mean quieter streets, but it also affects local jobs, restaurant income, tour activity, and small businesses that rely on steady seasonal demand.
The available data does not show the full picture for every business. It does show that air traffic remained below last year in March and April. It also shows why some tourism businesses say the recovery has not felt complete.
