The Riviera Nayarit is looking to grow as an environmentally conscious luxury brand. It has been a pioneer in combining unique experiences in unique locations, emphasizing sustainable practices through industry-leading travel and tourism programs.
Marc Murphy, managing director of the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau, indicated that investing in sustainable tourism is the way forward in this era. Tourist destinations must adapt to new trends to remain competitive.
“While the central purpose of the Riviera Nayarit CVB is to promote the destination as a tourist destination, it is also a priority to help preserve its natural wealth, as these are the main attractions we have to offer our visitors,” he said.
In that respect, he added, more and more hotels and tourism service providers are offering a responsible and respectful travel experience toward the environment and communities. This is in response to travelers who are looking for exclusivity but with the least possible impact on the place they are visiting.
Along these lines, we present below some of the practices the Riviera Nayarit has been involved in or pioneered:
ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATIONS
Blue Flag: Application of strict environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria in managing beaches, marinas, and other bodies of water. The first Blue Flag for the Riviera Nayarit was awarded to Nuevo Vallarta Norte Beach in 2013; since then, it has maintained its certification.
EarthCheck: The Fraccionamiento Nautico Turístico Residencial Nuevo Vallarta is certified as an EarthCheck Community, the world’s leading sustainability program for the travel and tourism industry. As one of the communities with the highest number of tourists in the Riviera Nayarit, a solid commitment to caring for our resources and protecting local flora and fauna is essential.
Playas Limpias: The Riviera Nayarit is one of the national leaders in certified clean beaches (10 in total), a recognition endorsed by the Mexican Institute for Standardization and Certification (IMNC).
CLEANUP CAMPAIGNS
Beach Cleanup Network (BCN): This is a unique network created seven years ago, coordinated by the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) in conjunction with the Banderas Bay Hotel and Motel Association. Various groups of volunteers from different sectors of society participate in the BCN, such as NGOs, hotels, private companies, authorities, and schools, spread throughout the coastal towns of the Riviera Nayarit, from Bucerías and Punta de Mita to Rincón de Guayabitos and Isla de Mexcaltitán.
Cigarette butt collection: This practice seeks to reduce litter on the beaches but also helps to protect the country’s forest cover since one ton of recycled cigarette butts to generate paper is equivalent to saving 14 to 17 trees. The initiative led by the Association of Hotels and Motels of Banderas Bay (AHMBB), the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Riviera Nayarit Sustainability Committee, began in November 2020 (Colilla Challenge). A total of 18,250 cigarette butts were collected; in the first half of the year, around 27,005 have already been recycled.
Sorting counts (Separado cuenta): From April to June 2021, the Riviera Nayarit CVB promoted a crusade to help raise awareness about the importance of separating waste through environmental education talks, environmental fairs, and beach cleanups, among other activities.
REDUCING PLASTICS AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Training: Efforts to raise awareness among tourism sector workers and tourists about plastic reduction, energy consumption reduction, fuel savings that have a direct impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) generation, and reduction in water consumption.
In addition, the Islas Marietas National Park has banned the use of single-use plastics by tourism providers, so no boat should use this type of plastic when visiting the park. Since 2016, all tour operators wishing to carry out activities in the protected natural area must undergo ANP management training, which helps train operators and ensure that activities are carried out sustainably.
The Riviera Nayarit also participates in actions to protect the Islas Marietas and humpback whales, the turtle conservation program, and the protection of the national marshes and the species that inhabit them, among others.
For more information visit The Riviera Nayarit Tourism Website
Trending News
Trending News on PVDN
Mexico City Protest on July 5 Challenges Gentrification and Airbnb’s Impact on Housing Residents of Roma and Condesa will gather at Parque México on July 5 to protest gentrification, rising rents, and Airbnb’s effect on local housing. This Saturday, July 5, Mexico City will witness its first organized citizen protest against gentrification—a peaceful but urgent gathering taking place at 3:30 p.m. at the Lindbergh Forum in Parque México,…
More Raw Sewage Dumping at Playa Los Muertos Appear to Come From Local Hotel Business owners in Puerto Vallarta are demanding action after raw sewage was discovered leaking onto Playa Los Muertos, raising public health and tourism concerns. A raw sewage leak at Playa Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta has sparked outrage among local tourist service providers and business owners, who say the contamination is driving away visitors and…
Puerto Vallarta braces for torrential rains as Hurricane Flossie gains strength Puerto Vallarta faces a high risk of flooding as Hurricane Flossie intensifies in the Pacific. Torrential rains and overwhelmed drainage systems pose major challenges for the city. Puerto Vallarta, a city wedged between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Pacific Ocean, is no stranger to dramatic weather shifts—but this summer, the skies are testing the…
Puerto Vallarta needs a new image to create meaningful reasons for travelers to visit Business leaders at Jalisco Tourism Secretariat forums stressed the need for renewing Puerto Vallarta image and diversifying attractions to appeal to national and international markets. Local business leaders and tourism specialists agreed this week that Puerto Vallarta needs a fresh look and a broader range of attractions to compete at home and abroad. In a…
SEAPAL Official Reported Missing in Puerto Vallarta Authorities in Puerto Vallarta have launched a search for José Luis Velázquez Rodríguez, SEAPAL’s head of transparency, who has been missing since June 30. Family and officials are urging the public to report any information. Local authorities and civil protection units have launched a search operation for José Luis Velázquez Rodríguez, head of the Transparency…
Gentrification in Mexico City is not the reason for the high cost of housing City housing shortage, not gentrification, drives prices skyward as planning lags behind demand and foreigner influence remains minimal. High real estate costs in Mexico City stem from a deep and persistent housing shortage—exacerbated by land constraints, tangled regulations and speculative investment—rather than by the presence of foreign residents. Despite headlines blaming “gentrification,” foreign-born residents make…
No Damage Reported in Jalisco as Hurricane Flossie Moves Away While Mexico’s Weather Service predicted heavy rains, Hurricane Flossie causes no damage along Jalisco’s coast. The Category 3 storm brings light rain and moderate waves as it moves away from the region. The coasts of Jalisco remain calm and largely unaffected following the passage of Hurricane Flossie, a powerful Category 3 storm that is now…
Hurricane Flossie will bring tropical storm conditions to parts of Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco Hurricane Flossie intensifies off Mexico’s Pacific coast with winds near 90 mph. Heavy rain, flooding, and tropical storm conditions expected in parts of Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco. Hurricane Flossie continued to intensify early Tuesday morning as it moved west-northwestward off the coast of southwestern Mexico, prompting tropical storm warnings and watches across multiple states.…
Which Quintana Roo Beaches Clean From Sargassum and Those Covered Today July 4 2025 Daily sargassum tracking for July 4, 2025: see which Quintana Roo beaches are clear of sargassum and which have landings, with ongoing cleanup efforts keeping the coast visitor-ready. Welcome to the daily sargassum tracker for the Mexican Caribbean coast. Each morning, we tally which beaches in Quintana Roo remain free of sargassum and which have…
Protest graffiti and smashed windows mars anti-gentrification rally in Mexico City Residents and activists joined an anti-gentrification rally in Mexico Park, but the anti-gentrification rally Mexico Park turned destructive as masked youths defaced local shops and broke windows. A rally against gentrification held yesterday in Mexico City’s Parque México drew residents from Juárez, Roma, Condesa and Hipódromo alongside local activists. Organizers billed it as the city’s…
The Riviera Nayarit is looking to grow as an environmentally conscious luxury brand. It has been a pioneer in combining unique experiences in unique . . .