Why is now a good time for travelers and agents to focus on Mexico, and Jalisco in particular?
We understand that there’s a challenge for the state of Jalisco now, especially because of the [U.S.] economy. The economy might be slowing down a bit, but that presents some great opportunities for traveling to Mexico. We understand that to keep the destination competitive, we have to focus on developing it. We really want people to enjoy the destinations and recommend it and come back. We are also working very hard on training our people. We know that every moment — whether you have contact with a taxi driver, or a waitress in a restaurant or an owner of a hotel — is a possibility for making an impression.
What makes Jalisco so different from other states?
I think that here, there’s something very important and that’s authenticity. The real Mexico, the authentic Mexico — all the things you know in the world about Mexico — are based in Jalisco. That’s why we say, “Jalisco es Mexico.” What you have here is an authentic Mexican experience and a mix of different alternatives. If you like the beach, you have Puerto Vallarta and also the Costalegre region with very exclusive, beautiful resorts. And you also have small towns that are really rich in cultural heritage.
Everyone knows about Tequila; can you tell us about other culinary scenes in Jalisco?
We have a very important gastronomic festival in Puerto Vallarta in November. We’re in the process of reviewing the program this year; it’s been growing every year and we see that Puerto Vallarta is really becoming known as a gastronomic destination, too.
What kind of growth and development can we expect in Puerto Vallarta?
In Puerto Vallarta, we’re working in different areas. We’re opening a convention center at the end of this year. We’ll also start, at the end of this year, the construction of a new cruise facility in the port of Puerto Vallarta. This year, we will have around 600,000 cruise visitors to Puerto Vallarta. We want to give people a world-class facility that’s easy, fast and safe. It’ll give them a good sense of Puerto Vallarta.
We’re also talking with people from the Vancouver aquarium. They have interest and they’ve already found land right next to the convention center to build a world-class aquarium.
Those are just some of the things that we’re bringing to the market. We hope that in the next three years Puerto Vallarta will have much more things to offer to visitors. There are plans for new Dreams and Secrets Resort Hotels in Puerto Vallarta, too. We’re establishing new events so people who come can enjoy activities year-round.
We understand that we have to produce more events so we can have better occupancy of the hotels all year-round.
And in other areas of Jalisco?
We are in the process of developing the Tequila region as a destination. We have the Tequila Express that runs from Guadalajara to Amatitan and we have a master plan for developing the whole area as a high-end destination. The number of visitors to Tequila has increased by about 30 percent every year but most of those visitors are not staying for the night. We want to bring new experiences. We also want to have spas and golf courses where people can stay for a week or at least a weekend in the area.
We also have a project with the north part of the state with the Huichol Indians, who have their communities there. We have budgeted to invest in infrastructure services and training of the people. It’s a little bit of a drive, but there are a lot of tourists who are coming from Puerto Vallarta to visit this community.
For religious tourists, we’ve been working on the east part of the state where we have the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Zapopan. It has almost 7 million visitors a year. They stay, but not as long or as much as we would like them to. We are also investing in that region to make it a powerful destination.
What are some off-the-beaten-path destinations that some travelers and agents often overlook?
I think that Jalisco is the only state in all of Mexico that has three — what we call — “Magic Towns.” Two are in the mountains — Tapalpa and Mazamitla— and those are two very beautiful places with cabanas and hotels. Tapalpa, specifically, has a golf course. You can really experience something different at these places. It’s something really unique, but since you have to drive up to two hours from Guadalajara, some agents would prefer promoting places that are easier to get to and more well-known. The third Magic Town is Tequila.
Another destination, which is close to Puerto Vallarta, is the small town of San Sebastian del Oeste. It used to be mining town about 200 years ago, with about 20,000 people living there and now, it’s only 500 people living there. You can imagine how beautiful it is.
What’s one of your favorite spots to visit in Jalisco?
One that is beautiful is Hotelito Desconocido www.hotelito.com, just 1½-hours south from Puerto Vallarta. It’s an ecological place with very low density and the landscape is beautiful and there are thousands of birds every morning. It’s a very sophisticated place. I really recommend it.
CONTACT
Mexico Tourism Board
www.visitmexico.com
