Annual trade event will showcase the Nayarit’s new promotional campaign highlighting all areas of state
NUEVO VALLARTA, Mexico — The 28th annual edition of Gala Riviera Nayarit & Puerto Vallarta, the leading travel and tourism industry event on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, will take place on Thursday, Feb. 16 and Friday, Feb. 17, 2023 at the Grand Vidanta Convention Center here in Nayarit state.
The event aims to foster networking opportunities between international and national wholesalers and operators and the local infrastructure of both Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta, in neighboring Jalisco state. This includes two days of pre-established B2B appointments, property site visits, events, media interviews, meetings planner visits and a special tour of Nayarit by a delegation of Mexican Consulates, which now oversees Mexico’s tourism promotions.
This year, the trade event will be hosted by Nayarit and its state Ministry of Tourism, headed by Juan Enrique Suárez del Real Tostado. The gala will also be part of the state’s new promotional campaign, which aims to enhance tourism to the existing Riviera Nayarit resort area and expand tourism to the entire state via its cultural and historical offerings.
“The state of Nayarit offers its visitors the ability to enjoy the luxury properties of the Riviera Nayarit and the authentic experiences of the many towns spread across the state, including our Pueblos Magicos and the connection with the Huichol and our agave fields,” said Nayarit Tourism Minister Suárez del Real Tostado. “The state offers four distinct regions and archipelagos, which have the perfect characteristics for outdoor activities, adventure tourism, eco-tourism and cultural tourism.”
Among the topics the tourism ministry will be addressing at the gala are:
· Additions to the state’s tourism infrastructure: new guest properties expected to open in 2023; the expansion of Tepic Airport (TPQ); Costa Canuva’s Lorena Ochoa- and Greg Norman-designed golf course; and Mandarina’s eco-friendly Polo Club.
· Fishing and farmers’ markets: Many visitors to Nayarit charter boats for the day for fishing, visits to local island or simply lounging at sea. At local markets, visitors can buy from both local fishermen and farmers. Nayarit is big in mango production from May to September, an ideal time to taste fresh mangos.
· Natural and active attractions: Undiscovered options include hiking volcanoes such as Ceboruco and Sanganguey; visiting the Laguna de Santa Maria del Oro, a crater lake that changes colors throughout the year; or seeing the coffee plantation in Cumbres de Huicicila, which produces a high-altitude coffee of the best quality.
· Indigenous culture: Travelers can head into the foothills of the Sierra Madre and up 3,000 feet to visit the historic city of Compostela, before reaching a small Huichol indigenous village with a population of only 130. The Huichol are renowned for maintaining their unique pre-Columbian way of life for centuries, from the fall of the Aztec Empire to the Spanish Invasion and, now, the modern era.
· UNESCO: On the Marias Islands, the former jail, which closed in 2019, will now reopen to the public. The islands are also ideal for nature lovers. In 2010, they were designated as a UNESCO biosphere reserve, a specially protected biodiverse region. Travelers can enjoy birdwatching, diving, surfing and snorkeling.
