Canadian Snowbirds Come to Puerto Vallarta and 'They Tell Their Friends' Travelweek
go to original October 13, 2017

The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board's Director, Javier Aranda Pedrero, and Promotion & PR Director, Luis Villasenor

TORONTO — Puerto Vallarta is seeing double-digit growth out of Canada, with air arrivals from this market up 14% in the first half of 2017, says the newly appointed Director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board, Javier Aranda Pedrero.

Hotel occupancy meanwhile is strong at 85%. “By the end of the year we’re expecting to grow four to five points over 2016,” said Pedrero.

From the Canadian market Puerto Vallarta benefits not just from vacationers taking one and two week getaways but also long-stay travellers who, much to the tourism board’s delight, tell their friends all about Puerto Vallarta. “Canadians have become promoters of the destination,” says Pedrero. “The Canadian snowbirds come to Puerto Vallarta and stay a while, and then they tell their friends, and bring their friends.”

Sunwing is adding flights to the destination out of Abbotsford and Victoria, he adds. Meanwhile WestJet is up to almost 40 flights a week to the destination, in high season.

Puerto Vallarta is getting ready to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2018 and there will be “celebrations every month,” says Pedrero, adding that “Puerto Vallarta always seems to be having a party. That’s part of the ambience of the destination.”

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