Latest Survey Shows What Tourists Love About Puerto Vallarta (And What They Don’t)

Last Updated 2 weeks ago

During the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, Luis Villaseñor Nolasco, the Director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trust, reported that a tourist survey was carried out to figure out what visitors spending their holidays in Puerto Vallarta love about the city and what they think needs to be improved. 

The aim of the survey was to also get detailed information about the typical tourist profile while gaining insights on how to improve the city’s strengths and work on its weaknesses, specifically concerning the tourism sector. 

According to the result, visitors were positively surprised by people’s friendliness as well as the delicious gastronomy offered by the many restaurants in this area. 

One of the number one complaints on the other hand was the garbage present on the streets. 

How to survey was carried out  

According to Luis Villaseñor Nolasco, surveys were carried out at the API Maritime Terminal, the romantic zone, one of the city’s busiest neighborhoods, and at the airport. 

He added that the questionnaire asked tourists queries about: “Where they come from, how much they consumed if they left the hotel, what was the reason for the trip, what type of accommodation they used if it was a platform or traditional.”

In order to carry out the survey in the most efficient and accurate way, the Tourist Trust hired an external survey company that tested people for a period of two weeks, taking advantage of the large influx of visitors heading to Puerto Vallarta for the winter holidays. 

What people liked the most

According to the Director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trust, tourists were mostly impressed by people’s hospitality. “What stood out the most is that they like the topic of hospitality, the first thing they say is that the people of Vallarta are very friendly and that the people are always very cordial.”

Secondly, visitors reported food as the main thing they loved about their trip. “The second point that stands out the most is the topic of the food,” said Luis Villaseñor Nolasco.

Not by chance, Puerto Vallarta is home to a variety of fine-dining restaurants featuring delicious menus for all tastes. 

Apart from these two main factors, travelers seem to enjoy Puerto Vallarta a lot due to a number of reasons. 

Even though the current report doesn’t mention this directly, visitors are now flocking to this area of Mexico due to its stunning luxury resorts featuring state-of-the-art amenities and breathtaking locations. 

Another main reason leading thousands of tourists to choose Puerto Vallarta for their holidays is the number of golden-sand beaches in the area. 

From Boca de Tomates to Playa de Oro and Los Tules, foreigners will find plenty of places to choose from. 

Here, visitors can decide whether to relax sunbathing for a while, try out some water sports such as surfing and kitesurfing, or chill out in one of the lively beach clubs present on the shore. 

But what are tourists’ main complaints when visiting Puerto Vallarta? 

What people didn’t like

Talking about visitors’ complaints, the number one issue was garbage. In this regard, it’s important to point out that workers are constantly carrying out garbage collecting services to keep the city clean at all times. 

Despite this, with so many tourists arriving in this popular destination on a daily basis, it is almost impossible to keep the streets spotless at all times. 

Commenting on the issue, Luis Villaseñor Nolasco said: “The cleanest city is not where the most garbage is collected but rather where the least is thrown away.”

Some visitors also complained about the presence of homeless people in the city. Talking about it, the Director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trust said: “We have been working on the problem of the homeless with businessmen and authorities.” However, it is still unclear how this issue will be addressed in the future.