|
|
Puerto Vallarta
|
|
September 1st to 8th, 2002
|
Blue Bays Gone, Sun Rises
After six years of talking about
it, a new chain of hotels was created in Puerto Vallarta
last month: the Sun Hotels & Resorts.
Led by equal partners Arturo Altamirano
and Martin Good, Sun Hotels & Resorts will take
over the Sr. Altamirano's four hotels in Puerto Vallarta,
Guadalajara and Lagos de Moreno. Here in Vallarta, this
means that the establishments formerly known as the
Blue Bay Club and the Blue Bay Getaway will now belong
to and be administered by Sun Hotels & Resorts.
The partners intend to invest $1.2 Million in the Club
property to convert it to an Adult Only resort.
This new enterprise will also manage
Los Angeles Locos and Punta Serena, both located in
Tenacatita, south of Vallarta. All the hotels will function
under the All Inclusive plan, though some will be for
Adults Only while others will cater to families.
In addition, Sun Hotels intends to
introduce "Lifestyle", an all-inclusive hedonistic
entertainment concept for couples only in Punta Serena
and Puerto Vallarta. Though this is nothing new in the
Caribbean, it will be the first of its kind in Mexico
and Latin America.
Fiesta Americana Hotel Receives
ISO 9002 Certification
The beautiful Fiesta Americana Hotel
in Puerto Vallarta is proud to announce that it has
received its ISO 9002 certification after having met
all the requirements in the implementation of the quality
system that meets world standards in the Hotel and Services
activities process.
Free Contraceptives to Be Distributed
in Jalisco
Young girls under the age of 20 and
afraid of getting pregnant will be able to acquire "morning-after
pills" free as part of a pilot program announced
last week by some local drugstores.
The program is a joint venture between
the drugstore chain, the National Health Service and
the Jalisco State Clinic for Teenage Pregnancies.
The Future of Tourism in Vallarta
Would Be in Danger…
Lynne Bairstow, former editor of
Vallarta Today (who still contributes articles to that
publication), an award-winning writer specialized in
tourism and a resident of Puerto Vallarta for many,
many years, delivered a letter to the Municipal Consulting
Council on Tourism -of which she is a member- to express
her feelings with regard to the cancellation of the
regional promotion agreement with the state of Nayarit.
Translated into English, her letter
states: "We are at a critical moment for the future
of tourism in Puerto Vallarta. I take this opportunity
to express my opinion on a matter which I consider of
utmost importance: the recent breaking off of the agreement
on the joint promotion of Puerto Vallarta and Bahía
de Banderas, in (the states of) Jalisco and Nayarit.
I consider that separating the promotional efforts of
one region into two states is not efficient and puts
the actual future of tourism in Puerto Vallarta at risk,
as it converts what has been a single destination in
the eyes of the rest of the world, into two competing
neighbors."
Editor's Note: Ms. Bairstow wrote
the famous Frommer's tourist guide for Mexico and received
an award from the President of Mexico himself for her
work. She also worked with the Tourism Board of Puerto
Vallarta for many years.
Change of Schedule for Garbage
Pick-up Routes Downtown
As of this Monday, the times for
the pick-up of refuse in the downtown core, or "historical
center", will be modified. The intention is to
make a good impression on tourists so restaurants and
businesses on Mexico Avenue, Paseo Díaz Ordaz,
Morelos and Juárez Streets will no longer have
to put out their bags of garbage in the evenings, but
rather at 4 p.m. when there are less passers-by. The
Municipal Consulting Council on Tourism has proven itself
to be an organism whose main goal is the join efforts
that will allow the town to offer a better image to
visitors, so as to avoid a reduction in their numbers.
City Hall claims that it has followed up every one of
the points the Council has brought up.
We have also learned that the former
director of the city's Public Works Department has won
the bid to build the new cultural facilities on the
island on the Cuale River. The project valued at approximatele
$3 Million Pesos will have to be completed no later
than December 2002. Among other things, it will provide
the island with a modern auditorium with a capacity
for 200 people.
Catholics Demonstrate Against
Film
A group of approximately 200 people
-led by the parish priest of the Church of Santa Cruz
and composed mainly of elderly folks and children- marched
along the main streets of downtown Vallarta last week
demonstrating against the movie "El Crimen del
Padre Amaro" playing at the Ciné Bahía
theater. National and foreign tourists looked on and
read the banners and placards held high by the demonstrators
who had walked from the Church located in the Emiliano
Zapata neighborhood along Juarez Street all the way
to 31 de Octubre Street, then back along the Malecon.
One elderly gentleman, some seventy
years old, was quoted as saying, "I don't know
why the authorities allow these movies to be shown as
they attack our faith and our beliefs, we want them
to get rid of them, that people not go to see it."
Vallarta Wants More Flights
The Coordinating Council, the Tourism
Trust and the State Secretary of Tourism joined forces
to try to get back the flights Vallarta has lost and
increase the number of international flights to this
destination.
According to Dennis Whitelaw, President
of the Trust, now is the time to take steps that would
position Puerto Vallarta on the national and international
markets. "If we don't do something now, we won't
be able to complain later about what steps we could
have taken," he said.
Over the last eight years, Mexicana
airlines has cancelled daily flights from San Francisco
and Denver. Now there are only two operational flights
from the latter city per week.
Two flights from L.A., Seattle, Dallas
and San Antonio's daily flights were also cancelled.
The daily flights from Chicago have been reduced to
twice a week.
Mexicana has also dropped the two
daily flights from Mexico City and Guadalajara, among
others involving Los Cabos, Mazatlan and Morelia.
In the case of Aeromexico, the flights
from San Diego and J.F.K. in New York City were cancelled
last December.
Mr. Whitelaw proposed the development
of an initial action program and an analysis of prevailing
conditions among airlines. To improve the present situation,
he recommended a visit with each of the airlines that
service this town, showing interest in undertaking joint
actions. In his opinion, such a program would not only
benefit Puerto Vallarta, but also promote commercial
flights to the state capital of Guadalajara and the
state of Jalisco as a whole.
Flights to Vallarta Most Expensive
of All
The costs per kilometer of flights
to Puerto Vallarta are the highest on both the national
and international scales. Suffice it to say that Mexico's
two national airlines charge $9.85 pesos per kilometer
from Guadalajara, 203 km. away.
However, Aeromexico charges the
following rates:
To Mazatlan, $5.48 pesos for 422 km.
To Acapulco, $3.96 pesos for 610 km.
To Cancun, $3.07 pesos for 707 km.
On international flights, tourists
pay $4.01 pesos per km. to fly here from Los Angeles,
1,960 km. away, but if they want to fly to Acapulco
which is 2,772 km. away, they only pay $2.45 pesos/km.
and if they should opt for Cancun -a 3,404 km. trip-
they will be charged $2.18 pesos/km.
With Mexicana airlines, a flight
from Guadalajara to Acapulco costs $2,921. pesos of
$4.78 pesos per km., while a flight to Cancun only costs
$3.07 pesos per km.
From Los Angeles to Vallarta, this
airline charges $3.84 pesos per kilometer, but to go
to Acapulco, the same tourists would only have to pay
$2.43 pesos per km.
Donations to the Local DIF
The local chapter of the DIF (social
services for the Integral Development of Families) received
donations last month from various businesses, among
which: Aeroplazas donated $5,000. pesos, La Fuente del
Puente Restaurant donated $1,000. pesos and Tequilas
Restaurant donated eight beds destined for the "Casa
de Día" shelter for youngsters and seniors.
The protection of the 3 species
of crocodiles living in Mexico is of utmost importance
as they are a fundamental part of the natural cycles
of coastal ecosystems and some of the country's rivers.
To Raise Awareness to Protect
Crocodiles in Mexico
On the occasion of the National Day
of Crocodiles in Mexico on August 24th, biologist Helios
Hernández, co-responsible for the Cipactli reptile
farm of the Coastal University Center (CUC) of the University
of Guadalajara and member of the Technical Consultation
Sub-Committee for the Conservation, Administration and
Sustainable Development of the Crocodile Population
of Mexico (COMACROM) stated, "this date coincides
with the birth of the great Mexican naturalist, Don
Miguel Álvarez del Toro, who was one of the main
promoters and student of crocodiles in this country.
It also marks the date when crocodile eggs hatch in
Mexico."
He pointed out that all along Mexico's
coastlines, the natural habitat of crocodiles has been
decreasing in size, "We have to do a technical
evaluation to respond adequately for the protection
of the habitats, which are fundamental to the survival
of biological diversity."
He added that the studies conducted
along the coastline of Jalisco will allow an evaluation
as to how the crocodile population has been affected
by natural and anthropogenic effects. This in turn will
provide possibilities to establish an alternative for
sustainable development of the resource by human beings.
The fourth national assembly of the
COMACROM was scheduled for August 21-24 in the city
of Campeche where national and international crocodile
specialists would meet to analyze the present situation
of crocodiles in the wild and in captivity.
Hernández Hurtado explained
that there are three species of crocs in Mexico, the
river crocodile, the pantano and the caiman (Crocodylus
acutus, C. moreletti and Caiman crocodilus chiapasius
respectively) that live in the coastal lagoons, pantanos
and rivers.
He also stated that the University
of Guadalajara is the second university on the national
level to get involved in the conservation of crocodiles
through the CUC's Cipactli Crocodile reserve, that only
represents a part of the large project that the entire
population must undertake in order to conserve one of
the oldest species on earth.
Lake Chapala Matter in Johannesburg
Two of the main non-governmental
organizations most active in the fight to save Lake
Chapala near Guadalajara were scheduled to present their
proposals at the World Summit on the Environment organized
by the UN in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The spokesman for one of the NGO's
said that his group's goal was for Lake Chapala to be
included in the Association of Living Lakes that already
includes 19 such bodies of water on four continents.
"That way, we will get funds to save the lake.
We only came here for a commitment, which we do not
have with either a government nor any companies."
He added that the Association whose head office is in
Germany and which is promoted by the Global Nature Fund,
"acknowledges that Lake Chapala is one of those
with the most critical problems."
Archives
by date
|
Current
Weather Report
