OPINION: Do You Feel Safe Visiting Puerto Vallarta?

Last week, we began a new series of weekly, ongoing polls and surveys about topics related to Puerto Vallarta and its many challenges. Our first question had to do with whether Puerto Vallarta will lose its charm when the new, high-speed highway from Guadalajara is completed.

The number of people that took the time to answer the survey, along with the ensuing dialog that took place through Facebook and other social media outlets took us by surprise, exceeding our expectations. As of today, the poll results show a divided—close to 50/50—opinion among participants, both passionate advocates of our destination and concerned folk that feel uncertain about its fate. The good thing is, urban planners working with Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit can still make a difference in the way solutions could be implemented once the new highway is completed. We can only hope they will, indeed, make a difference.

We are extremely grateful for your participation!

This Week’s Poll: Do you feel safe visiting Puerto Vallarta?

The recent, unfortunate incident involving the abduction of a number of private citizens at a local restaurant has raised waves of concern throughout Mexico and the rest of the world, largely due to uneven reporting by Mexican authorities, which has resulted in even more speculative commentary by international media outlets.

The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board released a statement, saying that no tourist was involved or affected in the incident, also noting that the authorities are taking the necessary measures to ensure that business continues as usual for those planning to visit our destination in the near future.

While the event itself is concerning for the general population, and it raises major security eyebrows for all concerned, we think the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board’s statement is a valid assertion. That said, it’s difficult not to frown at the hype with which some media outlets in other countries are reporting the event.

What do you think? Will you continue with your upcoming trip as planned, or will you postpone it? And if you are a local resident, will you advise your friends and loved ones to visit, or will you advise them to wait? Please answer our poll, below, and feel free to share any comments you may have. And if you wish to participate in last week’s poll, you are welcome to do so!

Image courtesy of Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board