Mexico’s hip destination of Puerto Vallarta has officially reopened for tourism.
This week, Puerto Vallarta welcomed its first visitors since the beginning of the pandemic.
More than 45 hotels in the area have reopened to visitors, all with occupancy capped at a maximum of 30 percent.
A second group of hotels in Puerto Vallarta is slated to open in July, with the remainder projected to relaunch ahead of the winter tourist season.
As hotels have implemented new health and safety protocols, the destination itself is enforcing social distancing, along with “extensive and continuous sanitization in hotels, public transportation, and public spaces.”
“Restaurants must maintain physical distance between tables and patrons, and establishments must place disinfectant mats at entrances. Local officials are also distributing antibacterial gel and conducting temperature checks,” the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board said.
And U.S. airlines have begun serving the market, with daily flights on American Airlines from Dallas and Los Angeles, along with a daily flight on United from Houston to Puerto Vallarta.
Delta Air Lines restarted service from Los Angeles on July 2.
“Other U.S. airlines are waiting for growth in demand, while Canadian carriers await Canadian government approvals,” the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board said in a statement.