WHY IT RATES: The Riviera Nayarit area continues to thrive as a popular destination with tourists. —Codie Liermann, Senior Editor

Over 1,700 domestic and international flights are expected to arrive at the “Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz” International Airport (PVR) during July 2021, an increase of 20 percent over the previous month according to data provided by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP).

This agency, responsible for operating the air terminal that serves Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit, released the flight schedules for the first two weeks of the month. Special mention goes to the arrival for the first time in the region of the US low-cost airline Spirit and the increase of flights and frequencies of national airlines such as Aeromexico/Aerolitoral and Viva Aerobus.

Riviera Nayarit, a Favorite With Travelers

Marc Murphy, managing director of the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), said that Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit are clearly on the rebound. According to data from the GAP, they are six percentage points away from reaching their 2019 numbers.

“According to growth and recovery indicators, the Riviera Nayarit is still among the preferred destinations with domestic and international travelers. Despite the global crisis, the region is generating a demand reflected in the increased arrival of passengers via air and the sheer number of tourists. Of course, we can’t rest on our laurels. Looking ahead, we’re almost certain that the second quarter of the year will present us with some difficult challenges. Still, our destination is unique, resilient, and beloved by travelers from around the world. We need to be optimistic and confident that we’ll be able to overcome them,” he said.

More Routes and Frequencies

Spirit Airlines, which launched operations on July 1, will connect the Riviera Nayarit with three US cities: Los Angeles with a daily frequency, and Dallas and Houston with three weekly frequencies on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, for a total of 13 flights per week. These flights represent more than 2,300 seats per week.

Meanwhile, WestJet—the only Canadian airline in service to date—continues to fly to the region with one flight a week from Calgary.

As for domestic airlines, Viva Aerobus reported an increase in frequencies on its Monterrey route, with 31 flights, 21 more than last month. In total, it will have 63 frequencies in service, nine more than in June. Volaris will be operating 38 flights, two more than last month, and TAR has increased its frequencies to 30, five more than in June.

Lastly, as of July 12, Aeromar will connect this region with Monterrey, via Aguascalientes and San Luis Potosí, with more than 500 new seats per week.

There are currently 16 airlines flying to this region of the Mexican Pacific: eight U.S., one Canadian and seven domestic, connecting to 19 international and nine domestic destinations.

To learn more about this increased connectivity and to see flight schedules, click here .

SOURCE: Riviera Nayarit press release.