Gay Tourists Flock to Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit Beaches Mariana Gonzalez - EFE
go to original December 30, 2014

The growing number of tourist attractions, the chance to have a symbolic wedding and an atmosphere of non-discrimination have made the coast of the western Mexican states of Jalisco and Nayarit a paradise for the international gay community.

The strip of beaches that goes from Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco to San Blas, Nayarit is the leading tourist destination for members of the gay-lesbian community from such countries as the United States and Canada, and increasingly, from Europe and South America, according to publications specializing in the segment.

Richard Zarkin, public relations manager for the Nayarit Riviera Conventions and Visitors Bureau, told EFE that the private agency has great expectations for business from the gay communities in Brazil, Argentina and Chile, and for increasing the number of American and Canadian tourists, considered captive markets.

He said that gay tourists spend 30 percent more than the straight segment, and is growing annually by as much as 11 percent.

In Nuevo Vallarta, Punta Mita, Sayulita and San Francisco, in Nayarit state, two hotels offer symbolic weddings and honeymoon packages for same-sex couples, while two more have "Out Now" certificates, awarded to establishments with personnel trained to give comprehensive attention to the gay market, according the Australian marketing firm in the segment, Out Now Global.

...Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, has also developed its attractions for the gay tourist on Los Muertos Beach, known as the "romantic zone" south of the coastal city.

At least 12 hotels there are "gay friendly," with one of them exclusively dedicated to the segment, while a series of bars, restaurants, handicraft and clothing stores, massage parlors and tourist excursions are also focused on the gay-lesbian community.

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