The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board will host the 2015 North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) 2015 Conference & Marketplace.
The conference will take place from May 5 to 9, 2015 and is expected to bring over 100 travel industry leaders to Puerto Vallarta, including active journalists and editors from across Canada, the United States and Mexico. Representatives from international destinations and tourism leaders will also participate in the conference.
Industry sponsorship for the conference has been overwhelming with the destination’s top airlines, Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines as airline sponsors and Grupo Velas’ Velas Vallarta will be the host hotel.
The opening ceremony will be held at the old John Huston home, Las Caletas, with a special performance of the destination’s iconic Vallarta Adventure’s Rhythms of the Night. The 100% sustainable enterprise, Canopy River, will host the closing dinner with performances by the children’s Ballet Folkloric Xiutla and Mariachi Jalisco at their installations in the middle of the Sierra Madre.
Puerto Vallarta’s world-renown culinary scene, will be showcased thorough the conference with sunset cockatils and dinners at Casa Velas, Vista Grill, River Café, Café des Artistes, Trio, Maia and La Leche. Participants may also take cooking classes at El Arrayan or do a walking food tour of local community El Pitillal, with Vallarta Food Walking Tours.
Additional activities being offered to participants include a zip-lining and donkey-riding “River Expedition” with CANOPY RIVER, and education “Signatures Swim” with Dolphins at Dolphin Discovery, Mexico’s internationally awarded company for its reproduction efforts of sea mamals, horseback ride & swim at Hacienda Donna Engracia; experiencing Puerto Vallarta’s current trend – its beach clubs at Mantamar; praciting golf at the Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf 18-hole Vista Vallarta championship golf course; and ofcourse Puerto Vallarta’s luxurious spa’s, including the Marriott’s award winning Ohtli.
An additional day has been added to the conference to provide all participants with the opportuntiy to expereince Puerto Vallarta with full day tours to the city’s Botanical Garden, the protected areas of el Salado Estuary, the working ranch of Hacienda el Divisadero and the town of El Tuito or the local SPCA which has become a popular location for visiting families to volenteer as well as another family favortite, the Pirate Ship. Those looking to experience Puerto Vallarta’s beach side can explore some of the private beaches of the Bay of Banderas in a boat ride with Mike’s Fishing.
Post trips to the NATJA conference will include visits to the virgin beaches of Costalegre; the magical cities of Puerto Vallarta’s South; and the World Heritage site of the city of Tequila, Jalisco’s capital city of Guadalajara and others.
Register to participate at http://natja.org/conference/ and follow the conference at #NATJAPV15
