•  Vallarta Seeks Sport Tourism

Canadian basketball player Howard Kelsey is assisting in making Vallarta a destination for sport tourism. How? By organizing the Sport Classic in May of next year. The event will feature beach volleyball with the XX Lager Professional Circuit with participants from Canada, Mexico and the United States. Other competitions such as an aerobics marathon, a foot race and a 10 K boat race with 50 tenders are also planned. Some events will be opened up for seniors and children. Over 1,500 participants are expected for the Sport Classic 2000.


•  20 International Cruise Ship Arrivals Expected in Puerto Vallarta by Years' End

The Integral Port Administration stated that aside from Elation and Rhapsody of the Seas, 20 additional cruises from different companies would be arriving before the end of 1999. The new ships will be the Regal Princess, Norwegian Wind, Statedam, and Seabourn Legend. With the arrival of these ships, Puerto Vallarta will have one of its most successful cruise seasons to date. The cruise ship Seawind Crown is also planning a return visit next year.


•  La Jolla De Mismaloya Hotel and Resort Receives 5 Star Diamond Award

Superior marks in hospitality and service along with quality building construction were key factors in obtaining the prestigious 5 Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences. La Jolla de Mismaloya has the distinction of being the first hotel in Puerto Vallarta with the 5 star rating. Upon presenting the award last week, Ulrich Schwartz, the Academy's vice-president, pointed out the resort's amenities, stating "just a few steps from here lies Puerto Vallarta's beginnings, the set used in the famous movie The Night of the Iguana, and just a few meters beyond, Eva Gardener's small hotel from which this fabulous resort was built. A resort with incredible options for guest ranging from water sports like diving to mountain and jungle sports."


•  Whale Season Underway

The Secretariat of the Environment, Natural Resources and Fishing (Semarnap) reported that the first Humpback whales of the season have arrived at the Bay of Banderas. Whale watching has recently added to Vallarta's natural attractions, thus this year government authorities have adopted new regulations designed to guarantee the cetaceans' safety. These magnificent creatures come to our warmer waters from the Arctic to reproduce. Their numbers grow until mid December. Humpback whale season ends in March.

•  Guadalajara Airport Now Privately Owned

The official ceremony was held last week at the Guadalajara airport for the private acquisition of a group of airports known as Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico. Puerto Vallarta's international airport is a member of this group. The ceremony was presided by Jalisco governor Alberto Cardenas along with Communications and Transport Secretary, Carlos Ruiz Sacristan, and investor Olegario Vazquez from the Los Angeles Group, the firm now responsible for the airports management. Improvements in the facilities are expected in the future.


•  The Millennium Coin

As part of the Vallarta 2000 program, the official coin commemorating the celebrations in Vallarta at the turn of the millennium, are now going on sale. Fabricated where Mexican coins of official value are made, this ounce of silver portrays a typical valerian view to the sea, enhanced by milestones depicting the town’s particular character, such as the towers emerging from the Iglesia de Guadalupe. On the other side, a contemporary logo used to represent "Vallarta Millennium: The Great Celebration", contrasts with its design, brainchild of Joaquín Baeza. Price range will set the coin between $475 to $500 pesos.


•  Feed The Children

Founded by Art and Mayra Fumerton, Saúl González and Robert Mandel, Feed the Children in Puerto Vallarta gathers the efforts of approximately 10 other collaborators, that help in the curving of malnutrition in elementary schools located at poverty-stricken neighborhoods. The project initiated at Gabriel Mistral and Juan de la Barrera elementary schools in colonia Magisterio (municipal waste yard) with 200 children; later, with the inclusion of El Pípila Elementary in colonia Mojoneras, the program grew to 500 children.
Since its beginnings, the growth in attendance in these schools has been observed. However, the universe of children in need of nutritional compensation reaches up to 4,000. These numbers moved people involved in the furthering of this cause to head for the gathering of community support that would help them reach more children at more schools. With this in mind, several new projects and cooperation schemes were designed in efforts to ensure continuity in the aid, at least for entire school periods.


•  Whale Season Underway

The Secretariat of the Environment, Natural Resources and Fishing (Semarnap) reported that the first Humpback whales of the season have arrived at the Bay of Banderas. Whale watching has recently added to Vallarta's natural attractions, thus this year government authorities have adopted new regulations designed to guarantee the cetaceans' safety. These magnificent creatures come to our warmer waters from the Arctic to reproduce. Their numbers grow until mid December. Humpback whale season ends in March.


•  Guadalajara Airport Now Privately Owned

The official ceremony was held last week at the Guadalajara airport for the private acquisition of a group of airports known as Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico. Puerto Vallarta's international airport is a member of this group. The ceremony was presided by Jalisco governor Alberto Cardenas along with Communications and Transport Secretary, Carlos Ruiz Sacristan, and investor Olegario Vazquez from the Los Angeles Group, the firm now responsible for the airports management. Improvements in the facilities are expected in the future.


•  La Palapa restaurant 40th aniversary

In recent years owner Alberto Pérez, the youngest of the Pérez clan, has made of La Palapa one of the top gourmet dining establishments in town. Each year Alberto and his talented staff entertain friends and clients in celebration of the restaurant's anniversary. This occasion, though, was a very special one for Alberto, wife Renee and La Palapa turned 40. Guests were treated to a gourmet buffet and fireworks.


•  The Sports Celebrity Invitational at Paradise Village

US TV and movie celebrities teamed up with sports figures to benefit the American Oceans Campaign. This organization works to raise awareness about the threats facing our oceans and about actions that individuals can take to protect them and their precious marine ecosystems. During the four-day event held at the sprawling Paradise Village Resort, over US$150,000 were raised by ticket sales and a silent and live auctions. Actor Ted Danson , President of the American Oceans Campaign hosted the event in which stars such as Karate Kid's Pat Morita and wife Evi, Micheal Jeeters from "The Boys Next Door," Alan Thicke of "Growing Pains," Dennis Haskins of "Saved by the Bell," MTV's Downtown Julie Brown and actor David Carradine, to name a few, joined in the fun of Sea-Doo races, beach volleyball, tennis and golf all for the good of our oceans.


•  Vallarta Millennium

Puerto Vallarta, the perfect vacation destination, is going all out to make its millenium celebration the unforgettable event of a lifetime. For the first time in a thousand years, the hotels, restaurants, tour operators and the governments of the city the state and the country have organized an exciting explosion of sound and color against a backdrop of serene tropical beauty. Don't miss this historic moment in the city of romance, adventure, sports, gourmet cuisine and luxury accommodations.