Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - The current Puerto Vallarta administration is investing $10 Million into remodeling the downtown area of Puerto Vallarta. The downtown area and the gay Romantic Zone are what makes Vallarta the vibrantly alive city it is, and this administration wishes to set a precedent for other administrations to follow in order to keep Puerto Vallarta beautiful and unique.

The remodeling plans include construction of the new Malecón, sidewalk expansion, remodeling the facades of some properties, and burying overhead cables. The expanded sidewalks encourage more pedestrian traffic where you can walk safely during the day and late at night, with more lighting and more trees.

In a GAY PV exclusive interview with Puerto Vallarta Tourism Director Ing. José Luis Borioli, he stated that this administration respects the rights of everyone and recognizes the impact of GLBT tourism in Puerto Vallarta. The fact that PV is hosting the First International GLBT Expo in November shows the potential of the businesses dedicated to the gay tourism segment.

It also shows there is tremendous business opportunity for gay business in Puerto Vallarta. This is good for the city because it not only provides jobs and taxes but also increases tourism. The gay community itself is doing a great job of promoting Vallarta as a gay tourist destination.

Word of mouth, social media and Internet communications are very strong components of the gay community and, according to Borioli, have been a basis for how Puerto Vallarta has grown as an internationally recognized GLBT destination.

The municipal authority is here to provide security and to make sure Puerto Vallarta stays beautiful for all tourists, including the GLBT ones. He stated it is important to have recognition from the municipality of the work being done to promote Puerto Vallarta as a gay destination, and in the future some GLBT joint marketing efforts could occur once the gay businesses become more organized via a GLBT chamber of commerce.

In addition to great bars and clubs, Puerto Vallarta has many other attractions for GLBT tourists:

• An excellent climate

• Vallarta is an authentic Mexican town, offering that which Cancún and Cabo cannot.

• Puerto Vallarta is a beach destination with mountains providing natural protection from hurricanes, offering many activities including boating, aquatic and jungle adventures.

• PV offers a wide selection of dining choices for all budgets.

• The local people are used to gay people and respect them.

If are you trying to find all these things in one place, it would be very difficult to find another city in the world like Puerto Vallarta.

GAY PV discussed Gay Marriage with Ing. Borioli, who said this is a very difficult issue, even among gay people. He indicated the focus should be that the gay community has an option for legal marriage in Mexico City now. You can go to Mexico City to get married and come back to Puerto Vallarta, just as in the US. Although the Catholic Church does not recognize any wedding outside the church, e.g. beach weddings, Puerto Vallarta is a great destination in which to have a wedding celebration after the civil ceremony.

The last topics of discussion were tourism and security. Police harassment should never occur. If it does, the administration encourages one to come to the tourist office and file a report, with no legal repercussions. All reports are monitored and there is communication with the U.S. Consulate, the Mayor and the Police Chief. If a gay tourist feels their civil rights have been violated, then the visitor is encouraged to file an official police report.