Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - At a news conference held in Mexico City last week, the city's new 'Verano en Vallarta' (Summer in Vallarta) campaign was presented with great success to representatives of more than 75 media outlets, including Grupo Fórmula, MVS, TVC, Radio Red, Radio Trece, El Universal, Milenio, Publimetro, La Crónica, and Uno más uno.

During the press conference, Nacho Cadena, the President of Puerto Vallarta's Tourism Trust and Hotel and Motel Association, explained that 'Verano en Vallarta' invites all locals, nationals and foreign tourists to enjoy all of the different events that will be taking place in the country's "Most Mexican Port" this summer and to take advantage of all of the natural attributes that this wonderful destination has to offer.

According to Cadena, some of this summer's upcoming events include:

• Turisteando en Corto, an acting course being organized by Eureka! Art and Production from August 20-31, with famous participants like Odysseus Bichir, who teaches courses on casting, acting and filmmaking. At the end of the course, the participants will use their newly acquired knowledge to help Odiseo film a short promo video for Vallarta.

• A Rain Forest Environmental and Conservation Festival will be held at Vallarta Botanical Gardens from 9 am to 6 pm every day from August 18th through August 31st. Fun for the whole family, daily activities throughout the festival include guided tours of the garden, bird watching, art workshops, children's activities and film screenings.

• The new Bailando Bajo la Lluvia (Dancing in the Rain) Festival, an homage to the rains that bring new life to Puerto Vallarta each Summer, will bring together various offerings from local restaurants, hotels, poets, artists, photographers, sculptors and painters - all paying tribute to this natural phenomenon in their own special way. Scheduled to be held from August 15-17th, activities include a performance by the Orchestra School of Puerto Vallarta, Canirac affiliated restaurants preparing special dishes and menus in honor of the rain, a Canoe Expo at City Hall, an exhibition of Julien Levau's photographs of rain, thunder and lightning at the Naval Museum, and environmental talks, poetry workshops, and films alluding to rain at Los Mangos Library. A fantastic 'Dancing in the Rain' party, with DJ music, dancing, batucada, raffles, games, and lights will close the new Festival with a flourish under the intense and warm summer rain at Los Arcos del Malecon and the Main Plaza in downtown Puerto Vallarta.

Cadena also highlighted some of the city's unique offerings: its prime location, which offers unrivaled natural beauty with its unique combination of sea and mountains; its wonderful atmosphere, which combines 'Old Mexico' charm with all of the modern conveniences; and the warmth of its people and their commitment to service. He also stressed Puerto Vallarta's exquisite cuisine, numerous outdoor activities, and excellent weather, which he said, "is so perfect that it only rains at night."

In turn, the Chairman of PV's Tourism Bureau (Fidetur,) Guillermo Ohem, explained that the efforts being made to promote Vallarta - presenting at more than 65 tourism events in Mexico, USA, Canada and South America - have paid off. In the last six months alone, the number of tourist arrivals has increased by 8.46% over 2012, and during busy periods, like Easter, occupancy was recorded at 90% in Puerto Vallarta hotels. The city's Tourism Director, Carlos Gerard, forecasted a banner summer season for Vallarta, noting that hotels have already reached an 85% to 95% room occupancy rate.

The press conference ended on a positive note, with the three speakers providing one-on-one interviews to the members of the press, television, radio, and specialized websites in attendance.