New York, NY - The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board has signed on to become a 'Preferred Partner' of Meeting Professionals International, the premier global association community for meeting and event professionals, as part of its pro active campaign to attract more business travelers from the US and Canada to Mexico’s most Mexican destination.

Puerto Vallarta is one of Mexico's leading MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) destinations because of its superior professional services along with its proximity to key markets in the US and Canada. Enriched by Mexican heritage, this charming seaport has colonial-era roots and is framed by the lush Sierra Madre mountain range and the Pacific waters of Banderas Bay, providing some of the most unique settings for corporate events.

In 2013, the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board headed a delegation of hoteliers and the Puerto Vallarta International Convention Center in a partnership with the Mexico Tourism Board and participated in key industry events including AIBTM, WEC and IMEX. In November 2013, Puerto Vallarta also hosted its first Vallarta Meetings educational trip with 12 meetings planners from the US, Canada and China.

As a Preferred Partner, the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board's participation at this year's World Education Congress in Minneapolis will also include promotion of the destination and its business travel offerings through special editorials; a highlighted presence in the MarketSquare, where representatives will be able to meet with buyers and introduce them to the destination; and present at the Past President's & Chairman's Breakfast.

Puerto Vallarta will also host a Focus Group with meeting planners at IMEX America, where the destination's infrastructure, offerings, and reputation will be analyzed by the professionals in the industry as a way of obtaining constructive criticism.

Coordinated by LATITUDE, the tourism board's PR agency in the United States and Canada, this partnership makes Puerto Vallarta the only destination to have an alliance with MPI at this level, confirming its commitment to this tourism segment.