Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - With the Federal Tourism Department set to designate 12 new Pueblos Mágicos (Magic Towns) in Mexico for 2015, the President of the Puerto Vallarta-Bahia de Banderas Business Association, Jorge Villanueva, is seeking to have Puerto Vallarta added to the list.

In fact, the application to designate Puerto Vallarta as a Magic Town has already made its way to the state congress. But the Jalisco Secretary of Tourism, Enrique Ramos Flores, says that though the idea sounds attractive, and that he would gladly support the application, Puerto Vallarta would stand to lose millions of pesos in investments already being made by the state and federal tourism departments to promote the city as a 'Destination for Sun and Sand.'

The Pueblo Mágicos program was launched by the Federal Secretary of Tourism Office to recognize typical Mexican villages with deep cultural roots. And while Vallarta certainly fits the bill, the program was designed to show a different side of Mexico, besides the beaches, to international tourists visiting the country. So, if Puerto Vallarta is designated as a Pueblo Mágico it stands to lose some of the resources that have already been allocated to promote the city as a beach destination.

The Federal Government has earmarked $500 million pesos for the promotion of the 83 municipalities that have the Pueblos Mágicos designation in Jalisco. Puerto Vallarta's share would be around $6 million - but as a 'Destination for Sun and Sand' the city's tourism promotion investments amount to more than $40 million, when counting finances provided by the State and the Vallarta-Nayarit joint promotional campaign.

In the coming days the program's General Director of Planning, Víctor Mijangos, will come to Puerto Vallarta to explain the requirements for becoming a Pueblo Mágico and the city's potential for receiving the recognition.

Meanwhile, the Nayarit State Government is seeking to have the nearby surfing Mecca of Sayulita designated as a Pueblo Mágico. While many feel that Puerto Vallarta doesn't really need the designation, Sayulita could gain exposure through the program as it currently does not receive as much in state and federal investment as do other beach tourism destinations in Mexico.