Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Two days after May Day violence marred Jalisco's tranquility, nearly 200 travel journalists and media members were welcomed by Helen Hernandez, Chief Executive Officer of the North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA), at the host hotel, Velas Vallarta in Marina Vallarta.

Speaking in both English and Spanish, she acknowledged and thanked local and state officials for their assistance in hosting the conference, organized by Latitude International under the leadership of Nathalie Pilvotsky, President, and assisted by Gustavo Rivas-Solis, Public and Media Relations.

Having been away from Puerto Vallarta for more than two decades, Hernandez called Puerto Vallarta "magical" and "a great family vacation destination," and commented on the city's growth. Joy Bushmeyer, editor of NATJA's online magazine Travel World International, identify photo smiled and described Puerto Vallarta as "romantic."

Her first visit to Puerto Vallarta last year can be viewed in the Association's publication. Andrew McCarthy, former Brat Pack movie star of such blockbusters as Weekend at Bernie's and now turned director and journalist, in his keynote address told attendees, "Travel makes me feel like myself from my toes up."

McCarthy explained travel journalists are like tourists, but traveling and vacationing are very different. "We writers experience an 'Aha moment' of discovery which opens our hearts and provides a moment of connection," he said. The Editor-at-Large for National Geographic Traveler and publisher of articles in a host of well-respected US newspapers and publications advised his audience "to tell a story" when you write, "don't try to sell the destination."

During their six-day-stay, attendees, mostly from the US and Canada, experienced a cross-section of Puerto Vallarta. Nearly 50 sponsoring businesses including hotels, tour companies and destinations, restaurants, culinary schools, and breweries feted the writers. Conference members, many who were visiting Puerto Vallarta for the first time, complimented Puerto Vallarta and vowed to both write about their experiences and to return. To encourage their resolve, Latitude President Pilvotsky announced a Pluma Plata Premio (Silver Plume Award) of an all-inclusive, Puerto Vallarta holiday-for-two for the best article written about the area in the coming year.

Michael Luongo, a New York based freelance LGBT journalist and photographer, added another honor to his long list of accomplishments at the conference. He received the top journalist award for the second time from NATJA complimenting his long list of accolades from a host of journalistic acronyms: NLGJA (National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association); ASJA (American Association of Journalists and Authors); and IGLTA (International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association) to name just a few. Michael calls himself a "confrontation zone" journalist writing about human rights, travel, and social tropics in hundreds of articles published by Bloomberg News, New York Times, National Geographic Traveler, The Advocate, Gay City News, and many more. He has traveled all 7 continents and visited 85 countries writing nearly twenty books, including the controversial Gay Travels in the Muslim World, which now has been translated into Arabic, and Frommers Buenos Aires.

Luongo is an adjunct professor at New York University and you can follow him online at his website, Twitter, and About.com. Other NATJA attendees representing gay media were Nathan DePetris, editor of Gaytravelherald.com and Troy Petenbrink whom you can follow on social media using the moniker, thegaytraveler. Petenbrink specializes in LBGT travel, food, wine, and spirits.