2019 was a positive tourism year for Puerto Peñasco, having
welcomed over 2,221,298 visitors according to lodging estimates. This
represents revenue of more than 107 million dollars in the tourism sector, for
services and hospitality across the city.
Lizette Ibarra, Director of the Puerto Peñasco Convention & Visitors Bureau
(OCV), stressed these figures reaffirm Puerto Peñasco remains the preferred
beach destination for the southwest region of the United States, and that it
continues to gain popularity in California.
She explained although figures were maintained at a similar level to 2018,
there was a 4% growth in foreign tourism, which represents 60% of the number of
tourists that visit Puerto Peñasco each year.
The reasons why Puerto Peñasco attracts so many foreign and Mexican tourists
are clear: beautiful and warm beaches, hotel infrastructure, and cuisine. Chefs
across Puerto Peñasco prepare dishes with fresh products from the Sea of Cortez
for all who visit our destination. This, along with the positive attitude
towards visitors and our proximity to the largest cities in Arizona, make
Puerto Peñasco certainly a safe destination that is close and easy for everyone
to enjoy.
2019 was crucial for the formalization of projects that are now a reality for
Puerto Peñasco, such as the arrival of the Astoria Cruise Ship in the Sea of
Cortez. The ship successfully sailed three times from Puerto Peñasco on January
9th, 20th, and 31st with the ship at or near capacity, mostly Americans,
representing a new tourism market.
Efforts were also made to resume air connectivity with the city of Tijuana,
Baja California in the first half of the year. This in turn would further
connect Puerto Peñasco with California and other countries.
Another important fact to note is that as of September 2019, a total of 425,046
private vehicles crossed through the Lukeville, Arizona-Sonoyta, Sonora border,
most of whom were headed to Puerto Peñasco as their destination.
Puerto Peñasco continues to lead the state in collections from the 2%
hospitality tax. This is the result of positive promotion the Puerto Peñasco
OCV carries out at a national and international level, with the firm purpose of
positioning this tourist corner within new markets while maintaining frequent
visitors.
This article is brought to you by the Sonoran Resorts Sales Team, www.sonoranresorts.mx, Jim Ringquist, Director of Sales and Marketing. Sign up for Jim’s Monthly Newsletter: http://www.tinyurl.com/JimNewsletter
