From the moment visitors arrive in Puerto Vallarta in Western Mexico, their travel radar picks up the signal that this destination is different from other big cities in the country. It’s a matter of the history, geography, culture, food and the very people who live in Puerto Vallarta that contribute to the differentiation. 

The U.S. accounts for 75% of North American visitors to Puerto Vallarta. Overall American travel to Mexico increased by about 12% in 2016; for Canadians, Mexico ranks as the second most visited destination, after the United States, and before the UK and France.  

While just about every visitor to Mexico has a favorite destination that resonates with their particular lifestyle, travel needs and safety concerns, here are some basic tips to tantalize your clients when it comes to getting the most out of a visit to Mexico and in particular, Puerto Vallarta.  

1. Revealing the Magic

• Mexico has a Puebla Magico program—Magical Towns, where each of the 111 designated venues must follow a checklist of 150 items established by the Ministry of Tourism. Just a few of the criteria are:
• A population between 20,000 and 150,000
• Located no more than 200 km or two hours from a major tourism destination/city
• The citizens of the town should be aware of the designation
• The architecture should showcase buildings from the history of Mexico
• Keep and maintain traditions and festivities of the town
• Maintain local and significant production of handicrafts
• Keep the traditional gastronomy of the region.

2. Iconic Experiences

With the emphasis on visitors wanting to connect with the destination, it’s important to know the bounties of not only what the towns or cities hold but also what each of the 31 states may offer visitors. In Jalisco, for example, Puerto Vallarta does not qualify as a Magical Town (due to the fact that it’s a city), but there are seven Magical Towns in the state and there’s a joint promotional program to enhance the Vallarta visitor experience with trips to nearby Guadalajara and Tequila. A new highway, scheduled to open in late 2018, will significantly reduce travel times to the towns. And the state itself promotes three icons: Tequila (the national drink, based in the area around the town of Tequila), Charro (the horsemen, and in fact there are Charro festivals/rodeos in Gauadelajara and Puerto Vallarta) and Mariachi (the music of Western Mexico) that can be found at festivals throughout the state (and the country).

3. Cruising into the Future

Construction has already begun on the Puerto Magico, a complex that will enhance Terminal One and turn it into a customer experience-based Hacienda Tequila with interactive opportunities related to the production of Tequila, Mining and Gastronomy, as well as shopping and the largest aquarium in Latin America.  Unlike most Port facilities, the new terminal will be open to both the public and cruise passengers. All the major cruise lines stop in Puerto Vallarta as part of an itinerary that usually includes Mazatlán and Cabo san Lucas and according to Port Agent, Carlos Gerard, the number of cruise ships visiting Puerto Vallarta has increased steadily since 2013. In 2017 145-150 cruise ships will dock for the usual 12-hour visit.

4. Take a Walk in My Shoes

Puerto Vallarta is a very walkable destination. We stayed at the Villa Premiere, which was roughly 20 minutes from the Malecon, the downtown ocean-side boardwalk that’s a hive of activity both day and night. And once in the city, many of the streets are lined with shops, side-walk restaurants, bars and hotels. The Romantic Zone or Old Town, near the pier at Los Muertos has a beach, popular with ex-pats, tourists and pelicans. And “walking in my shoes” implies the friendly reception that visitors receive and the conversations that ensue, whether it’s an explanation of native Huichol beading techniques at Colectiva, an indigenous gallery, or the server at La Cerveceria Union explaining the ingredients of Aguachile, one of their star ceviche dishes, or the bartender at Los Muertos Brewing advising that the seven four-ounce glasses in the artisanal beer sampler may be a bit much to quaff without ordering food to absorb the alcohol.

5. Garden of Delight

Puerto Vallarta is chock-full of special (niche) travel interests. I spent a morning at the Botanical Gardens along with the Vallarta Birders who gather every Thursday morning to spot golden-cheeked woodpeckers, black-chinned hummingbirds, yellow-winged caciques and about 200 other species. The Gardens themselves include Orchids, Cypress, Bursara, Gondo Berries and more. It’s both a gardener’s and a photographer’s dream! Other special interests in the area include snorkeling, scuba,  beach activities, zip line, horseback riding, motorcycling, Jeep safari, hiking, trekking, history, culture, architecture, art, and more.

6. Food Electricity

Award-winning chef Mikel Alonso explained that enjoyment of food stimulates an electrical charge in the brain that produces endorphins that are “the drugs of happiness.” Visitors to Puerto Vallarta tend to be pretty happy and star chefs such as Tintoque’s Joel Ornelas reinforce a searing passion for creative dishes made with the freshest ingredients. Even at Mike’s Beach Club on Playa Las Animas, we are told that we will “feel the flavor” of the dishes before we taste them. And they are right!

7. Smiling and Speaking English

Puerto Vallarta was not created to be a tourism hub.  In fact some say that the customer service ethos of the city is in the blood of generations of Vallartenese who traditionally looked after the needs of the area’s industries: fishing, mining and agriculture. When the Mayor, Arturo Davalos Pena told me that ‘people smile in your face,” he was serious about the welcoming nature of the city. And North Americans can relax in a destination where most of the people they meet will be able to communicate with them in English.

Puerto Vallarta is a comfortable destination. There’s lots of connectivity with major centres in both the United States and Canada, there’s a great variety of accommodation in the city’s 22,000 rooms from luxury to budget, and it’s a destination where visitors can be as busy or as relaxed as they wish. It’s a place where clients can get the most out of their holiday, on their own terms. 

While it seems from Instagram that literally everyone you know is on a vacation or preparing for one, the statistics don't bear that out, especially for Americans.

Do any of these sound familiar?

"My team will flounder without me there."

"There will be too much work to make up for when I get back."

"I try to take vacations, but by the time I realize I need time off, everything's booked."

These are just some of the reasons my American friends give for not using their vacation days—if they're lucky enough to get paid days off.

Unlike every other developed nation in the world, the U.S. has no mandated number of days off for employees. About one-fourth of American workers get no paid vacation at all. Those whose employers offer it receive an average of about 10 days a year. And 54% of American workers didn't even use the days off they earned, according to Project Time Off.

Meanwhile, workers in the United Kingdom get 28 days off, most of western Europe gets 25, laborers down under in Australia and New Zealand enjoy 20—and none of those totals include public holidays, which add on another 10 to 13 days per year in most countries.

While China only gets 5 mandated vacation days for the youngest workers (more as you advance), that doesn't include semi-annual chunks of time off called "Golden Weeks."

Why do so many Americans eschew vacations? It could be that because vacation time isn't mandated, but up to employers. Perhaps it's seen as some kind of bonus, rather than earned time off.

Or maybe it's because the United States doesn't have a strong vacation culture: Many American kids grew up with parents who didn't receive it or were also too busy to take time off. When those children start working themselves, they don't know what to do with their time off because they never learned it from their parents. It's hard to value something that's never been experienced.

The 1992 Framingham Heart Study, which still stands as the gold standard for long-term health studies, tracked workers over 20 years. sIt found that "men who don't take vacations were 30% more likely to have heart attack and for women it went up to 50%," according to Brigid Schulte, author of "Overwhelmed: Work, Love & Play When No One has the Time" and the director of the Better Life Lab at the New America Foundation.

Those numbers hold true even after researchers took into account other health factors like diabetes, cigarette smoking, income levels and obesity. The conclusions from the study have been backed up by other similar research studies.

"It shows how the body reacts to a lifestyle of stress. This is real evidence that vacations are important to your physical health," Elaine Eaker, a coauthor of the study, told the New York Times.

Travel reduces stress

Researchers have also found that vacation is also valuable for mental health and well-being.

"Vacation is essential to reset and remind yourself that career is not the be-all and end-all. There are other facets to a healthy existence [outside work]," said Sherry Amatenstein, a New York City-based therapist and editor of the anthology "How Does That Make You Feel? True Confessions from Both Sides of the Therapy Couch."

That mental break doesn't just feel good. It also benefits businesses -- which is probably why even though Western European workers have more time off than the US does, generous vacation policies haven't been found to affect productivity.

Schulte says that all the research points in the same direction. Those who don't take time off are "sicker, less productive, stressed, and more anxious and depressed—that affects your work as well."

She says it behooves managers, CEOs and leaders to create systems that prioritize a culture of vacation. Requiring workers to take time off or including vacation planning as a part of performance reviews are two ways to make sure time off is used—all of which will benefit the bottom line.

For the individual, it might sound strange, but vacations take practice, said Schulte. "The more we take that time, the more we want it," she said.

So, how do you get in the vacation habit? Like any other goal, it requires planning.

"The key reason people give for not taking vacations is that they don't feel they can leave work," says Schulte, but you can if you're organized.

Start by "writing in your calendar beforehand when to schedule time for a trip," said Amatenstein. Once the vacation is in your schedule—even if it's six or eight months from now—you can organize around it. And then check our amazing packages to travel to the beach!

Look at your workflow. In your own schedule, "clarify your priorities, delegate, and talk openly with your colleagues about your time off," says Schulte, so it's not an unexpected surprise when you're out of town. Schulte says that planning will force you to prioritize your goals over time and can be a net benefit, helping you work smarter and more efficiently.

Start viewing vacation time as a non-negotiable—like the dentist or yearly checkup, it's a vital part of your health care, so start treating it as such.