The Riviera Nayarit shows its exclusive offer to nine luxury travel agencies

• A group of travel agents focused on the luxury segment visited Punta Mita to explore the most extraordinary places in the “Glamour Peninsula.”

The Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau participated in a luxury segment FAM trip for nine agencies organized by Villa Palmasola, located in the Punta Mita Resorts complex.

According to coordinator Lillián Avilés, the purpose of the trip was for the agents—mostly from north of the San Francisco Bay, California, and Texas—to learn about the destination’s offer: its hospitality, gastronomy, experiences and events, and the extraordinary natural landscapes only found in this Pacific region.

Seventy-five percent of the agencies that participated in this FAM trip are part of the Virtuoso network, an indicator of the type of quality clients they sell. The Virtuoso group is the most powerful of its kind among high-powered agencies and top providers in the luxury tourism segment.

Nine travel agents took part of the tour: Avery Carmichael, from Indagare (Altour/American Express); Sharon Walters, from Travel (Virtuoso/Travelwizard); Shelby Fessl, from Virtual Personal Assistant; Mike St. Jovite, from Sharon Walters Travel (Virtuoso/TravelWizard); Jennine Cohen, from Geographic Expeditions; Katie McCormack Krinkie, from McCabe World Travel (Virtuoso); Susan Duffy, from All Star Travel Group (Virtuoso); Will Goldberg, from Accomplished Traveler (Virtuoso); and Antonio Lozano, from Premium Travel (Traveller Made).

The agents enjoyed several activities during their stay, including tours around Banderas Bay, high-end gastronomy with sumptuous beachfront meals, yoga and surfing lessons, and a day of spa treatments, all liberally seasoned with Mexico’s unique hospitality.

From their comments it was clear the agents thought the tourist offer in Mexico’s Pacific Treasure was off the charts, because not only is it modern, sophisticated, and luxurious, but it has also retained its traditional charm and lush nature. It was a first-time visit for some to the destination, others already knew it. For all, however, it was an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the area and develop sales strategies for their agencies.

The agents were delighted with the lavish Villa Palmasola, made up of 11 gorgeously designed structures facing 92 meters of immaculate beach. The accommodations were created by prestigious Mexican architect Manolo Mestre—known for designing residences for Francis Ford Coppola, Bond-girl Luciana Paluzzi, and heiress Isabel Goldsmith. It shares access with the Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita’s exclusive beach and offers visitors a privileged view of Hole 3B, better known as “Tail of the Whale” and the star of the Punta Mita Pacífico golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus.

Exclusive offer

The Riviera Nayarit currently has a notable luxury hotel infrastructure, which is why these FAM trips are so important for the travel agents who invoice millions of dollars a year within this segment. The visit will also serve to incentivize sales for the destination’s ample portfolio of hotels and experiences.

“There’s no doubt these FAM trips are an excellent sales tool for the product, not to mention the fact they create loyalty with the travel agents. We’ve placed the luxury segment as one of the priority sectors for tourist promotion as it attracts even more visitors to the destination with a higher average expenditure and a focus on low-impact visits, aiding in the conservation of the environment,” commented Jesús Carmona Jiménez, president of the Banderas Bay Hotel and Motel Association (AHMBB) and the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB).

Currently The St. Regis Punta Mita and the Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita have both received the Virtuoso Preferred recognition. Their inclusion in this exclusive offer has led the group to consider Mexico’s Pacific Treasure as one of the most sophisticated destinations in the world.

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The Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and the Bahía de Banderas Hotel and Motel Association (AHMBB) reaffirm their commitment to the strategic promotion of the destination, pursuing opportunities, and consolidating new markets to increase the number of incoming tourists with the support of the Government of the State of Nayarit via the Tourism Promotion Trust (Fiprotur).