The Riviera Nayarit is in the midst of a hotel boom, according to figures released by DataTur for the Ministry of Tourism.

With a federal investment of more than $21 million in 13 developments, Nayarit came out as the leader in attracting tourism investment in Mexico in the first quarter of 2013, followed by Mexico City and the state of Quintana Roo (Cancun and the Riviera Maya).

In 2011, Nuevo Vallarta had 5,988 rooms. The destination currently has 7,597 rooms and occupancies have increased 53.7% since 2011, the figures indicated.
Still to come later this year is the 450-room Iberostar Playa Mita as well as Tau Resorts Nahui, with 172 rooms.

Roberto Sandoval, governor of Nayarit, attributed the large influx of private investment to the safety within the state.

“The peace that has been achieved and maintained every day, thanks to the efforts of the police and citizens, makes investors turn their eyes to Nayarit,” Sandoval said.

The variety of events taking place in Nayarit also have fueled tourism and encouraged investment, including the annual Sports Fishing Tournament and the Mexico Cup Regatta, according to Sandoval.