The second weekend of November, which is usually when Puerto Peñasco is flooded with motorcycles, saw a 50% decrease in tourism due to suspension of the 2020 Rocky Point Rally.
Hector Vazquez del Mercado, president of the Puerto Peñasco Convention and Visitors Bureau (OCV), informed the decision to cancel the rally could be felt in terms of reduced revenue at a time when the city is accustomed to hosting thousands more visitors. However, he added, the decision to cancel this year’s rally due to the current pandemic was the right move.
The OCV reported occupancy rates over the “un-rally” Rally weekend at an average of 50% capacity, while in previous years these had averaged around 70% on the same dates. Numbers point to around 12,000 visitors, in comparison to about 25,000 over the Rocky Point Rally weekend in recent years.
Vázquez del Mercado remarked there were approximately 1000 motorcycles around Puerto Peñasco over the “unofficial” 2020 Rally weekend. Rocky Point Rally founder and chief organizer Oscar Palacio Soto indicates this number is about 10% of what had been expected for the 20th Anniversary year, prior to the decision to cancel due to coronavirus.
The OCV president reiterated a call for everyone to keep their guard up as to steps and protocols to prevent the spread of Covid-19. He stressed it’s not in anyone’s interest for Sonora to go back to red on the national health alert map “semaforo” as this could result in economic closures across several municipalities, including Puerto Peñasco.