Nayarit depends heavily on natural resources and agriculture to support their economy. Cash crops such as mangos, coffee, tobacco and sugar cane are staples in the economy. Mining is a significant industry, due to large deposits of lead, copper, silver, and gold in the Nayarit area. There is also a fishing industry in Nayarit, but it is not as major as the mining or agricultural industries.
In recent years, Nayarit has worked to build its tourism sector, marketing the "Riviera Nayarita" as a safe, beautiful destination served by Puerto Vallarta International Airport. As a result, it ranked second in tourism investment in Mexico in 2008, was featured in North American tourism websites in Winter 2008-09, and was the setting for the U.S. MTV reality competition "The
