Travelers from the continental United States, South America and Spain are driving in droves increase in tourism revenue on the breathtaking ‘Island of Enchantment’, Puerto Rico.
According to managers at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU), In May alone, 1.136 million visitors passed through customs, an increase of 4.3 percent compared to the same month in 2023.
These figures are made possible thanks to a 15.5 percent increase in international arrivals.
This year, the island has seen 5.433 million passengers, a 10 percent increase from last year.
Part of this success is attributed to the launch of new international routes by low-cost airlines and some aggressive marketing campaigns.
Some readers may not remember the devastation wrought on the island by Hurricane Maria in 2017, the tenth most powerful storm in the Atlantic since records have been recorded.
In the aftermath, Puerto Rico not only suffered the consequences of this environmental tragedy, but the devastation received extensive media coverage. It had a negative impact on tourists’ perception of the island, causing a decline in hotel and flight bookings.
Discover Puerto Rico The agency found that over a long period of time, 90% of media coverage was negative.
In response, the agency launched the #CoverTheProgress campaign to showcase the island’s recovery process and the destinations that have not been affected.
The results were quite positive and the island started to see a significant increase in bookings.
Following this marketing success, Discover Puerto Rico, together with Puerto Rican tastemakers and local tourism businesspeople, launched a second campaign called “Live Boricua” (Live Like a Puerto Rican), which aimed to promote the Puerto Rican lifestyle and the wealthy culture of the people.
The main goal of this initiative was to provide visitors with an immersive experience.
“It aimed to engage visitors through storytelling, showcasing the unique culture, heritage and spirit of the island, making it an authentic expression for promoting tourism and fostering meaningful connections between visitors and locals, highlighting Puerto Rico as a vibrant destination rich in diverse experiences and warm atmosphere. hospitality,” said Leah Chandler, Chief Marketing Officer of Discover Puerto Rico.
According to tourism experts, the latest campaign has played a key role in boosting international and mainland tourism to the island.
Last year, Puerto Rico broke a record number of travelers and the employment rate increased thanks to the 6.1 million passengers which landed at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport.
For the first time ever, the sector collected a whopping $9.8 billion in tourism revenue, up 13% from the previous year.
As with other Caribbean destinations, Puerto Rico’s tourism industry shows no signs of slowing down in the coming years.
