Puerto Rico Reveals Tourism Industry's Record Comeback on Anniversary of Hurricane Maria

As Puerto Rico marks the two-year anniversary today of Hurricane Maria, an event that devastated the island and left it reeling, local officials are feeling hopeful and expressing optimism about the significant amount of progress that has been made with the island’s recovery.

New data from Discover Puerto Rico shows that year-to-date tourism revenue and passenger arrivals are at an all-time high and that the island’s tourism industry is one of Puerto Rico’s shining lights, a success story revealing a historic comeback.

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Highlights of that data include Puerto Rico welcoming more than four million visitors each year, and being on track to achieve a record-breaking 2019. The island experienced an increase of 62.3 percent in the first six months of 2019.

All of which means Puerto Rico is recovering four times faster than New Orleans did after Hurricane Katrina, according to Discover Puerto Rico.

“Two years after Hurricane Maria, the meetings, conventions and tourism segments in Puerto Rico are thriving. With year-to-date revenue and passenger arrivals, which have the Island on a record-breaking path, Puerto Rico’s tourism industry has never been stronger," Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico said. "This has been incredibly rewarding to witness."

Additional noteworthy statistics that underscore the island’s rebound include:

—Between January and April 2019, occupancy spending for hotels and independent rentals combined reached $373.6 million, the highest in eight years, and an increase of 12.4 percent compared to 2017 pre-Maria levels.

—The remainder of 2019 is booking 24.1 percent higher than 2018 for hotels

—January through June lodging demand showed significant growth, with traditional lodging and independent rentals combined, Puerto Rico is less than 2 percent off record highs in 2017.

Hotel inventory figures, year to date, are also stronger than ever, said Discover Puerto Rico.

Overall, the number of room nights in hotels and independent rentals for Q1 increased 17 percent over 2018, generating the highest Q1 demand in room nights ever recorded in Puerto Rico.

In addition, Puerto Rico dominated the list of the top 10 Airbnb world destinations this summer.

“Puerto Rico’s story is one of resiliency, especially among the local community, and those that tourism impacts each and every day,” Discover Puerto Rico said in a statement.

In an effort to express its gratitude to the international tourism community and particularly visitors who have come from far and wide to help get Puerto Rico back on its feet, Discover Puerto Rico has just released a new video called “Thank you from Puerto Rico.”

The video is a compilation of stories and messages of thanks from the many Puerto Ricans who depend on tourism.

In addition, the video seeks to shine a light on the importance of tourism to the Puerto Rican economy, showing just how impactful a visit to the island can be.

“Puerto Rico’s tourism is thriving thanks to the travelers who continue to visit the island each day,” said Discover Puerto Rico.

Additional new tourism statistics released by Discover Puerto Rico today include:

—San Juan International Airport (SJU) set a June record for most arrivals in the month’s history, surpassing the previous record from June 2017.

—During the first eight months of 2019, San Juan International Airport (SJU) has handled an 11.4 percent jump in passenger traffic, representing a total of more than 6.5M passengers.

—August arrivals to San Juan International Airport (SJU) saw 7.6 percent growth compared to August 2018, with a total of 815.043 passengers.

—The Aguadilla airport established individual and collective passenger records for January through April, reaching 251,898 passengers, an increase of 98,271 compared to the same period in 2018.

Cruise Industry

—The projection for 2019 cruise ship passengers is expected to break records at 1.8 million passengers.

—January 2019 numbers reflected an increase of 28.9 percent of visitors from previous years.

—There was a 56.6 percent increase in homeport cruise passengers compared to Jan. 2018.

MICE

The Puerto Rico Convention Center, the most technically-advanced convention center in the Caribbean, experienced its most successful year in its 14-year history during the 2018-2019 fiscal year. It saw:

—An increase of 26 percent in total attendance (644,000 visitors) over the previous 13-year average.

—96 percent overall customer satisfaction ratings along with a 21 percent increase in total events.

—417 events in comparison to the previous 13-year average.

—In addition to this, using three-year historical volume, group sales on the Island are booking 212 percent higher for 2020.