by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 1:15 PM ET, Thu February 1, 2024
Puerto Rico celebrated a record-breaking year for tourism growth to the island in 2023, according to the island’s destination marketing organization, Discover Puerto Rico.
Over the year, the U.S. territory welcomed over 6.1 million passengers at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, a year-over-year increase of 18.6 percent. In June and July, we covered the news about how the island’s air arrivals were already seeing record numbers during the first six months of the year.
This increase helped benefit other tourism indicators, including industry employment, though this number doesn’t include the travelers visiting via cruise ships. The island’s two cruise ports welcome over 500 ships annually, adding thousands of more visitors and generating what is likely to be several million dollars each year, though that number has not yet been released.
Industry employment rose to 96,700 employees: a 21 percent increase from 2019. The growth in employment is a great benefit to the island's tourism growth and to the island's overall economy.
The island overall took in an all-time record high in tourism revenue, with $9.8 billion. That number is 13 percent higher from 2022. It also contracted $180 million in meeting and convention business, growing 20 percent year-over-year and growing from 2019 by a stunning 49 percent.
Additionally, the island celebrates having a 98 percent satisfaction score among travelers to the island.
“Puerto Rico’s travel sector has continued to break barriers and set new records in 2023,” said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico. “I’m thrilled with our team’s achievements that consistently leverage data, thought leadership and partnerships with key stakeholders in the industry and across Puerto Rico to further build the Island’s consideration for leisure, business and event travel.”
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