Deadly Puerto Rico Earthquake Impacting Island's Tourism

Update: January 9, 2020 at 8:20 a.m. ET

As Puerto Rico continues to recover from a series of deadly and devastating earthquakes, Delta Air Lines announced it has capped fares on nonstop flights from Luis Munoz Marín International Airport in San Juan.

Delta also issued a travel waiver allowing customers flying to and from the island to make a change to their travel plans without fees.

Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association CEO Clarisa Jimenez released a statement regarding the recent seismic movements in the southwest part of the island:

“We certainly have been through some days of movements in the southwest region. However, hotels, airports, ports, tourist attractions and restaurants, among others, in the rest of Puerto Rico, are open and ready to receive visitors. Our hearts and prayers are with our brothers and sisters from the southwest region of the Island. We are saddened to see this situation, but we are completely sure that once again we will rise from this difficult moment.”

At least one person is dead in Puerto Rico and several more were left injured after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake rocked the island Tuesday morning.

According to the Washington Post, there have been at least 24 aftershocks since the earthquake hit Tuesday, which followed a 5.8-magnitude quake that struck early Monday morning off Puerto Rico’s southern coast.

The series of earthquakes and tremors started December 28, with the latest causing an island-wide power outage and structural damage to roads and bridges. As a result, Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez has signed a state of emergency for the island.

“We've never been exposed to this kind of emergency in 102 years,” Vazquez told ABC News.

Playa Ventana's landmark is gone. pic.twitter.com/bdg5e5MOB4

— nina (@comebacktojonas) January 6, 2020

While emergency personnel continue rescue efforts and begin cleaning up impacted areas, Discover Puerto Rico told TravelPulse key travel hubs such as Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, San Juan Cruise Port, Ponce Cruise Port and Airport and the Puerto Rico Convention Center remain open.

“We recommend that travelers currently in Puerto Rico or with upcoming travel plans contact their travel providers, hotels and local businesses to inquire about operations that have been specifically impacted,” Discover Puerto Rico said in a statement.

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In addition, tourism attractions and hotels in northern Puerto Rico, including San Juan and the surrounding areas, are operational. Even some of the facilities that lost power are running on generators and still open for business.

While the U.S. Geological Service said there is no tsunami threat to the island at this time, ferry service to the islands of Vieques and Culebra has been temporarily suspended.

Monday’s earthquake also damaged or destroyed several tourist hotspots, including the Guanica lighthouse and the Playa Ventana coastal rock formation in the southwest town of Guayanilla. The tower of the lighthouse built in 1892 survived, but one of its front walls collapsed.

As for the Playa Ventana coastal rock formation, the rounded window in the stone collapsed, with Guayanilla press officer Glidden Lopez saying, “Playa Ventana collapsed. Today our icon remains in our memory.”