SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico
Despite a challenging year, demand for the destination of Puerto Rico in 2016 remains strong, according to a new report from the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC). Coming off of a record-breaking 2015, the tourism company is reaching its goal of welcoming 10 million passengers to Puerto Rico airports.
Since the start of Zika, total hotel registrations from Jan. to Sept. in 2016 are 1.6% above 2015 and non-resident hotel registrations are 1.4% above the record breaking year. The PRTC's comprehensive "facts over fear" program to protect its residents and annual visitors are said to be instrumental.
“Our comprehensive education campaign was instrumental in informing and arming travelers with the facts about Zika for a worry free experience on the island [mitigating the overall economic impact],” said Ingrid Rivera Rocafort, Executive Director of the PRTC. “Additionally, the PRTC, Meet Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association (PRHTA) worked together to ensure the safety of visitors.”
Tourism contributes nearly $4 billion to Puerto Rico's economy and is the first industry to come out of the island's five-year recession. 2016 highlights that underscore the demand for travel include:
- 10 million passengers will be welcomed by Puerto Rico airports by the end of 2016.
- 11 new airlines have arrived in 3 years, and over half a million new inbound seats, including Iberia and Allegiant Airlines starting service in 2016.
- 94% room tax collected in 2016 compared to 87% in 2015, collecting an incremental $2 million in tax revenue, a 137% growth from 2012.
- 70.4% hotel occupancy in 2015-16 reported from Jan. to Aug. compared to 67.9% in 2012.
- From March to September 2016 Meet Puerto Rico hosted 132 groups with more than 211,000 attendees and not one Zika case reported from those attendees as per the CDC.
Key conferences and conventions for Puerto Rico in 2016 included the Routes Americas conference, the International Tourism Expo (ETI), the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Cruise Conference and Tradeshow and the Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference and Operation Summit, Congreso Internacional de la Lengua Espanola VII, Jehovah's Witness and National Head Start Association.
The Puerto Rico Hotel & Tourism Association collaborated with the PRTC, and medical influencers, to break through the Zika news with a strong voice. An aggressive media educational outreach program was activated to dissipate the fears and communicate the real facts about Zika and its spread.
"Starting in February, we worked with the PRTC to change the Zika conversation," said Clarisa Jimenez, president and CEO of the PRHTA. "The CDC called us ‘Ground Zero for Zika Virus’ and projected that 25 percent of Puerto Rico's population would have the virus. That has not materialized with currently less than 1 percent of the population reporting Zika. We have been able to cut through the [media] hype.”
The PRTC said it has continued working closely with the CDC and the local Department of Public Health to ensure visitors are informed about Zika in Puerto Rico. For more information about the Zika virus in Puerto Rico and how to protect yourself in advance of travel, visit PuertoRicoNow.SeePuertoRico.com.
For a recent update on the situation in Puerto Rico for meetings and events, check out our coverage from the Dec. 2016 edition of Meetings Today, available now in both web and digital formats.
