Puerto Rico tourism rose after Hurricane Maria. It’s on the rise again.

“The Zoom calls have been endless, but they’ve allowed us to step up our pace of communications and enabled us to help prepare for recovery after Covid,” said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico when I spoke with him in late October.

Dean has enjoyed the engagement with travel advisors, media and destination partners via Zoom “but face-to-face is so important. I’m looking forward to that phase of recovery,” he said.

Puerto Rico’s had some bumps in the road since last March when coronavirus appeared on the scene on the U.S. mainland, to be followed by border shutdowns in many countries, including those throughout the Caribbean.

Since it’s a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico never officially closed to Americans, but it did put in place entry and arrival requirements to safeguard the health of its residents and travelers.

“These have worked out well,” Dean said. “Case numbers are down, and most travelers have adapted to these protocols. They recognize that these precautions protect everyone.”

Dean is proud that the World Travel and Tourism Council
(WTTC) granted its Safe Travel Stamp to the Puerto Rico Tourism Co.,
making the island the first U.S. destination to be included in the
international organization’s certification program.

“This
recognition promotes Puerto Rico’s image of a forward-thinking
destination and as a place which has implemented rigorous safety and
health protocols,” he said. “This places us in a highly competitive
position as the travel and tourism market reopens. I’m hopeful that
consumers and planners will see it as one more commitment on our part to
guarantee visitors’ health and safety.”

An executive order signed by Gov. Wanda Vazquez in July when Covid cases rose prohibited inside dining, closed bars, theaters, casinos, beaches and placed the island on a nighttime curfew. That order was lifted in mid-September and broadened the experiences and activities available to visitors, including the ferry to Culebra, metropolitan bus and subway services, access to beaches and reopened restaurants and museums at 55% capacity and hotel pools at 30% capacity.

“It’s a slow climb back for the fall and winter seasons,” Dean said. “We’re seeing more interest from the leisure market, the pace of bookings is up and I have a lot of optimism regarding our accommodations picture.”

He reported that 14,614 rooms are now available for visitors in all categories of lodging compared with 13,836 a year ago.

Puerto Rico’s Travel Expert program for travel advisors has increased by 2,000 since March and now totals more than 16,000 certified experts. “Our new experts used the time of lockdowns to register and complete the program,” he said. “We lean heavily on all of them and we’re seeing their businesses and bookings to Puerto Rico increase.”

The five-acre El Distrito entertainment complex in San Juan postponed its planned opening last spring and is eyeing its debut later this year or the first quarter of 2021.

Dean reported that by the end of 2019 demand and tourist revenues had exceeded the levels reached pre-Hurricane Maria in the fall of 2017.

“We were back to a full recovery, and there was a demand for future investment. We’re building upon the strength of our brand as we move forward now,” Dean said.

“I feel the worst is behind us and we will come back stronger and wiser. Life without travel is not pretty.”