U.S. territory saw records in travelers, revenue and local tourism employment, coupled by innovative destination marketing strategies and a rise in traveler likelihood to visit

On National Plan for Vacation Day, Discover Puerto Rico, the Island’s official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), shares the 2022 record-breaking, success story of the Island’s travel and tourism sector. On the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, Puerto Rico reported peaks in incoming travelers, record revenues and more local tourism employees than ever before in its history.

Puerto Rico’s unique appeal as a U.S. territory with an unparalleled cultural flair, natural wonders and warm “Boricua” spirit continues to allure travelers, contributing to the Island’s tourism successes in 2022, which include:

• More than 5.1 million passengers arrived at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, a 6.5% increase from 2021. (Aerostar Airport Holdings, LLC)
• Approximately $8.9 billion in revenue was generated by travel and tourism, a 39% increase over the previous high in 2019. (Tourism Economics)
• The Island now employs more than 91,500 individuals in travel and tourism related jobs, also the highest ever. Employment in the leisure and hospitality sector in Puerto Rico has increased by 12.8% compared to pre-pandemic levels, while employment numbers in the U.S. remain 4% below when considering the same period. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• Booked group room nights in 2022 doubled those from 2021, and the number of events currently booked for 2023 are 81% higher versus the same time last year, speaking to the efforts that inspire planners to “Make Your Meeting Boricua.” Even more encouraging, the number of prospective room nights for 2023 and beyond topped 1 million nights for a 35% increase over 2021. (Simpleview)
• A record-breaking fourth quarter, despite Hurricane Fiona’s passing through Puerto Rico in September 2022, the industry saw lodging demand for the last three months of the year 7% higher than the previous highs in 2021 and 31% higher than pre-pandemic levels. Post-hurricane perception studies showed that 76% of respondents indicated that the storm had no impact on their travel plans. (STR & AirDNA)
• Likelihood to visit Puerto Rico in the next 12 months has grown to 22%, as of late 2022. (SMARInsights)

This growth has been propelled by the creative global marketing efforts of Discover Puerto Rico to spotlight the destination, its unique attributes and ease of travel. Since the DMO was founded in 2018, and despite various natural weather events and the COVID-19 crisis, the Island’s DMO has generated programming that drove travel and tourism metrics to unprecedented levels despite challenges including economic headwinds.  

“Amidst one of the most extreme challenges the global tourism industry has ever faced, Puerto Rico’s travel sector went from surviving to thriving, breaking the previous record set in 2021 yet again in 2022” said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico. “I’m very proud of the work our team has achieved, often under trying circumstances beyond our control, applying data-centric and strategic practices in collaboration with stakeholders throughout the Island and industry.”

Since its inception, Discover Puerto Rico has created and implemented effective multi-channel marketing tactics and campaigns designed for longevity of the destination brand and to advance its mission, which is to bring prosperity to Puerto Rico by positioning the Island as a premier destination for leisure, business and event travel.

“As a best-in-class Destination Marketing Organization, we strive for innovation with each new campaign and tactic,” said Leah Chandler, CMO of Discover Puerto Rico. “We’re beyond solidifying our brand position which we focused on during our inception, and now, we’re going back to the Island’s roots with a values-based marketing approach that dives deep into what mean it to be ‘Boricua.'”

Photo by Wei Zeng on Unsplash

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