This week, three months after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico will officially open its doors and give a warm welcome to travellers looking to experience the island this holiday season or in the new year!
Tourism has been a vital contributor to the Islands recovery – in November and December alone, an estimated 58 cruise arrivals will be greeted in San Juan resulting in 110,000+ passengers, and an economic impact of roughly $25 million USD.
“It’s been the continued collaboration with Governor Ricardo Rosselló’s team and tourism industry partners that has resulted in tremendous progress and we’re thrilled to be officially open for tourism,” said José Izquierdo, Executive Director of the PRTC. “Tourism is a vital contributor to the Island’s economy, so reaching these milestones not only will help build a stronger, better Puerto Rico, but showcases the resiliency in our people and destination.”
Some major milestones that Puerto Rico celebrates this winter includes:
- Airports: All airports are fully operational. There are approximately 70 flights per day across 27 different major commercial airlines. San Juan International airport (SJU) continues to have daily nonstop service from 17 major airports in mainland U.S. Additional nonstop flights are operating from Canada, Germany, Panama, Colombia, Dominican Republic and other islands from the Caribbean.
- Hotels: Over 75 percent of hotels are operational and taking reservations. As first-responders staying at hotels in San Juan prepare to depart, this frees up rooms for travellers.
- Cruises: Close to 60 cruise shore excursions are available for enjoyment. These excursions have helped San Juan secure over 70 transit calls from cruise lines through the end of January 2018. Furthermore, 80,000 homeport passengers have embarked from San Juan over the last two months, and 85,000 more are expected to do so through January 31, 2018, proving once again the importance of Puerto Rico as a major Caribbean hub and sightseeing destination.
- Tourism Attractions: There are 107 operating tourist attractions across the Island, including major sites like Old San Juan, the Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Cueva Ventana, among others.
- Restaurants: The restaurant industry leads with a total of 1,673 open restaurants in the San Juan area and thousands more across the Island.
For more information, including details on open attractions, hotels, Puerto Rico’s most popular restaurants and more, visit SeePuertoRico.com. And, for information on other Island updates (related to hospitals, ATMs, supermarkets, etc.), visit http://status.pr/.
