On National Plan for Vacation Day, Puerto Rico Celebrates Another Record-Breaking Year of Tourism in 2023

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Jan 30, 2024, 09:00 ET

U.S. territory continued to report record numbers in travelers and local tourism employment fueled by innovative marketing strategies.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Jan. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On National Plan for Vacation Day, Discover Puerto Rico, the official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) of the Island, is proud to celebrate the success of Puerto Rico's travel and tourism sector throughout 2023. Over the past year, the Island witnessed unprecedented numbers of incoming travelers, employment and revenue within the local tourism industry.

Building on the success of Discover Puerto Rico's value-based marketing campaign, "Live Boricua," 2023 brought new records in both marketing and tourism, with the DMO named to Fast Company magazine's annual World's Most Innovative Companies list. Innovative marketing coupled with Puerto Rico's natural wonder and warm spirit contributed to the following remarkable achievements:

Over 6.1 million passengers arrived at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, marking a 18.6% increase from 2022 (Aerostar Airport Holdings, LLC).
All-time high of $9.8 billion in tourism revenue, according to the latest forecast from Tourism Economics, which is a 13% increase from 2022.
Contracted $180M in meeting and convention business, a record-setting performance that exceeds the prior year by 20% and pre-pandemic levels by 49%.
New records of employment in travel and tourism-related jobs with over 96,700 individuals contributing to the sector. The leisure and hospitality sector in Puerto Rico experienced a 21% increase compared to pre-pandemic levels (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
A 7% increase in lodging demand and a 14% increase in lodging revenue (STR/AirDNA).
A 98% satisfaction score, underscoring that visitors to the destination continue to enjoy their time in Puerto Rico.

In looking ahead, Discover Puerto Rico remains dedicated to driving travel and tourism metrics to new levels, further solidifying its success story.

"Puerto Rico's travel sector has continued to break barriers and set new records in 2023," said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico. "I'm thrilled with our team's achievements that consistently leverage data, thought leadership and partnerships with key stakeholders in the industry and across Puerto Rico to further build the Island's consideration for leisure, business and event travel."

Since its start, Discover Puerto Rico has developed impactful multi-channel marketing campaigns designed to bring prosperity to Puerto Rico by positioning the Island as a premier multifaceted destination for all travel needs.

"We set new standards of excellence with innovative marketing campaigns in 2023," said Leah Chandler, CMO of Discover Puerto Rico. "We're proud to see the value in campaigns such as "Live Boricua" and "No Passport, No Problem" translate into recognition from business leaders like Fast Company but more importantly equate to tourism growth and revenue for Puerto Rico."

Among the standout Discover Puerto Rico-led marketing efforts in 2023:

"No Passport, No Problem" – Launched in November 2023, the messaging goal was to increase awareness around the ease of traveling to the Island, after uncovering that one-third of Americans didn't know Puerto Rico doesn't require a passport (Future Partners). Driven by consumer insights, the positioning came to life through earned media and social and will continue to be a focus in the coming year as part of the "Live Boricua" marketing campaign. "Live Boricua," which launched in May 2022, continues to elevate local culture and underscore values-based marketing by emphasizing its diverse people and culture. The campaign encourages travelers to embrace the spirit, passion and cultural uniqueness of the Island's people.
La Island Digital Education Academy (IDEA) – Discover Puerto Rico successfully helped more than 5,000 small and medium-sized businesses improve their business profiles on leading digital platforms used by travelers visiting Puerto Rico. La IDEA initiative focused on providing free and personalized digital marketing training to Puerto Rican entrepreneurs. In addition to helping improve their profiles, it provided digital photography services to 790 businesses, updated the Google Street View of the main streets of Vieques and Culebra and uploaded a compilation of 360 photographs of the main beaches and points of interest of these municipalities. The last major update of images about Puerto Rico on Google's Street View platform was in 2016.

With no passport, currency exchange, or international phone plan required for U.S. citizens, Puerto Rico remains the perfect destination for unparalleled cultural experiences, breathtaking beaches, world-class culinary delights, natural wonders, and thrilling adventures – all under the remarkable Puerto Rico sunshine.

For more details on the performance of Puerto Rico's travel and tourism industry, visit: www.discoverpuertorico.com/industry.

About Discover Puerto Rico: Discover Puerto Rico is a private, not-for-profit Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) whose mission is to make Puerto Rico visible to the world as a premier travel destination. The DMO brings prosperity to the people of Puerto Rico by collaboratively promoting the Island's diversity and uniqueness for leisure and business travel, and events. It is responsible for all global marketing, sales, and promotion of the destination and works collaboratively with key local governmental and nongovernmental players throughout Puerto Rico's visitor economy and the community at large, to empower economic growth. To discover all the beauty the Island has to offer, visit DiscoverPuertoRico.com.

SOURCE Discover Puerto Rico