On Land
Puerto Rico Throttling Forward By Carlos Mercado Santiago, Executive Director, Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC)
T
he Government of Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company and the Puerto Rico Port Authority are working diligently to turn the existing crisis into an opportunity to build a longterm advantage for Puerto Rico as a premier cruising destination through a coordinated strategic reopening of the industry. Since the cruising pause at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, and most recently in October 2020 when the CDC released a stricter set of guidelines for sailings, our government and the cruise lines have been preparing and testing out the new health and safety protocols.
“THROUGH AN ORCHESTRATED APPROACH…THE DESTINATION IS GEARING UP TO WELCOME PASSENGERS RESPONSIBLY.”
ALL HANDS-ON DECK AND FULL THROTTLE AHEAD As the health crisis continues to be monitored, the economic resumption activity will be adjusted accordingly, and cruise passengers will gradually return. Based on existing trends and advancement in the vaccine rollout locally and at a US National level, the plan projects to gradually reopen tourism in the summer. By having a substantial operational tourism infrastructure running by summer, the ports of Puerto Rico are preparing to welcome transit call and homeporting operations. This pushback in resumption is based on critical components of the protocol process such as requiring every crew member on being vaccinated.
Through an orchestrated approach, involving all areas of the supply chain management of cruising, the destination is gearing up to welcome passengers responsibly. Cruising resumption goes hand in hand with air seats capacity planning and access management. Ongoing planning sessions and negotiations are taking place with the US airlines to safeguard the seat capacity and frequency levels needed for tourism resumption. As of March, the vast majority of the 24 US airports with nonstop service have recovered SJU service. And currently, one international, BOG-SJU and PTY-SJU, have commenced operations with MAD-SJU geared start on June 1. Furthermore, Puerto Rico man-
20 FIRST QUARTER 2021 | TRAVEL & CRUISE
ages approximately 200 daily operations which include cargo and passenger flights. Averaging between 7,000 and 8,000 passengers per day and this number will increase once the Aguadilla and Ponce airports open on April 1. Through the gradual reopening plan, the destination seeks to ensure a safer and stronger recovery, restore shore experiences and attractions while preserving the financial health of the travel and tourism infrastructure. Based on the revised cruising outlook and itineraries scheduled, Puerto Rico can expect an estimate of 86,000 passengers for FY2021 and approximately 731,000 for FY2022 with an approximate economic impact of $8.3 million and $73.8 million, respectively. (Economic impact is based on 60% capacity and 70% debarkation.) Noteworthy new cruise ships included in the itineraries for the referred seasons include MSC Meravigilia, Carnival Mardi Gras, Celebrity Apex, Mein Schiff I, MSC Armonia, Valiant Lady (Virgin Voyages) and Ritz Evryma from the new Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. ON SHORE, SAFETY ABOVE ALL The Puerto Rico Tourism Company designed and implemented rigorous standards that all tourism businesses must comply. Last May 2020, the PRTC launched its Tourism Health and Safety Program Guide with the purpose of
