Puerto Rico Throttling Forward Carlos

Puerto Rico Throttling Forward

By Carlos Mercado Santiago, Executive Director, Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC)

The 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.

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 manages 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

“THROUGH AN ORCHESTRATED APPROACH…THE DESTINATION IS GEARING UP TO WELCOME PASSENGERS RESPONSIBLY.”

establishing strict measures and safeguard the highest health and safety standards throughout the entire tourism ecosystem on island.

Puerto Rico was also one of the first travel destinations to issue health guidelines specifically designed for the tourism industry. With the measures implemented, the island set a new norm to secure that travelers feel in control of their health and safety.

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company believes the best way to achieve the speedy and safe recovery of our destination is to assure our guests that we are ready to meet and exceed their expectations. With this in mind, we led the way towards guaranteeing access to first-rate experiences in an environment that safeguards everyone’s well-being with PRTC’s Destination Health and Safety Seal Program. The initiative, which goes above and beyond basic safety measures, plays a vital role in our strategic reopening plan. By ensuring all tourism industry partners are complying with its comprehensive health and safety protocols, we make Puerto Rico even more competitive and attractive to travelers.

The safe experience begins prior to the arrival process. All passengers are required to complete a Travel Declaration Form and upload negative COVID-19 test results taken within 72 hours of travel. Upon arrival to the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU), the Island’s main airport, in collaboration with the Puerto Rico National Guard, is using advanced technology to administer a quick health check-up to passengers arriving to the Island. The process has proven to be effective as the airport has remained open as Puerto Rico never closed its borders.

LEARNING FROM THE PAST TO ENERGIZE THE FUTURE AHEAD Crisis management and business recovery planning, unfortunately, is not an estranged matter for the destination, as in the past three years Puerto Rico has gone through a series of them. The existing crisis is an unprecedented global calamity. But despite the uncertainty and complexities, Puerto Rico’s coordinated gradual recovery plan and ongoing actualization of health and safety measures sets the destination on the right path to resume cruising responsibly and effectively.

Carlos Mercado Santiago holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a major in Marketing and an MBA in Strategic Management and Leadership.

Mr. Mercado worked as a Multimedia Specialist for the US. Forest Service, USDA, where his work on sustainable tourism in Latin America earned him awards from the International Academy of Visual Arts. After his service in the federal government, he worked for the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico as a Legislative Affairs Consultant on regional economic development matters. In January 2017, he was appointed Deputy Director of the Puerto Rico Trade and Exports Company. During his time there, he worked with small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as he supervised the development of Creative Industries, oversaw business innovation training programs, administered over 5 million square feet of commercial space, and promoted the export of Puerto Rican goods and services to overseas markets.

He started his work at the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) as Deputy Director in 2019, and in January 2020, Governor Pedro Pierluisi appointed him Executive Director Designee. The PRTC is in charge of promoting domestic tourism, destination management, and fostering the development of air and maritime access to Puerto Rico.

Mr. Mercado was vice-president of the board of directors of the Cooperative Development and Investment Fund (FIDECOOP in Spanish) and is member of the following boards and advisory councils: Colmena 66, an entrepreneurship development support network program which is part of The Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust; the Echar pa’ Alante initiative from the Banco Popular Foundation; and the Kingbird Innovation Center, a tourism-industry business incubator affiliated to the Ana G. Méndez University. He has also served as an alternate board member of the board of directors of Discover Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico’s destination management organization) and the Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRPA).