4 minute read
Full Steam Ahead for Puerto Rico
Meetings & Events
By Carla Campos, Executive Director, Puerto Rico Tourism Company
For the fourth time, Puerto Rico welcomes the FCCA Cruise Conference & Trade Show, and there’s simply no better time to host cruise industry stakeholders, executives and our friends. As we get ready to host this world-class conference for four years in a row in magical San Juan, the Island has made a remarkable comeback, driven by the opportunity to reimagine our future by placing tourism at the forefront of our resurgence. Let there be no mistake, Puerto Rico is back and better than ever!
CRUISING INDUSTRY AT THE FOREFRONT
The power of travel and tourism was revealed over a year ago, as the travel industry showed an outpouring of support for Puerto Rico in the aftermath of the September 2017 hurricanes that made landfall on numerous Caribbean islands. Through solidarity, the will to come back stronger and seizing the opportunity to build even better, Puerto Rico embarked on a historic journey to revamp our destination in the most resilient way.
As the world watched, our people and partners worked full steam ahead. In just two weeks, the Port of San Juan was operating homeports, and at the two-month mark, the Island received its first transit calls, greeted by a true celebration of color, music and
dance, a sign that we were back to showing our hospitality in record time. These milestones were not just important for Puerto Rico, but for the rest of the Caribbean as well, which needed the Caribbean’s key port destination to be up and running to resume
full itineraries. Through it all, the cruise industry showed outstanding leadership, working alongside the Government of Puerto Rico every step of the way.
AN IMPROVED EXPERIENCE
Today, Puerto Rico has revealed a revamped offering to delight and amaze our guests. Homeporting passengers stay at renovated hotels before and after their cruise experience. One third of the Island’s hotel inventory has been overhauled and new hotels have opened their doors. The most exciting openings, like District Live!, an entertainment venue unlike any other, will be ready by the time the FCCA Cruise Conference & Trade Show meets again at the Convention District in 2019.
Puerto Rico’s shore excursion providers are also offering innovative and authentic tours for our visitors, including historic nighttime outings, culinary experiences and meaningful travel itineraries. The Puerto Rico Tourism Company has led the way in reinforcing service and quality principles through ongoing training opportunities.
Furthermore, the Port of Ponce, in the south of the Island, is becoming a key player for cruising, receiving calls from Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Holland
America during the 2017-2018 season. More are underway, and cruise passengers are delighted to experience a new port of call that takes them to an enchanting destination rich in culture, history and charm.
PORT INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS
Accommodating more modern and bigger ships is key to securing growth for cruising in Puerto Rico. Governor Ricardo Rosselló has expressed his commitment to rolling out port improvements in the short term with sustainable long-term measures to accommodate for future growth. Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas became the
largest vessel to permanently homeport in San Juan, after Adventure of the Seas ended its 15-year tenure earlier this year. This type of growth is made possible through strong collaboration with the cruise lines and joint commitment to securing growth through infrastructure investments.
STRUCTURAL REFORM FOR DESTINATION MARKETING
At the forefront of a strong comeback is also harnessing the increased awareness in Puerto Rico and converting it into motivation for travel. While the Puerto Rico Tourism Company has historically rolled
out destination marketing efforts, often these have been subject to constant changes, resulting in weak brand recognition in our consumers’ minds. Governor Rosselló enacted into law a new and independent destination marketing organization (DMO), that will be responsible for destination branding, marketing and sales moving forward. Today, Discover Puerto Rico, the destination’s new DMO, is a reality and seizing the opportunity to let our visitors know that Puerto Rico is open for business.
Discover Puerto Rico works alongside the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, which remains tasked with safeguarding the visitor’s experience while on the island and maintaining commercial relations with our cruise line partners on behalf of the Government of Puerto Rico.
This strong partnership and the historic milestones that have taken place since our last cruising season mark a new beginning for Puerto Rico. One of prosperity and resilience, that leverages tourism as a force for good, and puts Puerto Rico on a path to prosperity. We are confident that our cruise line partners, and those who visit Puerto Rico get to share the excitement with us. �
