Despite Last Month’s Quakes, Puerto Rico Remains ‘Open for Business’

Puerto Rico is still reeling, following a series of earthquakes that struck the southern part of the island in early January. But while recovery efforts are still well underway, the destination would like potential travelers to know that few tourist attractions were actually affected, and most of the island is still fully functioning and ready to welcome visitors.

“We’re trying to responsibly communicate all of the latest updates, while the local and federal government work to help our folks in the southern part of the island, and work to address recovery there,” said Leah Chandler, chief marketing officer, Discover Puerto Rico, during a press conference at the New York Times Travel Show last week.

“But the important message here is Puerto Rico is open for business, and the best way to support Puerto Rico right now is to visit.”

The earthquakes have significantly affected the southern region of the island, resulting in infrastructural damage, destruction of roads and homes, and many power outages. In spite of this, most of the island remains largely untouched.

“The southern part of Puerto Rico was experiencing some seismic activity in recent weeks, and that region definitely suffered some damage, which has impacted a few hotels and attractions. However, there are still hotels open in the southern region,” said Chandler, adding that “all areas beyond the south remain fully operational.”

Prior to the recent seismic activity, Puerto Rico had a record-breaking year in terms of tourist visitation, reaching the highest number of visitors in the history of the island.

“There was a 55% increase in 2019’s tourism demand compared to 2018, so we kicked off 2019 really strong, and that momentum built throughout the year, and it’s really critical that we continue that going into 2020,” said Chandler. She went on to say that, despite the impact that the quakes have had on recent bookings and visits, “we’re confident that we’re going to regain a lot of that momentum in 2020.”

Chandler explained that interest in Puerto Rico has not waned much, and visitors are appreciating the one-of-a-kind experience they can only get on the island. 

“We provide the ease of doing business like any other U.S. destinations, but we also have the uniqueness of being in the Caribbean where we’ve got history and culture that’s unique to the island. Our offerings continue to grow. We’re not only a leisure destination. Puerto Rico is a prime destination for meetings and conventions, events and conferences,” said Chandler. 

“We’re seeing a lot of excitement still from travelers coming to the island, and they’ve been sharing those messages with us throughout the past few weeks.

“We stand in solidarity, and we definitely empathize with what’s been happening in the south side of the island. And, bringing visitors there to those places on the island that are ready is one of the main ways that we can help,” said Chandler. “We’re really confident that Puerto Rico’s resilient spirit is going to shine more brightly than ever during this difficult time.”