Puerto Rican Celebrities Help DMO Promote Sustainable Travel

From the colorful streets of Old San Juan to the mountainous Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Park, Puerto Rico is brimming with beauty and history. Puerto Rican songwriter Lin Manuel Miranda transports listeners to these and more places on the island in a new audio “sleep story” on the meditation app Calm. It’s part of a collaboration between Discover Puerto Rico and Calm that also includes other destination-inspired soundscapes. 

“We know that today’s travelers are increasingly motivated by wellness, mental clarity, and emotional restoration,” Glorianna Yamín, VP of marketing for Discover Puerto Rico, told Travel Market Report. “This partnership gives them a moment of peace, while also planting the seed for future travel.” 

It’s also an example of how the destination marketing organization (DMO) is capitalizing on the power of celebrity. With Puerto Rican stars like rapper Bad Bunny, whose 2-month concert residency in Puerto Rico is estimated to have huge economic impact, at the forefront of pop culture, Discover Puerto Rico has taken note. The DMO has conducted resonance studies to determine which figures are “synonymous with Puerto Rico itself, identifying potential spokespeople through recognition and brand alignment,” Yamín said. 

“Celebrity influence is undeniably powerful when it comes to shaping perceptions and driving interest in a destination, especially when that influence is rooted in authenticity,” she added. 

By working with influential partners, Discover Puerto Rico aims not only to attract visitors, but to promote sustainable travel to the island. Most recently, Prison Break actor Amaury Nolasco and MLB player Kike Hernández participated in the Return the Love campaign, reminding tourists how to visit responsibly. This also helped set in motion The Green Path, a certificate that travelers can obtain to get special offers with more sustainable suppliers. 

With U.S. travelers to Puerto Rico on the rise, the destination hopes efforts like these will “align growing visitor interest with our core values of cultural preservation, environmental stewardship, and community empowerment – ensuring tourism continues to uplift Puerto Rico and its people,” Yamín said.   

Puerto Rico continues to see strong visitation numbers from major markets like Orlando and New York, while some emerging markets include New Haven and Jacksonville. The Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport saw record growth in 2024 with more than 6.6 million passenger arrivals, about 8% growth from the year prior. 

Meanwhile, Discover Puerto Rico also reports that, “more and more, visitors are coming not just for a beach getaway, but to explore Puerto Rico’s natural wonders,” Yamín said. From El Yunque National Forest to the Island’s three bioluminescent bays and our diverse ecosystems, Puerto Rico is seen much more as a nature getaway nowadays. 

Yamín added that travel advisors are another “vital part of our success, and we’ve made it a strategic priority to support, educate, and inspire them with the tools they need to confidently sell Puerto Rico.” 

The Calm partnership, Return the Love segments with celebrities, and Green Path program are all great consumer-facing educational tools for advisors to share with clients. For travel advisors to delve deeper into the destination themselves, there’s the Puerto Rico Travel Expert Certification Program and FAM trips throughout the year hosted by the DMO.