Puerto Rico remains open for tourism and meetings despite political upheaval resulting in the resignation of territorial Gov. Ricardo Rossello.
Rossello announced late Wednesday that he would step down Aug. 2 after nearly two weeks of sustained protests. During this period, many travelers continued to arrive on the island for vacations and business purposes.
Airports, ports, hotels, restaurants, shops, attractions and taxis are now operating normally and businesses that closed during protests have reopened, reported Discover Puerto Rico, the island’s destination marketing organization (DMO), in a statement
“Puerto Rico remains open for tourism and changes to government leadership on the island do not change this,” the statement said. “Discover Puerto Rico is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization created to ensure continuity and grow tourism throughout the island, through bipartisan legislation, as the industry plays an integral role in strengthening the economy and creating jobs. The mission of the DMO will continue despite the political shifts.”
The DMO emphasized that it continues to consistently work with tourism partners to keep travelers up to date so that they have an enjoyable and safe time in Puerto Rico, while adding that visitors should take the same general safety precautions that they do in any other major U.S. metropolitan destination.
After steadily bouncing back from the widespread devastation caused by hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017, Puerto Rico is on track to achieve a record-breaking year for tourism. The island welcomes more than 4 million visitors each year and has a highly developed tourism infrastructure. More than 83,000 employees work in Puerto Rico’s tourism industry.
“Tourism plays an integral role in strengthening the economy and creating jobs, and we’re confident Puerto Rico will continue to thrive in the months ahead, and will not be impacted by the events of the last two weeks,” the DMO stated.
