Discover Puerto Rico Shares Tourism Industry Insights During Partner Update in Mayagüez
The Conference Center at Mayagüez Resort & Casino, filled to capacity, hosted the latest edition of Discover Puerto Rico’s Industry Update event, providing tourism partners with firsthand access to the latest data on the performance of Puerto Rico’s tourism industry, the organization’s marketing strategies, visitor profile, and growth opportunities.
The event was led by Jorge L. Pérez, Chief Executive Officer of Discover Puerto Rico; Jorge L. Ramos Ruiz, Mayor of Mayagüez; Ivelisse Pagán, President of the West Chamber of Commerce; and Tairy Ortiz, Executive Director of the South Chamber of Commerce.
Laressa Morales, Discover Puerto Rico’s Director of Research and Analytics, presented an overview of the industry’s performance during 2025. Among the most notable findings were a 9% increase in lodging revenue, 8% growth in room nights booked, and a 45% increase in cruise arrivals.
Although visitor arrivals from the United States declined by 2.7%, Morales explained that the decrease was primarily driven by reduced air capacity following the departure of Spirit and Silver Airways from the market, as well as Frontier’s route reductions. Overall, Puerto Rico welcomed 8.4 million visitors during 2025.
Morales also highlighted tourism’s economic impact on the Island, which reached $21.4 billion in total sales, $6.7 billion in direct contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and $10.3 billion in total contribution to GDP. In addition, employment in the leisure and hospitality industry increased by 4%, reaching a total of 102,500 jobs.
Johanna González, Director of Leisure Sales & MICE, shared the sales team’s results, highlighting a $9.9 million increase in the global reservation system compared to the previous year. She also noted that production has continued to grow steadily since 2023 and that booking pace projections for the period from July through December 2026 are above those recorded during the same period last year.
The event concluded with a panel discussion featuring Pérez, Ramos Ruiz, Pagán, and Ortiz. During the conversation, the panelists reflected on the importance of collaboration and its role in advancing Puerto Rico’s tourism industry and economic growth. They also shared the resources their organizations and municipalities make available to partners, along with initiatives aimed at continuing to strengthen tourism throughout the region.
Pérez reiterated his goal of doubling the number of visitors to Puerto Rico within five years, emphasizing that tourism growth drives the Island’s economic development. He stated that the goal is achievable and noted that while Puerto Rico welcomed just over five million visitors in 2019, the Island organically reached nearly 8.5 million visitors last year.
Pérez emphasized that achieving this growth will require “conquering” Europe, noting that while the goal is attainable, it will require a shift in mindset and a commitment to working together.
Event attendees also responded positively to the information shared, agreeing that it serves as an important resource for strengthening the development of their businesses and municipalities.
Ivelisse Hernández, the newly appointed Director of the Isabela Tourism Development Office, said:
“I found the event very interesting. You learn a great deal, and it helps put into perspective what is happening with tourism in Puerto Rico and what our role is as a municipality in continuing to develop tourism and strengthen partnerships—not only within each town, but across the Island.”
She added: “Many things caught my attention, but above all, the fact that hotel occupancy and short-term rentals are now on par. That opens many doors for us in Isabela.”
Similarly, Eva Henríquez of Foodpictopia, a platform dedicated to promoting gastronomy and tourism in Puerto Rico’s western region, said the shared information will help optimize their content.
“For us, as creators of experiential content, it is extremely important to understand what type of visitors are coming to Puerto Rico and what they are looking for, so we can align our content and what we offer with the interests of those visitors.”
As part of the event, Discover Puerto Rico also renewed its collaboration agreements with the West Chamber of Commerce and the South Chamber of Commerce, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening regional partnerships and continuing to promote the sustainable development of Puerto Rico’s tourism industry as a driver of economic growth.
Through events like these, Discover Puerto Rico continues to strengthen communication with its partners by sharing strategic insights and fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors to advance the sustainable growth of Puerto Rico’s tourism industry across the Island.