Learn which platforms are most used and how you can position yourself on them through Discover Puerto Rico
In 2024, we asked 2,342 tourists in Puerto Rico about the tools they use to plan their trips. This is crucial information if we want to decipher the sources of information travelers value and fine-tune the destination's marketing strategies.
The first finding is simple. Travelers don't restrict themselves to a single source of information but rather choose a variety of sources and digital platforms to decide where to stay, what to eat, how to get around, and what to experience in the destination. The interesting part is their combination of sources and platforms when creating their agenda.
Personal recommendations (word of mouth) are what tourists value most. According to the Discover Puerto Rico Visitor Profile, prepared by Future Partners, one in three (36%) tourists listed personal recommendation as the source most used when deciding what to do at the destination. The experiences of family and friends provide some certainty that they will have a similar experience to that of their loved ones. This is an excellent reminder that the service quality impacts not only the tourists served but also their friends and family, even if they didn’t take part in the visit.
Online travel agencies such as Expedia, Hotels.com, and Orbitz significantly influence visitors. They are used by 28% of travelers and act as conversion platforms, enabling experience and service providers to sell their offerings through these channels. Discover Puerto Rico impacts this type of platform through our sales efforts and partnerships with these platforms, and by developing initiatives that showcase Puerto Rican tourism to users.
Through the La IDEA program (www.laidea.com), which provides digital marketing education to small and medium-sized tourism businesses, Discover Puerto Rico emphasizes the importance of having a healthy digital presence on social media and online platforms that allow users to review their experience or offer content about tourism products. According to the study, these platforms, such as Yelp! and Tripadvisor, serve as a reference for one in four visitors (24%). This percentage is similar to that attributed to destination content on online platforms such as YouTube and news electronic media, much of which is impacted by Discover Puerto Rico's marketing and public relations efforts. Last year, we organized more than 50 familiarization tours of the island with journalists, influencers, and event planners.
Social media was the reference for one in five (20%) visitors. Much of this content is produced organically by visitors, the tourism industry, and the influencer program managed by Discover Puerto Rico. Our organization's social networks influence one in ten visitors. The impact is even greater when looking at the performance of DiscoverPuertoRico.com. Our website is visited by more than 22 million users annually and is used by one in five visitors to plan their trip. To learn more about our programs and how you can join the destination's marketing initiatives, please email [email protected] or visit our industry portal at www.DiscoverPuertoRico.com/industry.
