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Artificial Intelligence Is Reshaping How Travelers Discover Puerto Rico

Thursday, July 16, 2026 Research

Is Artificial Intelligence Recommending Your Business?

According to the June edition of “The State of the American Traveler” study, artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a mainstream tool for travel planning. More travelers are using AI-powered platforms such as ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, and others to discover destinations, build itineraries, find accommodations, and identify experiences that match their interests. As consumers increasingly rely on these tools for inspiration and trip planning, the information that AI can access about a destination becomes more important than ever.

At Discover Puerto Rico, we are actively investing in high-quality destination content, attraction listings, event information, and partner data that help ensure Puerto Rico is accurately represented across digital channels, including emerging AI-powered search and planning tools. When travelers ask AI for recommendations, these systems look for trusted and comprehensive sources of information. The more complete and current our destination content is, the better positioned Puerto Rico is to appear in those recommendations.

This is why it is increasingly important for local businesses, attractions, tour operators, restaurants, accommodations, and event organizers to maintain a presence on DiscoverPuertoRico.com. By keeping your listings, descriptions, photos, and offerings up to date, you not only increase your visibility to travelers visiting our website but also help strengthen the digital ecosystem that AI tools use to understand and recommend Puerto Rico experiences. Together, we can ensure visitors discover the full breadth of what our Island has to offer, whether they are searching online or asking an AI assistant for travel recommendations.

Leer Research Update

Tourism Demand Continues to Exceed Expectations

According to STR estimates as of early July and AirDNA, total June lodging demand across the island continues to outpace last year, rising 6% for the month and 7% year-to-date, with more than 4.5 million nights booked. June alone recorded nearly 390,000 hotel room nights (+7% year-over-year), while short-term rental demand reached 344,000 nights, up 6%.

Based on STR’s daily performance, Puerto Rico’s June hotel occupancy averaged 86%, up nearly seven points from last year and hitting its highest level ever, while rental occupancy remained flat from last year at 59%. May’s average daily rate (ADR) also set a new high at $267 per hotel night (+5%), while rental average rates remained steady at $206. Meanwhile, year-to-date average rates are also surpassing last year’s levels, with hotels averaging $331 (+2%) and rentals averaging at $206 (+1%).

Preliminary June 2026 reporting indicates that the U.S. hotel industry continues to perform better than expected, supported by strong leisure travel, improving group and business travel, and a resilient summer travel season. CoStar/STR and Tourism Economics recently upgraded their 2026 hotel forecast after reporting demand growth of about 2% year-to-date and stronger-than-anticipated RevPAR performance, while STR’s weekly June data showed continued year-over-year gains in occupancy, room rates, and revenue. Skift also noted that demand growth is expanding beyond luxury hotels into upscale and midscale segments, suggesting broader traveler participation across the market.

Lodging Sector Reaches a New Revenue Record

Total June lodging revenues estimates reached $175 million, a 10% year-over-year increase and setting a new monthly record. Hotels contributed $104 million, enjoying a RevPAR of $213 (+13%).

The rental segment showed similar growth in June, generating $71 million, a 7% increase from last year, and accounting for 37% of the market's revenue share. By region, rentals in the San Juan area generated $17.5 million in revenue (+6%), while rentals in the South region reached over $2.1 million (+7%). Rentals in the East grew 8% at $14.8 million, while the West grew 8% to $16.2 million. Rentals in the central mountain area of the Island generated $1.2 million in rental revenue, up 4% year-over-year, while Vieques had the highest growth by region, with 9% more revenue than June of last year, reaching $1.75 million.

Year-to-date lodging revenue from STR and AirDNA has surpassed $1.23 billion, up 9% compared to last year, the highest mid-year level recorded Hotel revenue rose 10% to $783 million, while short-term rental revenue also increased 8%, reaching $442 million.

Bookings Point to a Strong Year-End Travel Season

Based on AirDNA’s booked listing nights pacing report as of July 6, 2026, the short-term rental market is showing strong momentum heading into the second half of the year, particularly during the peak leisure travel season. Booking pace is already positive across all regions for July, with Puerto Rico pacing 8% ahead of last year and most regions also reporting modest gains. While August and September’s booking pace comparisons to last year remain impacted by Bad Bunny’s residency and reflect the shorter booking window typically observed during the traditional hurricane season, the market rebounds sharply in the fourth quarter. This pattern is consistent with a leisure-driven destination, where travelers have historically booked closer to arrival during late summer (peak storm season) but committed earlier for holiday and winter travel periods.

The strongest performance is concentrated in Q4, where booking pace accelerates significantly across the island. By October, Puerto Rico is pacing 38% ahead of last year, with San Juan reaching 48% growth and the East region up 45%. Momentum continues into November, when booking pace ranges from approximately 45% to 58% ahead of last year across most regions. December is currently the standout month, with San Juan pacing an impressive 77% ahead of 2025, while Puerto Rico overall is up 50%, and the East region is up 64%. These results indicate exceptionally strong demand for holiday travel and winter leisure vacations, reinforcing Puerto Rico's attractiveness as a warm-weather destination during the mainland U.S. winter season and Christmas Holidays.

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