Research Update: March Tourism Performance Shows Continued Growth

Tourism Revenue Grows with Strong Regional Momentum

Estimated lodging revenue reached record levels this past March, totaling $242 million, a 4% year-over-year increase. Hotel lodging revenue reached $155 million, matching last year’s performance, which had combined the U.S. spring break season with high local demand during Holy Week.

Meanwhile, lodging revenue from the short-term rental market reached $86 million, reflecting a 13% year-over-year increase. Regionally, nights booked in the San Juan area grew by 25%, rentals in the eastern region of Puerto Rico increased by 19%, and rentals in the western region rose by 1% compared to last year.

Overall, average rental rates in March dropped slightly from $226 to $221 compared to the same period last year.

To date, the lodging industry has generated $648 million in revenue, up 11% from last year and 31% higher than in 2023.​

Tourism Outlook: Air Travel Growth and Variations in the Cruise Segment

The San Juan International Airport (SJU) continued to report record passenger arrivals. In March, the airport welcomed 658,000 passengers, a 14% increase compared to last year. Cumulative arrivals through March reached 1.8 million—up 10% from 2024—with 87% coming from North America, 9% from the Caribbean, and 4.5% combined from Europe, Central America, and South America.​

Tourism Analytics reports that Cancun experienced a 6.1% decrease in international air passenger movements in March 2025 compared to March 2024. Meanwhile, Montego Bay Airport saw a 7.7% reduction in passenger movements during the same period, while Los Cabos Airport handled 1.3% more international passenger movements in March 2025 than in March 2024.​

The San Juan cruise port received a total of 133,000 visitors in March—a 20% decrease compared to last year, partly due to some in-transit cancellations. However, homeport passengers totaled 44,700, marking the highest number reported since 2019.​

Through March, the San Juan port has welcomed 488,000 passengers, a 10% decrease compared to last year.

Hotel and Rental Bookings Gain Momentum in Q3​

It is important for Discover Puerto Rico to monitor the industry’s booking pace for several reasons, including forecasting demand, adjusting marketing strategies, and managing resource allocation. According to Travel Click, as of March 30, hotel bookings are tracking April occupancy just 1% below last year, while May and June are 5% below the same period in 2024.​

Overall Q2 occupancy is 3% below last year’s pace; however, this is mainly due to fewer committed group bookings. In contrast, leisure travel reservations are pacing 12% ahead of last year.​

With Q3 pacing solidly ahead of last year at this point, Discover Puerto Rico is intensifying efforts to promote travel during the post-Easter/early summer shoulder season.​

Rental listing nights on the books are also tracking strongly, with 29% more nights booked for April, 23% more for May, and 21% more for June compared to the same period in 2024.

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