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Research Update: Puerto Rico Tourism Reaches $18B Economic Impact in 2024

Monday, August 11, 2025 Research

Tourism in Puerto Rico Reaches 7.5 Million Visitors in 2024

Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics Company, provides data-driven insights that help Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), like Discover Puerto Rico, measure and understand the economic impact of tourism. They analyze metrics like visitor spending, job creation, and tax revenue. According to the 2024 Economic Impact of Tourism in Puerto Rico” report prepared by Tourism Economics this summer, visitor data in the calendar year 2024 established another record for the Island.

In calendar year 2024, Puerto Rico received 7.5 million visitors and hosted 4.2 million residents, for a grand total of 11.7 million tourists. The average spend per trip was $1,009 for non-resident visitors and $939 for residents.

About 1.9 million non-resident visitors lodged in hotels. The rest (3.8 million) stayed in other places (i.e., non-hotel accommodations, which can include short-term rentals and friends and family houses). Excursionist visitors were estimated at 1.7 million. This includes cruise transit passengers and military personnel.

Residents accounted for approximately 4.2 million visitors in calendar year 2024. About 15% lodge in hotels, and the rest stay in non-hotel facilities.

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Visitor Spending Powers $18 Billion Economic Impact in Puerto Rico

Direct tourism spending in Puerto Rico amounted to $11.6 billion in 2024 (including $11.5 billion in visitor spending and $0.1 billion in cruise-related spending). This spending level and its indirect effect amounted to a total economic impact of $18 billion. Specifically, the industry generated $2.6 billion in indirect expenditures and $3.8 billion in induced expenditures.

Total non-resident visitor spending reached a new record of $7.6 billion in 2024, an increase of $986 million or 15%.

The $11.5 billion in total (resident and non-resident) visitor spending in CY 2024 was 14% higher than spending levels in 2023.

This total economic impact generated $1.3 billion in state and local taxes.

Food, Lodging, and Air Travel Lead Tourism’s Economic Footprint

The food and beverage industry benefited the most, with approximately $4.6 billion in total output in calendar year 2024. Lodging and air transport followed, with $2.1 billion and $1.9 billion in total output, respectively.

Impacts directly attributable to tourism spending support approximately 9.6% of all jobs in Puerto Rico, with Leisure & Hospitality being the third largest non-government employer in Puerto Rico based on direct tourism employment.

The visitor economy is the third-largest private sector employer in Puerto Rico on the basis of direct tourism employment. The tourism sector directly supports more than 91,000 direct jobs, representing approximately 9.6% of all employment in Puerto Rico. In total, it supports directly and indirectly 141,000 jobs on the island

The tourism sector generated approximately $5.7 billion in direct GDP (value added), resulting in $1.1 billion in indirect GDP and $1.8 billion in induced GDP. The tourism sector’s total GDP impact totaled approximately $8.6 billion.

SJU Passenger Traffic Up 5% Year-to-Date, Boosted by International Routes

In July, Aerostar reported 691,000 passenger arrivals at San Juan International Airport (SJU), reflecting a 1% decline compared to the same month last year—approximately 8,600 fewer passengers. Despite this dip, July’s performance remains strong, exceeding the three-year average by 2.3% and surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 43%.

Year-to-date, SJU has welcomed 4.3 million passengers, marking a 5% increase over last year and continuing its record-breaking trend. North American arrivals account for 85.4% of total traffic—the lowest share since 2019—driven by expanded international route capacity. Notably, arrivals from South America reached 86,000 (+53%), Europe 62,000 (+18%), and Central America 68,000 (+15%).

Looking ahead, Aeroméxico will launch new service from Mexico City on October 27, enhancing connectivity for both leisure and business travelers.

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