Puerto Rico Tourism Demand Surged in Early 2023

Puerto Rico’s visitor arrivals, tourism demand and lodging income all posted year-over-year increases in the early part of 2023, according to data from Discover Puerto Rico (DPR), the country’s tourism marketing organization.

From January through April, “The arrival of passengers increased by 18.6 percent and the demand for short-term rentals and hotels is 14 percent above 2022,” said Cecilia Rodríguez, a DPR analyst and researcher, at briefing for media last week.

Additionally, hotel, short-term rental and airline reservations made by travelers during the second and third quarters of 2023 “exceed the reservations pace seen at this time of the year in 2022,” said DPR officials.

“It is very positive to see the momentum the industry continued to experience during the first quarter and the beginning of the second quarter,” said Brad Dean, DPR’s CEO.

“The numbers through April showed increases compared to last year’s period in all our key metrics,” said Dean. “Demand is growing, our brand is strong, and most importantly, more people are employed in tourism than ever before.”

While Puerto Rico’s average daily hotel rates (ADRs) are up year-over-year in 2023, they continue to lag behind other Caribbean destinations, say DPR officials. Puerto Rico’s hotel ADR is up six percent this year and rates are 30 percent higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, said officials.

Still, Puerto Rico’s rates remain below that of the Caribbean average, according to DPR. In March, the Caribbean’s overall ADR was $408, which DPR officials say is 16 percent higher than Puerto Rico’s rate.