Puerto Rico Takes New Digital Steps to Enhance Tourism Efforts
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So far as we know, a planned mobile app from Puerto Rico will be the first by any tourism board that offers text-based help for visitors from local concierges while they're in a destination. Other efforts at enhancing the digital marketing of the island's businesses show promise, too.
In recent months, Puerto Rico has taken visible steps to regain its footing after Hurricane Maria and a debt crisis had halted its tourism momentum.
The work has emphasized making it easier for potential travelers to plan trips, correcting visitor misapprehensions, and helping the travelers who do come to navigate experiences while they're on the island.
At an event in San Juan on Friday, officials described two additional efforts by the island's new tourism board — the building of a trip concierge mobile app and the creation of a business intelligence tool for island professionals.
These new efforts follow initial first steps to figure out what work would produce the quickest and biggest return on investment for tourism. Boosting the island's digital presence on travelers' preferred online platforms was a key finding.
An August 2018 audit of about 6,000 providers of accommodations, food, and attractions by Foundation for Puerto Rico found that only 39 percent of hotels island-wide made it easy for potential customers to email them. Only 19 percent of attractions had websites. About one in four venues had filled out their TripAdvisor listings.
A field study of businesses along Calle Loíza in the Santurce district of San Juan found that many retailers and restaurant owners weren't ac
