Discover Puerto Rico Has Millions in Events Business at Risk, Says Ex-Tourism Chief

Discover Puerto Rico's contract runs out in three years and uncertainty over whether it will be renewed is holding back potential events business, the former CEO of the destination marketing organization told Skift.

“This is a big problem for Puerto Rico and the industry, and it puts meeting planners in a really difficult predicament,” said Brad Dean, who left last month to run Explore St. Louis.

Discover Puerto Rico's 10-year contract expires in June 2028.

“There is currently $101 million of meeting and convention business on the table extending beyond that contract period,” he told Skift.

A major convention — where you’re bringing thousands of people to the island — is typically booked years in advance.  

Discover Puerto Rico has requested an extension of its contract, which needs to be approved by the Board of Directors and the government, but without any confirmation as of yet, events planned beyond the current contract are in limbo.

“The governor of Puerto Rico was elected by the people, and she has every right and the responsibility to review the contract… But meeting planners need to know their global partners are prepared for what they’ve committed to,” he said.

The governor of Puerto Rico, Jenniffer González-Colón, did not respond to Skift's requests for comment.

Dean claims the government is putting Discover Puerto Rico in the position of “making promises they may not be able to fulfill.” 

“To be clear, that’s not why I left. I’m leaving for what I think is a better opportunity for me in a bigger market and operation, with a bigger salary. That was the draw. I chose St. Louis because I think there’s tremendous potential,” he said of his new role, which he started on February 17. 

“But it was very disheartening to watch my sales team work diligently to book business and make major commitments only to let bureaucrats twiddle their thumbs, wondering if the island needs that business.”

“It certainly created a lot of challenges over the past year, and I can’t say we’ve lost business just yet because it’s early in the day. But it’s a terrible precedent for our industry.” 

Growth in Tourism Since 2018

In the past, Puerto Rico lagged behind its Caribbean neighbors in visitor arrivals and spending, and Hurricane Maria's strike in September 2017 damaged infrastructure.

Much of the work around tourism on the island has been divided between the private sector-led Discover Puerto Rico and the decades-old, government-run Puerto Rico Tourism Company.

When Dean became CEO in 2018, he worked with other organizations and tourism sector stakeholders to take advantage of the publicity and name recognition from the hurricane.

Since the pandemic, Puerto Rico has seen huge growth in tourism, with demand for visitor lodging up 50% from 2018 levels by 2023. 

Through November 2024, data from CoStar's STR and AirDNA showed lodging demand had reached nearly 6.7 million room nights, a 7% increase compared to the same period a year earlier, Discover Puerto Rico said.

Dean said his last 90 days as CEO were “a fire drill of informing planners” of the expiring contact. 

Don Welsh, President and CEO of Destinations International, believes Discover Puerto Rico's status should remain in place.

"This is a decision for the governor to make... However, given the record results and highly competitive market for attracting leisure tourists and business travelers, I believe it's most prudent for Discover Puerto Rico to remain in its current structure," he said.

Welsh also believes that the organization would have "more success attracting and retaining top-tier talent by remaining a nonprofit rather than an extension of government."

"Unfortunately, in recent years, I've witnessed several talented leaders leaving Discover Puerto Rico," he told Skift. This included Dean and, more recently, former CMO Leah Chandler.

Welsh said current uncertainty around Discover Puerto Rico's leadership and organization "may become a consideration for event planners as they look for a predictable destination partner with the right team in place to ensure the success of their event."

Last year, the former governor of Puerto Rico Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia told local media at The San Juan Daily Star that he was in favor of renewing the contract.

However, it was noted that some representatives in government were critical of Discover Puerto Rico, including Rep. Ángel Matos García. Skift sought comment from García for this story but did not receive a response.