Discover Puerto Rico takes ‘parrandas’ to NY media outlets

With “panderos” and “aguinaldos” Discover Puerto Rico took the island’s traditional Christmas music parties, or “parrandas,” to several media outlets in New York to give them a taste of the Puerto Rican culture and invite them to visit during the “world’s longest Christmas season.”
The “parrandas” were part of a strategy to communicate that the island is ready to receive tourists and Puerto Ricans who live abroad in the Christmas season that begins on Thanksgiving and finishes on the Day of the Virgin of the Candelaria in February.
“The idea of giving ‘parrandas’ is part of our strategy to communicate that during this Christmas season, which is also the peak of the local tourism season, the island is celebrating and has its arms open to receive our guests,” said Jeniffer Rosa, vice president of Communications at Discover Puerto Rico.
“We will be celebrating big events, opening of hotels and all who visit us will have the opportunity to enjoy our gastronomy and variety of cultural events,” she said.
Discover Puerto Rico is developing several efforts to strengthen its presence in several places with large concentrations of Puerto Ricans, because the “diaspora” has a big economic impact on the local tourism industry, she said.
“The largest number of visitors who come to Puerto Rico are from the largest cities in United States where our fellow Puerto Ricans live,” said Rosa.
The “parrandas,” which included a taste of Puerto Rico’s “coquito” traditional Christmas drink, visited the newsrooms of outlets such as “People en Español,” “Departures,” “Food & Wine,” “Travel and Leisure” and “VICE News.”