P.R. Convention Bureau unveils new interactive website

The site offers in-depth information on accommodations, meeting venues and other information to help organizers plan and host a conference, convention or exhibition in San Juan.

“The new ‘Meet San Juan’ website provides information on all of the elements and resources that a meeting planner would need to plan, promote and implement a meeting or group program in San Juan,” said PRCB President Ana María Viscasillas.

Conventions and meetings are an important component of Puerto Rico’s tourism-related economic activity. During fiscal 2010, more than 400 groups held their conventions or annual meetings on the island, pumping more than $97 million into the economy, PRCB data shows.

Puerto Rico boasts a portfolio of hotels that range from five-star to economical, with a combined inventory of about 14,000 rooms, to accommodate business and leisure travelers. Although last year’s totals were slightly lower than those on record for fiscal 2009, Viscasillas has said opportunities abound to attract specialty markets, such as medical meetings and amateur sporting events, and introduce the island’s offerings to a wider range of geographic markets such as Europe and Latin America.

The new site, laced with vibrant images of San Juan, complements the PRCB’s MeetPuertoRico.com institutional website and joins the BestCities Global Alliance network in providing planners with details and facts on the city, points of interest, detailed maps, entertainment and dining guides.

Also detailed in the online site is information about metropolitan area hotels, resorts and meeting facilities, Puerto Rico Convention Center features, as well as air lift and ground transportation.

“Planners accessing the site can take advantage of the many complimentary services of the Bureau for everything from securing hotel rooms to sourcing entertainment, organizing tours and lectures, ground transportation and more; we are pleased to have worked with the support of the Municipality of San Juan on this project,” Viscasillas said, noting that the site integrates a feature through which planners can submit their requests for proposals to reserve hotel rooms in block and ask about other services.

The Meet in San Juan site also provides links to other island organizations responsible for promoting tourism, namely, the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. Links to the Municipality of San Juan, a partner of the BestCities Global Alliance, and the Puerto Rico Convention Center are also listed.