Report: 93% of visitors to Puerto Rico in fiscal ’24 came from US
Spending reached $2.6 billion.
During fiscal year 2024, 93% of visitors to Puerto Rico originated from U.S. jurisdictions, with 63% identifying as Puerto Ricans residing elsewhere, according to the “Visitor Profile for Fiscal Year 2023-2024,” released by the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics (PRSI) in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC).
Women accounted for 59% of visitors, with Puerto Rican women aged 40 to 59 representing the largest group of travelers. Most visitors were highly educated, with 53% holding at least a high school diploma.
The data, gathered from surveys conducted at Luis Muñoz Marín Airport in Carolina, Mercedita Airport in Ponce, Rafael Hernández Airport in Aguadilla and the tourist docks in Old San Juan, provides insights into visitor demographics, spending patterns and satisfaction levels, reflecting positive trends in Puerto Rico’s tourism sector.
The term “visitor” includes all nonresident travelers staying in accommodations such as hotels, paradores, rented apartments, family homes or their own residences.
“The main statistical product of the traveler surveys is estimates of visitor expenditures, which are included in Puerto Rico’s Balance of Payments as income for our economy. In addition, these surveys contribute to determine the gross product and generate statistics on the characteristics of travelers, characteristics that are necessary for decision-making at the government level as well as by the private sector,” said PRSI Executive Director Orville M. Disdier.
The Visitor Profile provides information about visitors regarding their place of origin, sex, age, education, occupation, income level, purpose of their trip, type of accommodation, places visited, average number of days of stay, activities carried out, quality of services offered at airports, their satisfaction with their visit and their expenses in different categories.
“The new Travelers Survey questionnaires were specifically designed to respond to the data needs identified by the PRTC, Discover Puerto Rico, the Department of Economic Development and Commerce, the Puerto Rico Planning Board and Aerostar Airport Holdings LLC,” said PRTC Executive Director Carlos Mercado.
“This strategic adaptation allowed us to collect key information for the planning, execution and evaluation of short- and long-term promotion strategies, in addition to meeting the main objectives of economic statistics,” he said.
The study revealed that more than 50% of Puerto Rican visitors reported annual household incomes exceeding $60,000, while a significant portion of other visitors earned $80,000 or more.
Vacation and family visits were the main travel purposes, accounting for 36% and 32% of trips, respectively. Private residences were the most popular accommodation choice (47%), followed by hotels (22%) and short-term rentals (20%).
The Metro region, which includes San Juan, Carolina and Río Grande, attracted 66% of visitors, with 76% of non-Puerto Rican travelers favoring the area. Other regions, such as Porta del Sol and Porta Cordillera, saw visitation rates of 28% and 15%, respectively, highlighting growth opportunities in these scenic areas.
Ninety-five percent of visitors expressed satisfaction with their Puerto Rico experience, and 96% indicated they were likely to return. Total spending by air travelers reached $2.5 billion, with Puerto Rican visitors contributing 52%.
Including cruise ship passengers, total visitor spending neared $2.6 billion, representing approximately 3% of Puerto Rico’s gross domestic product, the report showed.
Despite the positive figures, certain areas show room for growth. Participation in ecotourism was notably low, at only 17%, signaling an opportunity for development in sustainable tourism. Similarly, less-traveled regions like Porta Cordillera and Porta Caribe could benefit from targeted promotional efforts, the report noted.
