Uber Reserve now available in Puerto Rico
To help boost the island’s tourism industry, Uber announced the availability of Uber Reserve, a new feature in the app that allows users to book ride requests 30 days in advance and up to two hours prior to the hour needed.
Since Uber became available in Puerto Rico, more than 1.6 million tourists have used the app to get around the island. In addition, almost 2.3 million trips were made to and from the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport, the company stated.
On the island, Uber Reserve is available for UberX and Uber Comfort products. UberX is an option for common use that provides greater economy in trips, while Uber Comfort allows access to more comfortable vehicles with more legroom and partner drivers with high ratings given by previous app users of the app, among other benefits.
“At Uber we want to support and accelerate the mobility ecosystem by increasing access to Puerto Ricans and visitors to the island. With Uber Reserve we reinforce our commitment to innovation by leveraging solutions that provide more reliable, comfortable, and accessible alternatives for everyone, at the touch of a button,” said Victor Jaen, Uber general manager for Panama and the Caribbean.
Tourists who use the Uber app the most in Puerto Rico come the United States mainland, Mexico, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
The most popular destinations in Puerto Rico that tourists visit using the Uber app are the Luis Muñoz Marín Airport, La Placita de Santurce, the Isla Verde and Condado neighborhoods, and Old San Juan. In 97% of the trips, the partner drivers rate the tourists with five stars, Jaen said.
Uber Reserve also allows partner drivers to increase their earnings and better plan their weekly itinerary, since they will now be able to accept trip requests up to seven days in advance.
“Features that enhance tourism become relevant in Puerto Rico when, during the first seven months of 2022, tourism in Puerto Rico experienced a historic recovery. We are happy to be part of this acceleration of the island’s economic sector,” said Jaen.
According to data from Discover Puerto Rico, the island’s destination marketing organization (DMO), in July the hotel and hospitality sector reached the billion-dollar mark in income, a milestone that in 2021 was reflected three months later.
