Puerto Rico Launches Tourism Campaign in New York

Puerto Rico Launches Tourism Campaign in New York
by Von Diaz

The Puerto Rican Government and tourism bureau have launched simultaneous campaigns intended to overcome economic challenges by sparking tourism and private investment. “Discover why Puerto Rico does it better,” reads the tagline for the joint tourism campaign launched by the Puerto Rican Governor’s Office and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company in New York this week.

The new tourism campaign launched alongside an aggressive tax incentive plan meant to alleviate economic challenges caused by years of recession, and to encourage private business investment in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico has been in an economic recession for the past five years, which has been exacerbated by the U.S. economic recession. In the summer of 2009, Governor Luis Fortuño initiated austerity measures to help the government stay afloat, which included laying off 30,000 public sector employees.

The Puerto Rican government hopes become “a hub for global trade in the Caribbean and beyond,” by developing public-private partnerships, Pérez-Riera said. Through pro-growth policies, the Puerto Rican government hopes to turn Puerto Rico into a “private sector oasis.”

To compliment economic and infrastructural reforms, the Puerto Rican Tourism Company is launching a bold advertising campaign, most visible in a dynamic advertisement in Times Square that features colonial Old San Juan, and Puerto Rico’s tropical rainforest, “El Yunque.”

The campaign advertises Old San Juan as a historic gem (“the oldest city in the United States”) and El Yunque as the “only rainforest in the U.S. National Forest Service.”

Puerto Rico’s Secretary of State, Kenneth McClintock, agreed that the attractive destination and tax incentives are a winning combination for new private investors. “Puerto Rico is one of the most attractive business environments in the world,” said McClintock.

The campaign launch, held in the NASDAQ Marketplace in Times Square, was a fanciful affair. After the campaign launch, rum cocktails were served, and festively clad dancers circled the room playing guiros and maracas.