Welcoming 8.1 million visitors last year, an 8% increase over 2024, Puerto Rico tourism is thriving, and momentum picked up after Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime performance in February.
And today, Discover Puerto Rico is launching a marketing campaign to further entice visitors.
Called "Awaken Your Senses," the campaign makes an intentional shift toward highlighting immersive and sensory experiences through the destination's music, cuisine, natural landscapes and the communities that make up its 78 municipalities, according to Discover Puerto Rico.
Launched because of an increased demand for immersive experiences, "Awaken Your Senses" follows the DMO's "Live Boricua" campaign, which functioned largely as an introduction to the island's culture. "Awaken Your Senses," Discover Puerto Rico says, takes this introduction a step further -- meant to show the island as a place where travelers can "actively participate."
Discover Puerto Rico chief marketing officer Storm Tussey said the new campaign is "grounded in consumer psychology research showing that sensory experiences create stronger emotional memory and deeper connections with a place."
"When we invite travelers to feel the rhythm or taste the culture, we're not just promoting a destination," she said. "We're offering restoration. We want Puerto Rico to be the place travelers think of when they need to feel alive again."
The campaign is in the first of a three-phase marketing plan aimed at increasing visitor engagement and emotional connection with Puerto Rico: encouraging longer (and deeper) exploration; driving business to local communities, businesses and creators; and promoting spending that goes back into the community. It will feature local artisans, musicians, community members and culinary traditions.
We are not featuring our community as props," Tussey said. "They are the voices, directors, and architects of this campaign. When we center local businesses and cultural creators, we're ensuring that the economic and cultural heart of the Island stays firmly in the hands of the community."
To that end, the campaign will showcase various collaborations with Puerto Rican companies and brands, including Al Este, Arrecife, Bike Stop, Bohemia Cocina en Movimiento, Calipso, Carabali Rainforest Park, Chiringas.com, Conjunto Achiote, Don Q, Elede, El Papelon, Hacienda Siempre Viva, Islenas, Laid Back, Medalla, Palmeira, Pine Grove Surf Club, Piraguas Viejo San Juan, Rogative, and Valija Gitana.
New marketing assets, partnerships and virtual experiences will continue to roll out over the next three years.
Beginning April 1, the DMO will shift to targeted storytelling in priority tourism markets.