While the financial crisis in Puerto Rico has inspired some to label the island the Greece of the Caribbean, tourism remains the island's economic bright spot amid a barrage of debt problems.
The U.S. territory is staggering under a crushing $73 billion debt load that Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla has conceded is unpayable.
However, the tourism sector is performing well across the board in stayover numbers, hotel occupancy and cruise passenger arrivals, according to Ingrid Rocafort, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Co.
While the economic fallout from the financial crisis could be severe, it is not expected to have much impact on tourism, she said.
"For the last three years, we have successfully worked to improve attractions, enhance and enlarge our cruise piers, open new hotels, attract investors and developers and increase our airlift," Rocafort said. "We will continue to do so."
Hotels that have opened in the past year include the Condado Vanderbilt last December, following a multimillion-dollar renovation; the boutique Blok property on Vieques, a newbuild; and the Hyatt House San Juan in the Puerto Rico Convention Center district, which will be followed by the adjacent $29.7 million Hyatt Place San Juan in the first quarter of 2016.
"The first Four Seasons is planned to open in Cayo Largo near Fajardo in early 2017, and in Ponce the old InterContinental that has been closed for 43 years is undergoing a complete redo," Rocafort said.
She said vacationers want attractions, experiences, good food and service.
"Our job is to make sure that people know Puerto Rico is safe and that it is business as usual as far as tourism is concerned," she said.
Meet Puerto, the nonprofit organization that markets meetings and conventions, "continues to operate in a fiscally sound environment," according to Milton Segarra, its president and CEO.
Segarra said that when the governor announced on June 28 that the $73 billion debt could not be repaid, "we responded immediately with a statement detailing our response and our assurances that the groups and conventions segment hosted in Puerto Rico now and in the future can be assured of a positive and memorable experience."
His team reached out to contact meetings planners that had events on the books.
Segarra said that three organizations had specific concerns, "but I shared our statement with them and explained the situation; no group canceled. We know this situation might escalate, and we will offer whatever support and assurances they need. Constant communication is key."
Meetings planners and corporate travel directors have to feel secure in making the decision to come to Puerto Rico for their event, according to Segarra.
"We're not taking this lightly," he said. "We understand the possible implications of this crisis in the financial markets in New York and our key feeder markets. Our task is to supply basic and fundamental information to erase any doubts."
"There is no indication, nor record, that hotels, transportation companies, venues or industry suppliers will shut down or cease to operate [as a result of the crisis]."
The same assurances came from the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association.
Clarissa Jimenez, president and CEO, reiterated what Meet Puerto had said, adding that no cancellations had been received from any of the organization's members.
"Standard & Poor's announced a year ago that our industry is one of the sectors with an important role to help our economy come back," Jimenez said.
"Key tourism indicators in Puerto Rico such as hotel occupancy, cruise and airline passenger movements are all up over last year and all indicators point to a continued growth of the island's tourism industry."