The tourist board for Puerto Rico has launched a £1.5 million, five-year strategic plan to attract more UK visitors to the island.
Puerto Rico Tourism Company executive director Terestella González Denton was in London this week to meet wholesalers, cruiselines and airlines, including British Airways, which last operated a direct service to the island in 1990.
González Denton said: “We see the next two to three years as a breakthrough period and we think the UK has a lot of potential for our island. But we’re looking more in terms of 2009/10 to really see an increase in visitors from the UK – especially if we can close deals with airlines for direct flights.”
The money will be spent on building the UK market through PR, marketing, advertising and fam trips. The board is also looking at opening a UK office.
The UK is the island’s second largest European market after Spain, accounting for 35,000 of the 174,000 annual European visitors.