January 1998: Tourism:
An Unrealized Potential
Tourism in Puerto Rico generates employment, income, and production. Still, can this sector afford sustainable growth? In 1997, tourist expenditures amounted to almost 7% of GNP. Last year, 4.4 million tourists visited the island. Although cruise passengers represented 25% of all visitors, their expenditures were less than 4% of total expenditures. Occupancy rates averaged 69% with 8,803 hotel rooms. Almost 51% of our visitors come from Canada and the US. This issue is packed with statistics on hotel registrations, accommodations by area, occupancy rates, visitors’ expenditures, international comparisons in terms of room rates and salary structure, and current events that will shape the future of the industry.