Eti intl travel pr: Visitors, People Attending ETI International Tourism Expo, San Juan, Puerto Rico

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April 15, 2023
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Expo de Turismo International (ETI), Part 1: What’s New In Puerto Rico

Houses in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Photo credit: Ed Wetschler)

Two things astonished me about Puerto Rico’s second annual ETI, or Expo de Turismo International: 1. More than any other Caribbean meeting that I have attended, this one seemed to be aimed at travel agents; there were 400 of them there. 2. The Puerto Rico Tourism Company takes a big-tent approach, so I met attendees and even speakers from the Bahamas, Curaçao, Aruba, and other countries. Can you spell “inclusive”?

But back to Puerto Rico: What do the hosts have to say about their own tourism business? This:

When I asked Luis D. Muniz-Martines, Esq., deputy director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, about his island’s all-inclusive hotels, he replied, “We are not an all-inclusive destination, but we are the all-inclusive destination because we can provide everything. ”
“Everything,” explained Ingrid I. Rivera Rocafort, executive director, it “starts with Puerto Rico’s different environments: a world-class city like San Juan, rural towns, Blue Flag beaches, tropical rainforests, three of the world’s six bioluminescent bays, championship golf courses, pristine islands like Vieques and Culebra, underground caves…the list goes on.”
This diversity is great for niche markets: adventure seekers, golfers, families (remember, no passports required for U.S. citizens), wellness tourists, wedding parties (passports redux, plus, both conventional and LGBT weddings are legal), history and architecture buffs, heritage tourists, aficionados of art and music, night owls, nature lovers, culinary travelers, and shoppers.
As another official told me, Puerto Rico wants visitors to get out of their hotels, explore and experience.
There’s one other niche market, though, that’s not necessarily about exploring: weekenders, because of the many inexpensive nonstop flights from North American cities. (Indeed, thanks to the growth in hotels, and foodie-oriented restaurants and lounges in San Juan, some locals name Miami as the chief competitor.)
To make flights even more pain-free, Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport (SJU) is undergoing a $300 million renovation. Rivera describes San Juan as “the hub of the Caribbean,” and SJU is determined to maintain that position.

Ingrid I. Rivera Rocafort, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.

But, I asked Rivera Rocafort, what about the budget crisis? “Despite the government’s financial situation, we have broken all records in arrivals,” she said, noting that arrivals even grew in January 2016, a month when other Caribbean islands’ business was hurt by warm weather in North America.
“There is a disconnect between what is happening in government and what is happening on the outside,” she added. Not only has there been enormous growth in cruising, but developments on land include the imminent opening of the Ambassador Plaza in Condado, the Ciquala Luxury Home Suites, the Four Seasons Fajardo (summer of 2018), the Vivo Beach Club in Isla Verde, a new entertainment complex at the Convention Center (2018), and—a first for Puerto Rico—an AMResorts Dreams all-inclusive. All told, 3,850 rooms are in the pipeline.
This is happening in spite of Zika virus fears, and Rivera Rocafort predicts those fears will soon fade anyway. “We are working to eliminate breeding grounds, help hotels train their people, and answer visitors’ questions. Remember, Zika has been around 70 years, and now it’s in 40 states.” (The morning after the meeting ended, The New York Times reported a case of microencephaly in the stillborn child of an infected Puerto Rican woman. According to Dr. Ana Rius, the island’s health secretary, “..sixteen infected women have given birth so far, and the babies are progressing normally.” These children will be monitored for three years.)
Finally, it’s no coincidence that this conference is targeted toward travel agents. “Our Open House Special Rate for qualified agents allows you to create your own FAM trip in a very attractive way at $69 or $79 a night,” said Rivera Rocafort, “and our sales reps in multiple parts of the U. S. are there to help you. They can tell you what’s new, answer questions, update you on events, and give you the tools you need.”

For more information, visit internationaltourismexpo.com. Click here to read part 2 of our coverage on ETI 2016.

Excellent Results Expected at the First Annual ETI-Puerto Rico – Cruise Industry News

Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) Executive Director Ingrid Rivera Rocafort has said that first International Tourism Expo of the Caribbean (ETI, for its Spanish acronym) will be a success as the event is set to take place May 13-16.

The four-day event will be held at the Puerto Rico Convention Center, and welcome global representatives and travel associates from more than 20 countries from all segments of the tourism industry.

“ETI-Puerto Rico is a key initiative to help promote our Island as a premier Caribbean destination. ETI-Puerto Rico will help showcase not only our diverse tourist offerings to travel agents and key international markets personnel, but also how Puerto Rico is an ideal destination for business travel and convention,” said Rivera Rocafort. The executive added that she is deeply satisfied with the results achieved at the moment and the growth potential of the event.

Participants will benefit from seminars, conferences, tours and social events to strengthen business networks and contacts among members of the industry.

Guest speakers include Nancy Friedman, President of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training; Mark Murphy, President and CEO for Travalliance; Carol Johnson, TripAdvisor’s Sales Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean; and Professor Bruno Pujol, who will provide counseling about how to maximize market trends and the importance of customer service. More than 80 local and international companies, from segments like gastronomy, luxury, destination weddings, nature, adventure, cruise and hospitality, will exhibit their products and provide orientation to the 200 travel agents registered to be part of the event.

The event’s program also includes activities such as a “demo kitchen” to learn to prepare native dishes with renowned local chefs. Representatives from Puerto Rico, Colombia, Mexico, St. Kitts, and hotel company Sandals, will offer certification seminars to travel agents. Tours have also been coordinated to broaden the options available for visitors to enjoy their stay in Puerto Rico. The themes of these tours include eco-adventures, history, architecture, gastronomy, museums and shopping.

On Saturday, May 16, the Exhibition Hall will be open to the general public. For a nominal entrance fee, consumers will have the opportunity to learn about international destinations, participate in culinary demonstrations, enjoy raffles, paddle boarding experiences, and a live musical performance by internationally renowned Puerto Rican Salsa singer Gilberto Santa Rosa.

“We have high expectations for ETI-Puerto Rico. We are working hard to ensure that our visitors enjoy an all-star experience during their stay. We are also looking forward to the international exposure that the event will bring to Puerto Rico through specialized tourism industry publications, as well as the significant impact an event of this magnitude will have for the local economy,” said Rivera Rocafort. “We are confident that the events of this first edition of the Expo will bring new business opportunities, an increase in participants’ transactions, especially among travel agents and tourism industry professionals.”

Interpreter in Paris (it-en) – Davide

France, Paris

Selected period: from 10:00 to 18:00 – March 10

Response frequency:
one hundred%
Response time:
Within an hour

Italian interpreter and translator based in Luxembourg, working from German, French and English into Italian.
Focusing on finance, legal and marketing in written translation.
Sworn translator and interpreter at the Court of Luxembourg for Italian, French and German.

Italian interpreter based in Luxembourg, working from German, French and English into Italian.
Sworn translator and interpreter at the Court of Luxembourg for Italian, French and German.
Training: University of Geneva
– BA Multilingual Communication (2006)
– MA Conference Interpreting (due in 2020).