Puerto rico tourism bureau: Meetings & Conventions | Discover Puerto Rico
Meetings & Conventions | Discover Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Convention Center District in San Juan.
Boricua [boh-ree-kwah] is more than a word to identify a person from Puerto Rico. It’s a way of life that means finding inspiration wherever you look and sharing it with whomever you meet.
Which is why it makes so much sense to meet in Puerto Rico, where our one-of-a-kind culture will make for a one-of-a-kind meeting or incentive trip. If you want attendees to feel welcomed, impassioned, and excited, let our people inspire yours. Just minutes from our world-class beaches and natural adventures, our modern convention center features 600,000 square feet of meeting space, many green initiatives, and creative ways to incorporate our culture. Distrito T-Mobile, located steps from the convention center, offers entertainment options with uniquely Puerto Rican art, concerts, and cuisine. If you’re looking for a way to reward your company’s top performers, Puerto Rico’s combination of modern resorts and transformative experiences make us an ideal destination for group incentive travel.
And while our Island may feel like an international destination, there is no need for a passport for U.S. travelers.
Why Meet in Puerto Rico?
- You’ll provide a memorable and diverse attendee experience – and our destination is known for increasing attendance.
- No passport is needed for US residents, yet it feels like you are visiting an international destination.
- Substantial direct air access from major markets in the US.
- A technologically-advanced Convention Center incorporates many green initiatives and offers 600,000 square feet of total meeting space, the largest in the Caribbean.
- No currency conversion for US travelers.
- US travelers don’t need international cell phone plans.
- Hotels and venues have invested millions in renovations and improvements.
- A Convention Center District that features prominent hotels, an entertainment and dining district and the Puerto Rico Convention Center are all located just seven miles from the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport.
- Warm weather all year round (85°F average).
- Professional service providers.
- Access to key industry sectors that can elevate resources and attendance in pharma, medical, education, and arts, to name a few.
- Turnkey planning support from the Destination Support Services Team.
- Both Spanish and English are spoken fluently across the Island.
- Culturally diverse, enticing gastronomy, lively music, and fun experiences to enjoy.
Click here to see our Meetings & Conventions Guide
More About Meetings in Puerto Rico
· More About Meetings in Puerto Rico
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Convention Center
Discover the most dynamic meeting destination in the Caribbean.
Retaining its distinguishing Spanish and French influence, El Antiguo Casino is part of the Puerto Rico Convention Center District.
Meeting Venues
If variety is the spice of life, then nowhere has more flavor than Puerto Rico.
Meet your on-Island all-star team!
Meeting Services
Let our talented and knowledgeable team take care of business.
Meeting Ideas
Infuse your event with sizzling Caribbean character—the Boricua way!
Group Incentive Travel In Puerto Rico
Discover why Puerto Rico is an unparalleled destination for incentive travel.
Meeting attendees mingling at a nighttime event in Puerto Rico.
Working with DMCs
Take your event to the next level.
Puerto Rico Tourism Company
Enjoy the hidden treasures of Puerto Rico, its attractions, year-round events and, local tourism opportunities.
Voy Turisteando
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A breathtaking destination where you can mix business and pleasure and enjoy life to its fullest.
Discover Puerto Rico
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Learn about investment opportunities, explore our culture, our beautiful natural settings, and experience the warmth of our people.
Business in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico combines the protection of operating under the jurisdiction of the U.S. legal system with the benefits of a foreign tax structure.
Incentives
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Need help planning your business?
Find out about the steps and resources you might need.
Plan your business
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We are the main air and sea access hub in the Caribbean with multiple weekly flight options to and from the United States and major cities in Latin America and Europe and ports that accommodate all types of vessels and cruise ships.
Air and Maritime Access
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Our mission is to create and ease the implementation of public policy in order to make Puerto Rico a main and unique destination within the world tourism market.
We want to establish Puerto Rico as the focus of Caribbean tourism.
Project Puerto Rico as a leader in all of the components of economic development.
About the Puerto Rico Tourism Company
Puerto Rico’s strategic location and fiscal incentives offer opportunities that very few destinations can.
Services
Sustainable Tourism
PRTC Endorsements
Event Sponsorship
Looking for something to do this weekend?
Whether you are a local, new in town, or just visiting, Puerto Rico offers an amazing diversity of events and festivals throughout the year.
Upcoming Events
Press Room
Visit our newsroom for updates on the Puerto Rico Tourism Company and what’s going on with the tourism industry.
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Latest news
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Puerto Rico: tourist information | PEGAS Touristik
Currency and Policies
Currency: US dollar.
Time
Time zone Summer minus 8 hours, winter – 7 hours.
Geography
Location: Central America, Greater Antilles, between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic.
Attractions
View Colonial “core” – the old part of San Juan, where there are still protective structures from pirate raids. The central part of the city of Ponce, consisting of squares, churches, beautifully decorated colonial houses, magnificent fountains. The Ponce Art Museum, considered the best in the Caribbean, the Ponce History Museum and the Puerto Rico Music Museum. Tibs Indian Ceremonial Center with its own archaeological site, which is a restored village of the Arawak Indians – the indigenous inhabitants of the Caribbean, destroyed by the Spanish conquerors.
Climate
Climate Tropical trade winds. Warm and sunny almost all year round. The average monthly temperatures in the lowlands are from 24 to 28 C, in the mountains – a few degrees lower. The tourist season lasts from December to March. On the northern and eastern windward slopes of the mountains, precipitation is abundant throughout the year (1400-2500 mm) with a summer-autumn maximum; in the southern and western – the amount of precipitation is about 900 mm per year (winter drought). May to November is the tropical hurricane season. The island is prone to earthquakes.
Shops and banks
There are currency exchange offices, all major credit cards are widely accepted – American Express, Visa, Diner’s Club, Discovery, Master Card.
Shopping enthusiasts from the Caribbean and beyond come to the San Juan metro to combine their vacation with a visit to the shops of famous brands.
Holidays and weekends
Not far from the island is the deepest place in the North Atlantic Ocean – the Puerto Rico Trench, 1750 km long, running approximately parallel to the northern coast of the island 120 km to the north of it. The width of the trench is 100 km, the deepest place is the Milwaukee Depression – 8380 m, at the western end of the trench, 160 km from the island. Between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic are the islands of Mona and Monito. These small islands are called the Galapagos Islands of the Caribbean. No other islands and waters under the jurisdiction of the United States can boast such a unique fauna as Mona and Monito, which are national reserves of world importance. And, of course, the cities of Puerto Rico celebrate festivals, and each city celebrates something special. Seductive creations of the luminaries of local cuisine, decorative handicrafts of talented local craftsmen, music, including ethnic music, dancing, sun … In a word – Puerto Rico.
Entertainment
Many local festivals take place throughout the year, including religious processions, games, live performances and national cuisine tastings. The baseball season runs from November to February.
Transport
Airports receive international flights daily. Luis Musoz Marin International Airport ranks 37th among US civilian airports. It is conveniently located 14 km north of San Juan, the airport has a restaurant, bar, bank, post office, hotel reservations and car rental agency, shop.
Language
Languages: Spanish, English.
how destinations attract tourists in 2020
The borders of many countries remain closed due to the coronavirus, but the convention bureaus and national tourism portals are already at a low start, fueling the interest of future tourists in their countries. Let’s figure out what methods are used for this in Europe, Asia and the New World, and what audience destinations rely on in the first place.
Europe – participation in forums, new products and eternal values
As of June 13, Poland has restored border traffic within the internal borders of the European Union. The Polish Convention Bureau (PCB) and the Polish Tourism Organization are actively promoting the possibilities of the territory: their representatives participate in the ASTA Global Convention 2020 organized by the Society of Travel Agents of the USA in the form of a virtual booth and invite journalists from European travel publications to press tours around the country. In addition, the Polish Tourism Organization has launched a voluntary certification program for hotels, businesses and catering facilities Sanitized Venue.
On the main page of the website of the Congress Bureau of Poland there is a banner asking not to cancel the events planned in the country, but to postpone them to later dates. The portal also publishes news about current requirements and measures taken by local hotels and PCOs to ensure safety several times a week.
On the website of the Portuguese Convention Bureau, all the news published in August is also devoted to anti-epidemic security. The portal provides a document with requirements for the organizers of corporate events, information about new insurance offers for tourists, and even a guide issued by the regional convention bureau with recommendations intended for event organizers. At the very bottom of the home page are videos promoting Portugal’s regions as safe to travel. It is important to note that the videos are created by local tourism authorities.
National tourism portals in Europe in general create much more content to promote the destination. The page with the latest information on COVID-19 on the page of the Spanish Convention and Exhibition Office also redirects to the Barcelona Turisme travel portal.
Portugal offers new insurance products and recommendations for events on the Meetings in Portugal website
Banner on the main page of the Congress Bureau of Poland
Many European marketing agencies and congress bureaus promote destinations with proven benefits – cuisine, attractions and reminders of their role in the world. This is how the German Convention Bureau, for example, emphasizes its leadership in key market sectors. España Global has released the “Spain for sure” video, where famous Spanish scientists, athletes, directors, chefs and entrepreneurs call their country safe and tolerant, and also talk about the inherent resilience and fortitude of the Spaniards.
There is no up-to-date information for event organizers on the website of the French Convention Bureau, and the latest publications are devoted to sustainable development initiatives. In the “Security” section of the “Why choose France?” there is no word on anti-epidemic measures. Unlike the congress bureau, the travel portal Explore France publishes articles reviewing the sanitary measures taken in French hotels and local transport. In social networks, the National Agency for Tourism Development in France posts inspiring photos of local locations and attractions.
Also on the Greece travel portal page, neither the Meetings & Incentives page nor the Conferences Greece page appears to have been updated since the start of the pandemic. The Visit Greece website does, however, have a page detailing the measures to contain Covid-19 in Greece, with the text emphasizing that it is “one of the safest countries in the world.”
Perhaps some marketing agencies and congress bureaus simply do not have enough resources to work on websites and portals. On the other hand, the borders between the EU countries have been open since June 15, and therefore shifting the focus from the topic of coronavirus to the values and advantages of European countries may be a conscious step.
An interesting promotional campaign was launched by the Nordic Tourist Board and Visit Iceland with lookslikeyouneediceland.com. Anyone tired of quarantine and other troubles associated with the pandemic can go to the site, turn on the built-in voice recorder and scream enough to let off steam. Recorded screams promise to play on one of the seven speakers installed in the vastness of Iceland. Participants can choose a location, for example, screams can be played on Festarfjall peak (Reykjanes peninsula) or near the Skogarfoss waterfall in the south of the country. The Visit Iceland campaign is inspired by scream therapy, which was popular in the 1970s as a way to relieve stress and anxiety.
By the way, they told how Labrador and Newfoundland attract tourists with the whistle of the wind and drifting glaciers.
Asia – safety first
Unlike the European Union, most Asian countries are reluctant to ease their restrictions on the entry of tourists from abroad. However, many of the local convention and exhibition bureaus are running marketing campaigns in anticipation of the opening of the borders and are trying to convey that they are aimed at attracting organizers and participants from abroad. In Asia, the focus is shifting entirely to destination safety, and this is achieved through the active publication of news, regulations and international assessments.
For example, the home page of the Osake MICE website has recommendations for MICE event organizers on infectious disease control and similar policies for hotels and party venues. The instructions are published in English and are intended not so much to inform local market participants, but to declare the high standards of their work. The Tokyo Business Events Portal also features a section titled “Tokyo Reinvents Towards a New Normal. ” It contains information about the security measures adopted in local hotels and establishments, recommendations and initiatives of market participants.
The Convention Bureau of Thailand is making many efforts to convey the image of the destination as a safe destination to the international community. This is in line with plans to hold the Congress of the International Exhibition Association (UFI) in November 2020. In addition to the UFI Congress, the calendar of events on the Congress Bureau website also includes other international events, mainly industrial exhibitions with participants from Asia and Southeast Asia. In addition, the Convention Bureau of Thailand holds webinars and expert live broadcasts on social networks, where local professionals, representatives of venues and services discuss measures to ensure safety at events and restore the local economy. The Thai Convention Bureau website also has a section dedicated to up-to-date information related to the coronavirus. So one of the publications reports an increase in the effectiveness of testing for COVID-19at the local airport, highlighting the possibility of expanding the testing program at the airport, which will allow more foreigners to enter.
There is a similar section on Meet Taiwan, although some of the articles posted there are not directly related to the pandemic, for example, a post titled “Taiwan ranked 2nd safest country in the world” refers to a low crime rate. The section also contains publications on the resumption of business events in Taiwan and the easing of entry restrictions, international assessments of the situation related to the coronavirus.
Taiwan is one of the few places where the coronavirus outbreak has been quickly brought under control, according to Bloomberg Economics. The NLI Research Institute of Japan awarded Taiwan the first place in the ranking of countries in terms of the speed of response to the pandemic and the effectiveness of local anti-epidemic measures.
The Osake MICE English page contains recommendations for organizers, hotels, venues, etc.
The Convention Bureau of Thailand holds webinars and live broadcasts on social networks, where local professionals, representatives of the venues discuss security measures at events
Puerto Rico is the backdrop for Zoom and recording the noise of the Caribbean against the ban
It’s too early to talk about business events in the US, and the island of Puerto Rico is also effectively closed to tourists. For now, entry into Puerto Rico is restricted to “necessary travelers.” According to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), this definition does not include persons traveling for sightseeing, recreation, or cultural events. Business tourism, as well as participation in business events, are not included in this list. The next business event scheduled in Puerto Rico, the 2020 Annual Meeting of the Academia de Patologia y Medicina de Lab PR, is scheduled for October 2020.
The tourist portal of Puerto Rico has an extensive section with recommendations for travelers, regulations for entering the island. The section contains detailed information about the opening hours of enterprises and public places:
The beaches are open only for those who go in for sports alone from 5:00 to 19:00 and are closed on Sundays. Theatres, casinos, bars, clubs, attractions and gyms remain closed. The sale of alcohol is prohibited after 19:00 and on Sundays. On Sundays, the island has a 24-hour quarantine regime: all businesses with the exception of pharmacies, supermarkets and gas stations will be closed, and restaurants will only provide services in the pickup, delivery or takeaway format. The curfew on the island is in effect until September 11 from 10:00 pm – 5:00 am, except in emergencies. Everyone is required to wear masks in public places and is otherwise subject to a fine.
Despite the virtual quarantine regime, the Puerto Rico marketing agency actively communicates with potential tourists in its Facebook group and stirs up interest in the destination with regular publications. The Discover Puerto Rico portal also regularly publishes materials for distance learning about the local culture, cuisine and locations of Puerto Rico from the comfort of home. Users are invited to watch virtual tours of the streets, beaches and museums of Puerto Rico, listen to a recording of the relaxing sound of the Caribbean Sea, assemble a puzzle with a photo of one of the postcard views, and even download it for themselves to use as a background in Zoom. All this riot of virtual creativity is combined into a separate section, the title of which really sounds encouraging: “In due time you will travel again.”
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