I-Discover Puerto Rico, i-Puerto Rico, i-Puerto Rico yokuqala ngqa I-Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO), imemezele namuhla ukuthi isidingo sendawo yokuhlala ye-Q2019 ka-1 silingana namazinga e-Q2017 ka-1 ezinyangeni eziyishumi nane ngemva kwesiphepho u-Maria, okubonisa ijubane elingakaze libonwe lokululama endaweni oya kuyo. Isidingo esiphelele sokuqashiswa okuzimele sikhuphuke ngamaphesenti angama-72 ukusuka kumazinga we-Q2017 ka-1, okufakazela ukukhula okukhulu kwezivakashi1. Isibikezelo sonyaka wonke sibukeka sithembisa njengoba ingxenye esele ka-2019 ibhukha ngamaphesenti angama-24.1 ngaphezu kwamazinga ka-2018. Lokhu kulindeleke ukuthi kuqhubeke nokukhuphuka njengoba isilinganiso sokubhukha ewindini lokufika sicishe sibe izinyanga ezingu-2.
“I-Puerto Rico ibukeka njengendaba eyingqophamlando, futhi ngiyaziqhenya ukubona imboni yezokuvakasha neyokuvakasha kulesi siqhingi idlala indima ebalulekile,” kusho uRoger Dow, umongameli kanye ne-CEO ye-US Travel Association. "I-Discover Puerto Rico ifakazele ukuthi ingalo yokumaketha yendawo oyiwa kuyo iyingxenye ebalulekile yokuguqula ngempumelelo."
I-eTN Chatroom: Xoxa nabafundi abavela emhlabeni wonke:
“Sifunde lukhulu kozakwethu bezokuvakasha kwezinye izindawo abake babhekana nobunzima, lokho kwasisiza ukuthi sigxile emizamweni yethu. Siqoqe imininingwane nedatha yomlando ehlobene nokubona, futhi saqaphela eduze ukuthi imidiya ikusingatha kanjani ukutholakala kokuthola. Sithuthukise izinhlelo zethu ukuze siqinisekise imiphumela eqinile,” kusho uBrad Dean, oyi-CEO yakwaDiscover Puerto Rico.
Kusukela yasungulwa ngoJulayi 2018, i-Discover Puerto Rico isiqale umkhankaso wokuqinisa ukulingana komkhiqizo wase-Puerto Rico futhi isheshise umnotho wayo wezivakashi, inikeze i-Island amandla ukuthi yenze imali ngokugcwele ngomkhiqizo wayo wezokuvakasha ocebile futhi ichume njengendawo ehamba phambili yase-Caribbean. I-Discover Puerto Rico ibeka umgomo wesikhathi esifushane wokushayela irekhodi lokutakula futhi ufinyelele amazinga angaphambi kwe-Maria ngokugubha iminyaka emibili kwesiphepho. Ngokusekelwe emiphumeleni ye-Q2019 ka-1, i-Discover Puerto Rico ifinyelele lo mgomo ngokushesha kakhulu kunalokho obekulindelwe, yazibonakalisa njengenye yempumelelo yokuqala ye-Island yokwenza okuyimfihlo.
“I-DMO yasungulwa ukuze ibeke indawo nomnotho kuqala, ngokuqinisekisa ukufana kanye namasu okumaketha asezingeni eliphezulu ukuze kwandiswe ukuvakashelwa kwebhizinisi nokungcebeleka,” kusho uDean. “Lesi yisikhathi esijabulisayo emnothweni wezivakashi zasePuerto Rico, futhi kuyajabulisa ukubona impumelelo kusenesikhathi. Kodwa-ke, lesi isinyathelo sokuqala nje - inhloso yethu enkulu ukubeka amandla okushintsha okuhamba ukuya emsebenzini e-Puerto Rico ngokuphinda kabili usayizi womnotho wezivakashi, kuzuzise izakhamuzi namabhizinisi ase-Island," wengeza.
Imboni yezokuvakasha yasePuerto Rico yenze intuthuko enkulu ngesikhathi esirekhodiwe. Ama-milestone angeziwe afaka:
•I-Q2019 ehamba phambili ka-1 nokubhukha esikhaleni seMihlangano, Izibonelelo, Izinkomfa Nemicimbi (MICE) idlula kude isilinganiso esidlule seminyaka emi-3 neminyaka emi-5. Abahleli bemihlangano bathola iPuerto Rico iyinketho ephezulu uma kubhekwa kalula kwayo ukwenza ibhizinisi njengendawo yase-US kanye nokuheha kwendawo yase-Caribbean.
•Ukufinyelela emoyeni kuye kwanda kuzo zonke izikhumulo zezindiza. Isikhumulo sezindiza saseSan Juan International (SJU) sibone ukwanda kwamaphesenti angu-23.8 unyaka nonyaka kwenani lezindiza ekota yokuqala ka-2019 uma kuqhathaniswa nezinyanga ezintathu zokuqala zika-2018. Lokhu kuwuphawu oluqinile lokukhula, njengoba abathwali abaningi bekhulisa umthamo futhi bengeza imizila emisha.
•Imboni yezokuvakasha yasePuerto Rico yephule amarekhodi. Izinombolo zangoJanuwari 2019 zikhombisa ukwenyuka kusuka eminyakeni edlule ngamaphesenti angama-28.9 ezivakashi ezivakashela echwebeni futhi kube nokukhuphuka ngamaphesenti angama-56.6 kwabagibeli bamachweba asekhaya uma kuqhathaniswa noJanuwari 2018.
•Cishe amahhotela angu-156 amukela ukubhukha. Ukuqashwa kwesikhashana kunikeza izihambi izinketho ezingaphezu kuka-8,000 kuso sonke i-Island kanye neziqhingi zase-Vieques naseCulebra.
Izinkampani ezinkulu zezokuvakasha eziku-inthanethi njengePriceline, i-Kayak ne-Expedia Group nazo zibike esidlangalaleni ukwenyuka okusheshayo kwesidingo sokulala esiqhingini. I-Priceline ibike ukuthi ukubhuka kwamakamelo ebusuku kwenyuke ngamaphesenti angu-125 ku-Q1. I-Kayak.com ihlaziye ithrafikhi yosesho lwe-Spring Break kuzo zonke izifundazwe ezingu-50 futhi yabona ukunyuka kokusesha okungamaphesenti angu-115 uma kuqhathaniswa no-2018. Indawo evame ukuseshwa ezifundeni ezingu-30 kwezingu-50 kwakuyi-San Juan. Imibiko yedatha yakamuva ye-Expedia Group ethi isidingo sikhuphuke ngamaphesenti angama-440 namaphesenti angama-40, ngokulandelana, ku-Q4 2018 uma kuqhathaniswa nesikhathi esifanayo ngo-2017.
NgoJulayi ka-2018, i-Discover Puerto Rico yasheshe yaqala inqubo yokubeka kabusha umkhiqizo ukuze kuqinisekiswe umthelela osheshayo emnothweni wezivakashi. Njengoba le nhlangano isondela emgubhweni wokugubha unyaka owodwa kwaqhamuka isiphepho uMaria, umkhankaso wayo othi #CoverTheProgress uphonsele abezindaba inselelo yokuthi bagxile enqubeni enhle yemboni yezokuvakasha. Umnyakazo onesibindi owawungakaze uthathwe indawo eyayibhekene nobunzima, umkhankaso washintsha umbono we-Puerto Rico, wabeka isiqhingi kusethi yokucabangela yabahambi nabahleli bemihlangano. Inhlangano iphinde yenza kusebenze i-Google Content Initiative, ibuyekeza ngokushesha futhi ithuthukise amafa abonakalayo atholakala kubavakashi ku-inthanethi.
Ku-Q4 ka-2018, i-Discover Puerto Rico igxile ekutholeni ukuvumela okuvela eceleni ngemidiya nabagqugquzeli, ukusabalalisa izwi ngeminikelo yase-Puerto Rico. Ukuzuza indawo engu- #1 ohlwini lwe-New York Times “Izindawo Ezingama-52 Ozohamba Kuzo”, phakathi kokunye ukutuswa okuphawulekayo okutholiwe, kusize isiqhingi sibe ngesinye sezindawo ezishisa izikhotha ukuvakashelwa ngo-2019. Ukuqala unyaka uLin Manuel Miranda ephinda indima yakhe I-“Hamilton” kanye ne-Tonight Show edlala isiqephu esikhethekile sika-Jimmy Fallon e-Puerto Rico, ebhangqwe nokuphusha okunolaka ukuze kubekwe i-Puerto Rico njengendawo ekahle yekhefu lasentwasahlobo, kusize ukuqhubekisela phambili umfutho.
Ngenyanga edlule nje, i-Discover Puerto yethule uhlobo olusha lokuhlonza, okuhlanganisa ilogo entsha, newebhusayithi ethuthukisiwe, equkethe okuqukethwe okunamandla okuklanyelwe ukubandakanya izivakashi kuwo wonke amafomethi edijithali. Futhi ngesonto eledlule, le nhlangano yethule umkhankaso womkhiqizo omusha obizwa ngokuthi "Ingabe Sesihlangene?" Umkhankaso omusha wethula kabusha i-Puerto Rico emhlabeni futhi udonsela ugqozi emnikelweni oyingqayizivele wamasiko nemvelo we-Island - okuhlanganisa iminyango yaso eyisithombe, isimo somoya sokungenisa izihambi nokwamukela abantu baso, kanye nesimo saso sendawo njengendawo yase-United States etholakala kalula eningizimu yezwekazi.
“Sijabule kakhulu ukubona umthelela wemizamo ye-DMO enawo emphakathini wendawo. IPuerto Rico inethuba elimangalisayo lokuphakamisa izinga layo, emhlabeni jikelele, futhi lesi yisiqalo nje,” kusho uLeah Chandler, CMO we-Discover Puerto Rico.
Through research, innovation, collaboration and best-in-class marketing practices, Discover Puerto Rico continues to work with industry stakeholders and destination leaders to promote Puerto Rico as a premier global destination. The Island was recently selected as the host destination for the upcoming World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) 2020 Global Summit – further evidence that Puerto Rico’s tourism industry is thriving.
