Director of Sports Tourism at Discover Puerto Rico and an expert in the hospitality industry with almost two decades of experience
In this edition of Faces of Sports Tourism by Sports Planning Guide, we sit down with Carlos Deliz of Discover Puerto Rico. Deliz has almost 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, with a bachelor’s degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from the University of Puerto Rico. As the Director of Sports Tourism for Discover Puerto Rico, Deliz oversees the sports tourism market, specializing in sports events, sports meetings and group management services.
Deliz started his career in Old San Juan where he worked at El Convento Hotel and is a certified bartender and croupier. Having also worked for Norwegian Cruise Lines in Hawaii, he became the first Puerto Rican to earn the Sports Tourism Strategist (STS) designation from the Sports Events and Tourism Association (Sports ETA).
Learn more about Puerto Rico and their Top-Notch Sports Facilities!
How did you get into your current role as Director of Sports Tourism?
It’s been a long road. I tucked directly into sales in the past 10+ years at several hotel properties, and when the opportunity opened up at Discover Puerto Rico, I was recommended by several peers in the industry. Seven years later, developing the [Puerto Rican] sports market with the support of our innovative and results-oriented team, we were able to put Discover Puerto Rico and the island back on the map from an industry standpoint. Now in this current role I’m in, I’m looking forward to what we’re going to do with the sports market by taking it to the next level.
What would you consider your favorite part about your job?
I really enjoy connecting with people—being able to know that the work that you’re doing brings successes to the local merchants, to the community. Also, the economic impact and being an ambassador to the island. I love my job. I love what I do. I love the island. And it’s kind of an ideal merger between my passion for sports and hospitality, which is what I studied and wanted to accomplish. I couldn’t ask for a better, better position right now.
How does Puerto Rico do things differently to stand out in the North American market?
Puerto Rico has a privileged position being a warm-weather island in the Caribbean, so you can play sports here pretty much any time of the year. Outside of snowboarding competitions [laughs], we can host pretty much anything else. Our people are very passionate about what they do. We have experienced local talent and producers that are at the forefront of producing events here.
As you probably know, Puerto Rico gets most of its business from the United States for being a U.S. territory, so U.S. citizens don’t need a passport to travel here. This opens the door greatly for a lot of Americans to come over. However, we also have that international vibe within the U.S. jurisdiction with our combination of roots between the Africans, the Taínos and the Spaniards.
Along with this American unity of ethnicities and backgrounds, we also offer the approach of the Boricua style. Live Boricua is our current campaign, which is a state of mind, spirit and flavor of living the island life here. The word comes from our Taíno ancestors—our natives here in their language—which comes from their name for the island, Borinquen. [Live Boricua] is more than a marketing campaign though. From the beaches to the food to the rhythms and adventures, it’s something you’ll feel here.
Discover Puerto Rico is well known for its elaborate setup at shows and conferences. What can you tell our readers about that?
We have a very creative team putting together all of the elements that enhance and showcase the island’s passion. I think we have amazing leadership, especially on the marketing side with CMO Leah Chandler and the rest of the staff.
We have our now iconic Coffee Hacienda booth which is a huge success at pretty much every show we go to, from Sports ETA, Connect and even the non-sports trade shows. We also recently launched a piña colada ice cream collaboration with Van Leeuwen Ice Cream in New York. We went to three different locations in the city to promote that the new flavor is going to be a limited series, so people need to try it while supplies last.
What’s your favorite sport to play or watch?
I grew up playing baseball, so that’s my go-to sport—as is probably for most of the Puerto Rican people. It’s embedded in our history and it’s still the Puerto Rican pastime. Basketball, volleyball and boxing are some of the other major sports here in Puerto Rico. Whenever I travel, I look at the MLB schedule to see where I can escape and visit a stadium to catch a game. I’m working my way to visit all 30 stadiums.
Who do you root for?
That’s a tricky question asking a Puerto Rican, since you know Puerto Rico doesn’t have a team. We follow Puerto Ricans where they play, so I grew up watching the Rangers. Right now, the stadium that has captured my heart is the former AT&T Stadium (now Oracle Park) in San Francisco, so I would say that I’m a Giants fan.
What is Puerto Rico building or renovating right now?
We are currently renovating Hiram Bithorn Stadium, which will be a host venue for the World Baseball Classic in 2026. We’re thrilled to have grabbed the hosting rights again since we’ve been hosting it since the first edition in 2006. With entrepreneurship in Puerto Rico thriving, we’re seeing more and more interest in building facilities to bring in even more sports tourism and benefit the community.
Any recent and upcoming events?
Starting at the end of the year, we’ll host The Laurie Hernandez Champions Challenge for the third year in a row with an expected 600 athletes. This is Laurie Hernandez’s passion project, which also highlights her roots as a Puerto Rican and diaspora. Then, to start the year off on the right foot, we’re going to be hosting the Men’s Division I NCAA collegiate tournament for the first time, which is going to be the beginning of the road to Omaha.
Get in contact with Carlos Deliz
787.957.8945
