How long have you been involved in Puerto Rico’s tourism industry?
I’ve been involved in Puerto Rico’s tourism industry all my life; I’ve been working since the mid-80s with hotel companies and have had the privilege to work in the government as director of tourism. I took an eight-year sabbatical to pursue the healthcare industry and worked in the development business for the largest healthcare conglomerate in Puerto Rico. With my experience in the healthcare and hospitality industries, I took the office as president and CEO of Meet Puerto Rico in summer 2013.
I have more than 25 years of experience, from hotel management to marketing and administrating. It’s not just a job—it’s my lifestyle.
What makes hosting a sports event in Puerto Rico different?
Three key points make Puerto Rico sports events special: location, access and facilities.
Puerto Rico’s location is ideal for anyone searching for a sports event or tournament intertwined with a vacation. With miles of sandy beaches, family-friendly activities and a tropical backdrop to your sports event, you get the best of both worlds.
Access to Puerto Rico is easy, just like state-to-state travel. You don’t need a passport, and dollar values are the same. The island is 100 miles long; the drive east to west is about two-and-a-half hours and there are several transportation companies that do transfers and offer packages. There is a wide range of properties, from limited-service to five-star accommodations, located in close proximity to sports facilities.
Facilities include multi-purpose, natatoriums, soccer stadiums, more than 20 golf courses, baseball parks, coliseums, small arenas and more that comply with rules and regulations of NCAA, MLB, NBA or PGA. Our Olympic Committee works with others to bring in tournaments, and we can accommodate a wide range of sports.
Facilities are located all over the island. There could be a basketball tournament in San Juan, a surfing event on the west coast, a baseball tournament in Ponce, and a golf tournament on the east coast—all with sufficient amount of rooms on-site or nearby.
Puerto Rico has the privilege of using the U.S. market in sports. We attract sports from all over the world—primarily from U.S. and Latin America. Puerto Rico universities apply the same rules and regulations as the NCAA, and other sports are overseen by local athletic commissions. The economic component sports bring to Puerto Rico is very important.
We can provide the necessary and expected level of service. No other destination could manage small to large sports events with all the bases covered—accessibility, hotels, facilities and logistics. All event planners that come to Puerto Rico say they love getting international coverage and it is a good investment for sponsors.
How do you overcome perceived transportation challenges in getting down to Puerto Rico?
As I mentioned before, travel to Puerto Rico is no different from traveling in the states. There are no additional security checks, customs or a need for a passport. TSA runs by the same standards here as any other airport in the U.S. You can also check equipment as you would on a normal flight. Our airport sees 8.5 million passengers a year and on a weekly basis we have 2,000 flights. Plus, Puerto Rico’s climate provides for year-round play—no matter the season.
What are some of the notable recent events you’ve hosted and what do you plan to host?
We have hosted the Puerto Rico Open under PGA rules for several years. Puerto Rico also has hosted the World Baseball Classic under MLB regulations a few years, and we host teams from the MLB that are in pre-season. A few years ago we hosted the Central American and Caribbean Games, a multi-sport regional championships event held every four years. In fall 2015, we will host a huge basketball event: ESPN’s Puerto Rico Tip-Off. In 2016, we will host Iron Man Puerto Rico for the sixth year in a row.
Being an island, we also host many watersports. We do catamaran, surfing, paddle boarding, swimming—we often host regional and world cups for surfing. In addition to the beaches, we offer an Olympic-certified pool complex along with other pools.
What are some of the favorite activities that athletes enjoy when they are off the playing field?
Visitors love the beaches, local cuisine and entertainment. We have hundreds of miles of beautiful beaches. Local food is easily found in Old San Juan. In fact, I haven’t seen a group that comes to Puerto Rico that does not pay a visit to Old San Juan. They have shopping, food, dancing, bars and entertainment—and the area is easy to explore in a day.
