If you walk through Penn Station in Manhattan, one of the busiest train stations, not only in New York, but in the world, you will come across a little bit of San Juan, capital of Puerto Ricoin one of its corners.
The figure of a piña colada, a popular drink on the island, will invite you to San Juan to live your own story.
Since this Tuesday, The effigy – yellow, blue and red – is prominently displayed at the transportation system’s terminal in Pennsylvania Plaza., between Seventh and Eighth avenues, in the Chelsea area as part of the promotional campaign of the Municipality of San Juan in coordination with the authorities in New York, “Create Your Story.”
The initiative invites tourists to create and recreate their own history by visiting San Juan.
The representation of the piña colada is not only decorative, it also includes a “QR Code” that provides access to the website of “Explore San Juan” in which users will be able to obtain information about stay and recreation offers in the Puerto Rican capital.
Extension of the celebration of the 500 years of San Juan
As Romero explained at the press conference yesterday from the train station, The campaign is an extension of the celebration of the 500 years of San Juan in 2021. Saint John is the oldest city in the United States, followed by Saint Augustine in Florida.
“San Juan is an excellent example of how diversity defines our nation,” said the official.
“San Juan is not only a historical gem, but one of the most progressive ancient cities in America,” the official highlighted.
“As you walk through the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan, you will be able to see forts, castles, palaces, mansions, among many other structures of our first five centuries of history and they showed the way…”, he elaborated on the historical value of the district.
A call to Puerto Ricans in the diaspora
The mayor added that the campaign also seeks to appeal to Puerto Ricans in the diaspora that always return to the territory.
“Even if we have already experienced the charm and magnificence of Old San Juan, we have the unique opportunity to explore it all again and, for example, choose the adventure of the diversity that San Juan offers to the visitor, such as the first gastronomic route that we announced last week, called Try the Field,” Romero invited.
The diaspora represents 23% of the total tourists who visit Puerto Rico, according to data from Discover Puerto Rico cited by El Nuevo Día.
A visitor from the diaspora spends approximately $181 per day on the island during their stay, which, on average, is eight days.
Of the approximately 5.6 million Puerto Ricans living in the United States, more than 1 million reside in New York City.
A return on investment of $30 million is expected.
The estimated investment of the campaign, which runs until January 2, is $475,000 with the potential to impact 344,000 citizens daily in Penn Station alone.
In addition to promotion on the train system, San Juan’s marketing strategy as a tourist destination includes advertisements on digital platforms and guidelines on 92 urban panels located in Manhattan, The Bronx and Brooklyn. These ads will make 3.6 million daily impressions while they are in rotation.
With the efforts, A return on investment of $30 million is expected.for the hotel industry, according to Daphne Barbeito, director of the Economic Development Office of the Municipality of San Juan.
Part of the campaign seeks to expose potential visitors to spaces in the city that transcend Old San Juan, Condado and La Placita de Santurce, three of the most popular places in the capital.
During the first eight months of 2023, San Juan was placed as one of the five most visited destinations by travelers from the United Statesaccording to data from the travel magazine Skift.
San Juan was seventh on the list before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
At a more general level, authorities in Puerto Rico anticipate that 2023 will go down in history as the best year for the tourism industry with estimates of collections from the room tax. $130.6 million.
The Tourism Company in Puerto Rico indicated that, until last October, collections amounted to $110.69 million, an increase of 13.7% compared to the same period in 2022.
If the figure of $130.6 million is reached, it would be a number never before recorded by the agency.
NY continues to be an ally of Puerto Rico
For Robert Rodríguez, Secretary of State of New York, The collaboration demonstrates that the state continues to be an ally of Puerto Rico in different areas.
“Not only do we respond in times of crisis; We work together in terms of looking for opportunities. This is one of those moments in which we understand the importance of tourism; we understand the importance of infrastructure; “We understand the importance of the relationship, especially when it is cold it is beneficial for both parties,” stated Rodríguez.
“In particular, we know that there are many New Yorkers who want to spend this cold time in a warmer climate. “What better place than Puerto Rico, the ‘Island of Enchantment’?,” she noted.
The official, who attended the event on behalf of Governor Kathy Hochul, highlighted other economic development efforts that will benefit New York and Puerto Rico such as the Economic Opportunity Advisory Council announced last month.
The initiative seeks to implement policies and projects to strengthen the economies of New York and Puerto Rico and expand collaboration between both jurisdictions in areas such as biological sciences.
San Juan, a city with a lot of history
In 1521, Spanish settlers settled in San Juan. San Juan replaced “Caparra”, the first settlement of Puerto Rico, as the capital of the island.
Juan Ponce de León was the one who founded the original establishment, that is, Caparra. In 1508 he was appointed by the Spanish government as the first governor of the island.
Keep reading:
New York and Puerto Rico strengthen economic ties within the framework of the SOMOS conference
Avelo Airline launches its first two flights between Puerto Rico and the United States
2023-12-06 15:14:35
#piña #colada #statue #Penn #Station #promote #tourism #San #Juan #Puerto #Rico #York #Diario
