Despite the recent earthquakes, aftershocks and power outage in the southern part of Puerto Rico, it is not impacting tourism on the rest of the island.
During the first days after the tremors, three cruise ships docked in San Juan, delivering 15,000 passengers for land-based tours.
The Caribbean Travel Organization also reports that:
Electric power in Old San Juan has been fully restored and progress is being made across the Island.
All major hotels are business as usual (with and without generators).
All flights are operating normally to/from the San Juan Luis Muñoz Marin, Ponce and Aguadilla airports. Taxis and ride share options are also available.
Ferry service to/from Vieques and Culebra are running.
Here’s what travelers should know:
Attractions open: The Ponce Cruise Port, the Puerto Rico Convention Center, and major attractions such as El Morro, El Yunque, San Cristobal Fort, and hotels throughout the northern region of Puerto Rico, including all areas around San Juan, continue to be open for business.
Beaches are open.
Check with your travel provider
Travelers with upcoming plans should reach out to their travel providers, hotels and other businesses for updates
Visit DiscoverPuertoRico.com for the latest information and travel updates.
This is also a good time to remind all travelers to have travel insurance, which protects you against missed flights, cancelled cruises and a lot more.
Read my article here on ecoXplorer on why you should never leave home without travel insurance.
How to help
You can help Puerto Rico recover by visiting. Your tourism dollars help the economy, it’s as simple as that.
The southern region is getting support:
Travelers should not be dissuaded by the state of emergency.
Governor Vázquez has kept that in place to continue to ensure those in need in the southern region receive adequate government funding and support.
A few hotel properties in the southern region were affected.
Two tourism sites, of the vast number across the Island, reported damage. Those two are Punta Ventana in Guayanilla and the Ruins of the Lighthouse in Guánica.
CTO tells ecoXplorer that no other natural wonders across the Island have been compromised.
For those that want to help:
One of the best ways to help is to keep your travel plans or consider a visit in the year ahead.
The local American Red Cross chapter is gathering donations for those who wish to provide support to those in the southern region.
Here is a list of other charities which assisted Puerto Rico after the devastation of Hurricane Maria.
Many of them are back helping once again.
Images courtesy VisitPuertoRico.com
ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and guidebook and smartphone app author – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.
Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com.
Also follow my NYC website, www.nyconthecheap.com.
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