Nearly 250 years after a hurricane swept through St. Croix, “sufficient to strike astonishment into angels,” according to a young Alexander Hamilton, another Caribbean island makes music out of climatic mayhem.
A lot has changed in the two years since Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico, but more remains the same. The resilience of those who call the island home is akin to alchemy, as generations have mastered the art of transforming challenge into opportunity.
One case in point, was this year's arrival of the celebrated Broadway musical “Hamilton” in San Juan. Beneath a new million-dollar roof financed by the show’s post-hurricane fundraising campaign, “Hamilton” playwright and lead actor Lin-Manuel Miranda was set to perform at the University of Puerto Rico, and consequently, walk in the footsteps of his father who had attended the school. A mirror of the play itself—that of a Caribbean-born man who travels to New York to reinvent himself and his nation—Miranda, born in New York, had returned to Puerto Rico with $15 million in donations for the arts.
But this wasn’t meant to be as political tensions rivaled that of the high shipping expenses of moving a Broadway set from US mainland, and “Hamilton” made a last-minute move from its scheduled stage. In true Puerto Rican fashion, the show did go on, however, to rave reviews.
A remote, full-scale production of “The Tonight Show” starring Jimmy Fallon also came to the island this year to promote hurricane relief. Unlike Miranda who packed Broadway onto a boat and set sail, Fallon reduced his crew of 250 to a skeleton crew of 30 people to be able to produce the special. A highlight of the show put the comedian in full 18th-century garb next to Miranda for a rendition of “The Story of Tonight.”
Funny wigs aside, nowhere is Puerto Rico’s bounce-back more evident than in its tourism sector.
Have We Met?
This week at IMEX America, Discover Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico’s first-ever destination marketing organization, shared with us the island’s tourism triumphs. This year alone has heralded record-high spending, an emerging luxe segment and pre-bookings that have increased by 37 percent. More lodging options exist now than in the history of the island. Every airport is operational and more than 4,000 restaurants and 158 hotels are open for business, with The Ritz-Carlton San Juan and El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo debuting next year.
Sprinkled throughout all of this are 10,000 rentals, which have helped Puerto Rico rank as a top Airbnb destination in the world. And if this isn’t enough to entice you to give Puerto Rico a try, the five-acre District San Juan, or El Distrito, is set to debut next year as the entertainment epicenter of the island, while the Connect Conference will usher into the area more than 3,500 planners, suppliers and industry leaders in 2021.
A major focus in the Puerto Rican tourism resurgence is its natural bounty—beaches and bioluminescent bays to the accolade of having the only rainforest in the US forest system. Culturally, a fusion of Taino, Spanish and African heritage offers an experience unlike anywhere else in the US.
Celebrating 500 Years
Ahead of Puerto Rico’s 500th anniversary next year, Discover Puerto Rico has launched a fitting “Have we met yet?” campaign as a means of introducing and reintroducing mainland Americans to their southern neighbors. If you haven't been to Puerto Rico in awhile, maybe it's time to meet this beautiful island again.
