To boost tourism between New York City and Puerto Rico, “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, a New York-born Puerto Rican, hosted a special event at Manhattan’s El Museo del Barrio with destination marketing organizations NYC & Company and Discover Puerto Rico.
The two organizations signed a one-year alliance that launched a partnership to increase tourism, as reported in Travel Weekly.
“I’m here to tell you Puerto Rico is waiting for you,” Miranda said. “It’s waiting for you to visit, to reestablish that connection […]. They need your money, they need your visit, they need your support. They need as many voices as possible. And nothing is better for your soul than to go visit Puerto Rico.”
He added that going to the island is “more important now than ever. I’m thrilled with this campaign.”
The agreement creates an exchange between the two organizations to share marketing assets to boost reciprocal travel, share best practices in tourism marketing, and continue to support Puerto Rico’s recovery from the destruction of Hurricane Maria.
Marketing efforts, according to Travel Weekly, include billboards in San Juan promoting New York City and advertising on bus stop shelters and Link NYC screens across New York City’s five boroughs.
Discover Puerto Rico CEO Brad Dean said the partnership was “unprecedented” and said the new partnership will “help take our strategic tourism efforts to the next level.”
“This comes at an important time to lift prosperity on the island and accelerate its economic recovery,” Dean said.
NYC & Company vice chairman and senior vice president of the Shubert Organization Charles Flateman told Travel Weekly that the first “city-to-island partnership” is a nod to the “long and special affinity between these two destinations.”
“We want all New Yorkers to know Puerto Rico is open for business and ready to welcome us all,” he told Travel Weekly.
