On any given Friday, La Placita – in the neighborhood of Santurce in San Juan, Puerto Rico – is packed with partygoers drinking on the street shoulder-to-shoulder as they hop from one bar to another.
It’s a cacophony of music and smells with numerous restaurants interspersed in what is otherwise a marketplace during the day.
At a glance, it’s emblematic of Puerto Rican culture – a community enjoying music, food and dancing under the stars. But when you look closer, you can hear the music is often a track taken from the U.S. Top 40 Hits, the drinks are imported beer, and the food is some sort of Puerto Rican treat with an American twist. Your ears perk up when you hear Spanish because almost everyone around you is a tourist.
The island’s hospitality sector grew by five percent.
Many places around the world are grappling with the effects of overtourism. European countries have added tourist fees to popular spots, some cruise lines are opting for smaller ports of call, and even Hawaiians have called for a curb in visitors.
“We’re not opposed to tourism – we want it. But it has to be responsible,” Nilda García, president of the ecological organization Coalición Pro Corredor Ecológico del Noreste, told USA TODAY.
Tourism’s economic impact on Puerto Rico is undeniable. The sector contributed $7.6 billion to the island’s GDP last year, representing 6.6% of the total economy. Comparatively, tourism represented about 17% of Hawaii’s economy in 2023. However, Puerto Rico’s rapid growth has also raised concerns about sustainability, environmental degradation and cultural erosion. With an influx of visitors – many of whom still concentrate in the San Juan metro area – Puerto Rico is at a crossroads: How does it sustain this growth while preserving its rich heritage and fragile ecosystems?
To read more go to: https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2025/03/03/is-now-a-good-time-to-visit-puerto-rico/80236421007/
