Puerto Rico sees a surge in tourism – and a rise in aggressive tourist behavior | Puerto Rico | The Guardian
▻http://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/12/puerto-rico-tourists-aggressive-behavior-coronavirus
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At the Condado Vanderbilt hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Christian Correa clocked in to work the night-shift as a doorman and braced for the worst.
Correa, who is also a bellman at the hotel, has seen a surge in American tourists coming to the US territory in the last three months and the hotel has been busy. Although he used to enjoy high season before the pandemic, recently, many tourists arriving to Puerto Rico have enraged local residents and hospitality workers as the island eases its Covid-19 restrictions.“The tourists think they can do whatever they want,” says Correa, 24, who is also a student at the University of Puerto Rico. “We’ve seen fights, parties in the rooms and aggressive behavior.”
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Low-cost flights to Puerto Rico have enticed many travelers to choose the island as a vacation spot during the pandemic. A one-way flight to Puerto Rico from Florida booked two days in advance could be as low as $62.Hotel occupancy reached 60% during Presidents’ Day holiday weekend in February, according to the island’s destination marketing organization, Discover Puerto Rico. It was the highest number since Christmas, and hotels expect to reach the same occupancy rates for the forthcoming spring break.
“We are certainly seeing the effects of increased traveler confidence coinciding with vaccine distribution in the US,” said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico.For José Silva, owner of El Chicharrón restaurant, tourists arriving in the last weeks have put him on edge due to the large crowds without face masks forming on the weekends. His restaurant is located in La Placita de Santurce, a popular tourist area. Silva says the police close the streets around the area on weekends, making it hard for Ubers or taxis to pick up tourists after bars and restaurants close.“We’ve asked the police to help keep everyone distanced and look for an alternative for this area,” says Silva.In Old San Juan, another popular tourist area, Cristina Colón has been questioning whether her job as a waitress in Pirilo Pizza is worth the money as she sees a rise in clientele who refuse to abide by the Covid-19 precautions.“I’m not only concerned with my physical health, but my mental health too,” says Colón. “I’m nervous about myself, and for the friends and family I surround myself with, because I have no idea where this person who doesn’t want to wear a mask is coming from.”
Puerto Rico went into lockdown last March. Though restrictions were eased slightly over the summer, and the former governor Wanda Vázquez reopened beaches fully in September, they were closed again from November until January.Those restrictions hit the hospitality industry hard. “The executive orders implemented by Wanda Vázquez put the hotel industry under threat,” said Joaquín Bolívar, the president of Puerto Rico’s Hotel and Tourism Association.
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