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Este informe no está disponible en español. CARIBBEAN BUSINESSInterVISTAS To Identify 14 Strategies And 100 Initiatives For Island’s Tourism IndustryGovernor to present findings at tourism luncheon FridayBY EVELYN GUADALUPE-FAJARDOSeptember 26, 2002 Vancouver-based InterVISTAS Consulting Inc., a specialized travel & tourism consulting firm, has identified 14 major strategies and over 100 initiatives that must be implemented to boost tourism on the island. Gov. Sila Calderon is expected to unveil the key findings at Friday’s Tourism Roundup Luncheon during the Puerto Rico Hotel & Tourism Association’s annual convention, to be held at the Caribe Hilton. Some of the strategies include developing new products to foster the destination’s appeal, increasing and diversifying room inventory to attract a broader range of tourists, promoting the development of facilities and services for each region, preserving historical attractions and protecting the environment, developing and implementing tourism education programs, improving the business climate by simplifying the regulatory process and improving cost-competitiveness, and developing San Juan’s position as an international gateway by attracting new airlines. "Many of us have heard these initiatives for years," said Milton Segarra, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Co. "But this will be the first time a policy will be outlined in order to make things really happen." The Tourism Co. hired InterVISTAS, headed by Gerry Bruno, after a March workshop with local industry members. Then in April the PRHTA and the Tourism Co. hosted a Tourism & Transportation Forum to gain input from industry leaders, including the governor and CEOs from select national and international companies in the airline, cruise line, hotel, entertainment, tourism, travel wholesale, and convention management sectors. During her luncheon presentation, Gov. Calderon will also present an overview of the industry, will recap the initiatives taken by her administration and by the private sector after 9/11, and will discuss the occupancy development in Puerto Rico since then. According to Tourism Co. statistics, islandwide occupancy at hotels and paradores for the first 22 days of September was 61.1%, compared with 51.2% for September 2001, an increase of 9.9 percentage points. Occupancy at hotels with and without casinos for the first 22 days of September was 62.9% and 56.6%, respectively, compared with 49.6% and 55.1% in September 2001. This Caribbean Business article appears courtesy of Casiano Communications.
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