Puerto Rico Island hotspot
The airlines fly to Puerto Rico for a reason, of course. It is an emerging destination, basking in more than the sun. Not only is it a Caribbean island resplendent with the largesse of nature but it is also a cultural and business hotspot. Centuries-worth of influences spawned by the island’s position at the crossroads of east-west and north- south traffic flows have bequeathed a distinct Puerto Rico experience, while the US affiliation has provided a stable and transparent legal structure, giving corporations the confidence and certainty they need for long-term planning. The business side of Puerto Rico is often overlooked. As a territory of the US, it has the US dollar as its currency, US laws protecting its financial structure and access to US funding. While these are definite plus- points, the island has gone the extra mile in providing the right support
Waterfall at El Yunque
infrastructure. In fact, it has gone an extra 24,000 miles, which is the extent of road connections across the island. While this provides a robust physical network, a recently added fibre-optic backbone ensures cutting-edge connectivity of a virtual nature. If generous tax incentives, a lower cost environment and a multilingual workforce used to global exposure are also factored in, the advantages of doing business in Puerto Rico become readily apparent.
Obvious vitality
But even the most hard-headed business person would struggle to ignore the island’s natural beauty. Not many places in the world offer bioluminescent bays, for example, where micro-organisms thrive to produce a nightly show of blue-green splendour.
All told, there are some 200 beaches to enjoy year round in temperatures that never vary much from 30C. One of the more notable is Crash Boat Beach, in the north-west of Puerto Rico. The remains of a military port, including a pier, stand amid sandy beaches, making it the perfect spot to fish or jump into crystal clear waters.
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Aside from lazy beach days, the tourist can also enjoy a selection of water sports, a steamy rainforest, historical landmarks and a round of golf at one of 23 courses designed by some of the biggest names in the sport. The El Yunque National Forest Reserve, for example, contains a cool, mountainous rainforest, housing a spectacular variety of flora and fauna, including the rarely seen Puerto Rican parrot and unique tree frogs. Hiking higher, the intrepid tourist will reach the dwarf forest of stunted, twisted trees almost permanently swathed in fog. Managed by the US Forest Service, there is an abundance of trails throughout the rainforest and accommodation is available nearby.
Despite the obvious vitality of the island, the Puerto Rico Tourism Board continues to work with its partners to promote the country. Closer ties with the cruise industry is one area of focus. Understanding the needs of both the operators and their passengers will feed into a win-win relationship with the island’s tourism industry and also positively affect the demand for air services. dl=0
Routes News 1, 2016
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