{"id":165708,"date":"2025-05-28T21:22:03","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T19:22:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/efecomunica.efe.com\/?p=165708"},"modified":"2025-05-28T21:59:30","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T19:59:30","slug":"puerto-rico-eyes-international-students-as-key-to-boosting-tourism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/efecomunica.efe.com\/en\/puerto-rico-eyes-international-students-as-key-to-boosting-tourism\/","title":{"rendered":"Puerto Rico eyes international students as key to boosting tourism"},"content":{"rendered":"

San Juan, May 28 (EFE).-<\/strong> The growing number of international students at universities in Puerto Rico<\/strong> is emerging as another way to boost further the island\u2019s tourism sector<\/strong>, which in recent years has posted record numbers of visitors<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Educational tourism emerges as a growth engine for Puerto Rico<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Janid Ortiz<\/strong>, director of industrial affairs at Discover Puerto Rico<\/strong>, said the presence of international students on the island would \u201cdefinitely\u201d benefit the sector. Ortiz spoke during the forum Educational Tourism: Puerto Rico as an Academic Destination. The forum <\/strong>was\u00a0organized this month by GFR Media<\/strong> <\/a>and the Spanish news agency EFE<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhen the student is here, they\u2019ll also want to spend their vacations here in the summer. They\u2019ll invite family, friends, and people will spend, they\u2019ll consume, which is what we want \u2014 for our businesses to be impacted, especially small and medium-sized businesses,\u201d she told EFE.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Ortiz noted that Puerto Rico is experiencing \u201chistoric numbers, with four straight years of breaking visitor records.\u201d<\/strong> The island received seven million passengers last year alone<\/strong> \u2014 an achievement that \u201chad an incredible economic impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

To keep pushing growth in the sector, which is vital to the island\u2019s economy<\/strong>, transforming universities into hubs of educational tourism<\/strong> is an attractive formula, she said.<\/p>\n

\"Photo
Janid Ortiz, director of industrial affairs at Discover Puerto Rico, participates in the panel Puerto Rico as an Epicenter for Educational Tourism: Challenges and Opportunities to Drive Economic Growth in San Juan. EFE\/ Thais Llorca<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Marketing Puerto Rico as an academic destination<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Achieving that, however, will require funding so that the island\u2019s destination marketing organization<\/strong> can promote Puerto Rico among international students. A related legislative proposal is currently being debated in the Senate<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe first thing we would have to do is a market study. We are a data-driven organization \u2014 everything we do is based on analysis, research. We would need to understand the appetite for different subjects, whether there\u2019s interest in bachelor\u2019s, master\u2019s, or postgraduate programs, because that will significantly shape our message and our target audience,\u201d Ortiz explained.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Before launching any marketing strategy, the organization needs to identify \u201cwhich areas offer the greatest opportunities and which countries would yield the highest return.<\/strong> Because that\u2019s key: the economic impact this will have for Puerto Rico.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe would be thrilled to take on that mission, if it comes to pass in the near future, because Puerto Rico needs it,\u201d said Ortiz, who spoke as part of the forum\u2019s panel titled Puerto Rico as an Epicenter for Educational Tourism: Challenges and Opportunities for Driving Economic Growth<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"Photo
Janid Ortiz participates in the panel Puerto Rico as an Epicenter for Educational Tourism: Challenges and Opportunities to Drive Economic Growth in San Juan. EFE\/ Thais Llorca<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Existing collaborations show early success<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Discover Puerto Rico<\/strong> has already collaborated with student groups<\/strong> and partnered with Ana G. M\u00e9ndez University and the University of Puerto Rico<\/strong>. So far, they have brought in 17 student groups from different parts of the world<\/strong> and maintain a dedicated section on their website<\/strong> focused on educational tourism.<\/p>\n

In Ortiz\u2019s view, for Puerto Rico to succeed as an educational destination, collaboration between the public and private sectors is \u201cvery important,\u201d<\/strong> as it\u2019s \u201ca national effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cA lot of responsibility falls on Discover Puerto Rico as the destination marketing organization, but the truth is this is a collective effort, a collaboration to ensure that the student arrives here and has the experience we\u2019ve promised,\u201d she concluded. EFE<\/span><\/p>\n