Details were informed during a forum about community-led tourism promotion strategies
San Juan, Puerto Rico – Discover Puerto Rico announced a collaboration with National Geographic to produce content about Puerto Rico’s tourism and community attractions that will be published in July on the organization’s global digital channels.
Michael George, one of National Geographic’s top talents in photography and writing, will spend several days touring several towns, including Aguadilla, Utuado, Ponce, Guánica, Cabo Rojo, Lajas, and Luquillo, and will be publishing his experiences in Puerto Rico through the company’s digital platforms.
“The production aims to immerse the audience in the culture, the history, and the people of Puerto Rico. This is aligned with our strategy of promoting our most distinctive attraction: the Puerto Rican culture,” said Leah Chandler, Chief Marketing Officer of Discover Puerto Rico.
On his tour, George is going to stay at the homes of Puerto Ricans and will visit community-led tourism initiatives. The photographer also will experience the diversity of natural settings in Puerto Rico. In some portions, George will do his tour on foot or by bicycle.
The “Puerto Rico, Beyond the Beaches” project will be published as a photo journal. In addition, promotional photo galleries will be developed and published on National Geographic’s digital platforms that will connect with the Discover Puerto Rico portal.
The production will highlight aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the tourism industry and Puerto Rican culture. In this partnership, Discover Puerto Rico helps with the content production and sponsors ads tied to the publication.
The agreement was announced during a Forum on Community-Led Tourism sponsored by Discover Puerto Rico. The event, which was open to the press, leaders of the Puerto Rico tourism industry, and key international journalists showcased the Live Boricua campaign and discussed topics such as the repositioning of a brand, the creation of content to boost community-led tourism, and the economic impact that the visitors’ economy has on communities.
This initiative is part of Discover Puerto Rico’s effort to show the diverse Puerto Rican culture as the major attraction it is for our travellers. Visitors to Puerto Rico come mainly from the United States and international markets like Spain, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Discover Puerto Rico toured these three countries in a public relations effort to promote travel to the island in May. The event also coincides with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) decision to stop requesting a negative COVID test to incoming international passengers.
Among the panellists at the forum was George himself; Jane McFadzean, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SUITCASE Magazine; Bryan Kinkade, editor of Afar Media; Discover Puerto Rico CEO Brad Dean; Brand USA’s Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Aaron Wodin Schwartz; Paulson Puerto Rico Hotels President Peter Hopgood; the owner and manager of El Pretexto, Crystal Díaz; the vice president of Frutos del Guacabo, Efrén Robles and Adelisa González, executive director of the Cortés Foundation.
