Discover Puerto Rico, the country’s tourism board, has introduced an online training platform and tool to combat overtourism and promote sustainability.
Called ‘The Green Path’, the training programme aims to educate travel agents on sustainable travel initiatives across the island, and how they can encourage clients to adopt eco-friendly practices and support local businesses.
The website guides agents through the four pillars of Puerto Rico’s tourism offer: gastronomy, conscious stays, cultural legacy and nature offerings. After completing the programme, travel agents will receive a certification.
The website also offers an availability calendar, which shows the capacity of accommodation for up to three months in advance. An interactive colour-coded map shows demand across the six regions, to help avoid overcrowding.
“We are targeting conscientious travellers who want unique experiences, but also respect the destination,” said Davelyn Tardi, Public Relations Director for Discover Puerto Rico.
“This tool shows our commitment to educating travellers and to making sure our partners are ready to receive visitors.
“We also recently launched our ‘Return the Love’ campaign, which tells travellers what to wear, how to act, and how to protect the natural environment.”
Part of the U.S., Puerto Rico is located in the Caribbean, between the Dominican Republic and British Virgin Islands.
Known for its coffee, rum and farm-to-table cuisine, the island also houses three ceremonial parks where visitors can view ancient petroglyphs and find out more about the Indigenous Taínos culture.
A Four Seasons resort will open in Puerto Rico this year while the Condado Vanderbilt and Ritz Carlton, which have both been refurbished, will reopen this year and in 2026, respectively.
Currently, 96% of the destination’s tourism comes from the U.S., but Puerto Rico is hoping to attract more visitors from the UK. It can be reached via a connecting flight through mainland U.S., transiting through New York, Boston, Miami or Charlotte.
