Puerto Rico is at a crossroads. What tourists should know before booking.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in March 2025.

On any given Friday, La Placita – in the neighborhood of Santurce in San Juan, Puerto Rico – is packed with partygoers shoulder-to-shoulder drinking on the streets as they hop from one bar to another.

It is a cacophony of music and many restaurants are scattered around the market during the day.

At a glance, it’s the epitome of Puerto Rican culture—a community that enjoys music, food, and dancing under the stars. But when you look closer, you can hear the music is mostly tracks taken from the American Top 40, the drinks are imported beer, and the food is some kind of Puerto Rican treat with an American twist. Listening to Spanish makes your ears cry because everyone around you is a tourist.

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La Placita, which was a local haven in a tourist area, has undergone a transformation. This is no surprise to locals, and it shouldn’t surprise travelers. In 2024, the island welcomed more than 6.6 million air travelers, an 8% increase over the previous year, according to Discover Puerto Rico.

The island’s hospitality sector grew by 5% ahead of Bad Bunny’s 2025 concert residency.

Many places in the world are struggling with the effects of overtourism. European countries have added tourist fees to popular destinations, some cruise lines are choosing smaller ports of call, and Hawaiians have also called for limits on visitors.

“We’re not against tourism — we want it. But it has to be responsible,” Nilda García, president of the ecological organization Coalizion Pro Corredor Ecológico del Noreste, told USA Today.

The economic impact of tourism in Puerto Rico is undeniable. The sector contributed $7.6 billion to the island’s GDP in 2024, representing 6.6% of the total economy. By comparison, tourism represents about 17% Hawaii’s Economy in 2023. But Puerto Rico’s rapid growth has also raised concerns about sustainability, environmental degradation and cultural erosion. With an influx of visitors—many of whom are still concentrated in the San Juan metro area—Puerto Rico is at a crossroads: How does it sustain this growth while preserving its rich heritage and fragile ecosystems?

Travel out of San Juan

For years, Puerto Rico’s tourism marketing focused heavily on its capital. Locals still chant “Puerto Rico ¡Lo hace mejor!” remembers A campaign to invite them to welcome foreigners. A conscious effort is being made to maintain the same hospitality while moving from a crowded place.

Discover Puerto Rico, the island’s destination marketing organization, launched initiatives to educate visitors about lesser-known areas, aiming to decentralize tourism from popular areas such as Old San Juan and El Yunque.

The latest campaign encourages travelers to go beyond the beaches and engage with Puerto Rican culture, whether through gastronomy in Cayey, heritage tourism in Ponce, or adventure travel in the central mountains. The strategy is working. Although 66% of travelers stay in metro urban areas, according to Discover Puerto Rico, 39% of visitors now explore the island’s east coast, 29% venture south and another 29% west.

“It’s about changing perceptions,” Devlin Tardy, director of public relations for Discover Puerto Rico, told USA Today. “We are not an all-inclusive Caribbean resort destination. We have history, culture, art and traditions that we want visitors to experience firsthand.”

Efforts to support small businesses and community tourism are also important. Through town halls and roundtable discussions, Discover Puerto Rico said it has provided training on digital marketing, social media and visitor engagement to help local businesses adapt to the growing number of tourists. In Loiza, for example, Taller de Bomba N’Zambi – a Bomba dance school founded by Sheila Osorio has received social media and translation support and now attracts visitors from around the world.

Environmental Footprint of Tourism

As the number of visitors increases, so do concerns about environmental sustainability.

“Ecotourism is not just about being in nature—it means respecting it,” Garcia said.

The Northeast Corridor, home to lush forests and a nesting ground for the endangered leatherback turtle, has been one of the areas most affected by unregulated tourism. Visitors leaving litter, entering restricted areas and using off-road vehicles in protected areas have become increasingly problematic.

“We constantly teach visitors to respect nature, but many still ignore the signs and warnings,” Garcia said. “We’ve seen ATVs tearing through sand dunes and horse tracks into turtle nests. It’s heartbreaking.”

To combat this, community organizations are pushing for stricter regulations and stricter enforcement of environmental safeguards on tour operators (local- and foreign-owned alike).

“Tourism shouldn’t just serve visitors, it should work for the people who live here year-round,” Garcia said.

Some businesses have already taken a more responsible approach to ecotourism. Roca Norte Climbing Gym in Vega Baja and Finca Gaya in Dorado incorporate sustainable tourism models integrating agritourism, conservation and cultural immersion experiences. These efforts are supported by the Puerto Rico Tourism Co. is aligned with the Sustainable Tourism Program, which ensures businesses meet environmental and ethical standards.

A growing toll on local culture

“The biggest impact of tourism isn’t just waste or pollution — it’s cultural,” Arturo Masol Deya, director of the community organization Casa Pueblo, told USA TODAY. “When visitors come without integration, they create a kind of pollution.”

Although tourism brings economic benefits, the cost to the locals has also increased. In towns like Luquillo and Rincón on the opposite side of the island, where tourism has increased, housing prices and the cost of living have risen, making it harder for residents to afford homes.

“Many tourists don’t just visit; they come with the intention of buying property,” Masol Deya said. “It drives up land prices and displaces locals.”

The once cheap food kiosks along the beach are now dominated by high-end restaurants catering to tourists, leaving many locals feeling left out of their own communities.

“We love to welcome visitors, but we stay here all year round,” said Masol Deya, whose organization hosts tourists to volunteer in local communities and learn from sustainable practices. “It’s great that businesses are thriving, but when a simple breakfast is suddenly out of our price range, it makes you question who tourism is really serving.”

It mirrors the concern in Hawaii. More native Hawaiians now live on the mainland U.S. than on the islands, and the growing number of residents has pushed for regulations on short-term rentals and foreign property buyers to protect local housing markets. Puerto Rico has not introduced similar policies.

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What is the future of Puerto Rico travel?

Puerto Rico is at a pivotal moment. With 82% of Puerto Ricans supporting tourism as an economic driver, according to research by Discover Puerto Rico, the challenge is to ensure growth does not come at the expense of culture, affordability or the environment.

“If we don’t regulate tourism, the environment will be damaged, and in the end, everyone loses,” Garcia said.

Looking ahead, new initiatives aim to further integrate community-based tourism into the island’s strategy. One possible step is the volunteer tourism model, like the efforts of Hawaii’s Malama and Casa Pueblo—where businesses are required to offer community service projects for visitors.

“We don’t want vacation tourism, where people just enjoy the beach and leave Puerto Rico without knowing it,” Masol Deya said. “Tourism should create a long-term relationship with the island, not just a collection of Instagram photos.”

Puerto Rico’s identity as a tourist destination continues to evolve – with an added boost from local artists with global recognition such as Bad Bunny or Daddy Yankee. Besides its white-, black- or golden-sand beaches and historic forts, the island has the opportunity to create a new role as a model for responsible travel, where visitors not only take from the island but give back to it.

“Responsible tourism is not just about what you do while you’re here, but how you continue to contribute after you leave,” Masol Deya said.

Josh Rivera is travel editor for USA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Puerto Rico tourism booms, but there’s a cost for locals