TravelWorld International Magazine Fall 2022

Sustainable Tourism
in Puerto Rico
Story and Photos by Sandra Foyt
On September 27, 2022, when the United
Nations World Tourism Organization
celebrates World Tourism Day, it will be
with a focus on a more” sustainable,
inclusive, and resilient future.” According
to the UN Environment Program and UN
World Tourism Organization, sustainable
WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE TOURISM?
tourism is “tourism that takes
full account of its current
and future economic, social
and environmental impacts,
addressing the needs of visitors,
the industry, the environment,
and host communities.”
In Puerto Rico, that translates into
making every effort to leave no trace
outdoors, including minimizing the impact
on popular attractions. Pick up garbage,
wear reef-safe sunscreen, and consider
natural resource alternatives to sensitive
areas of El Yunque.
El-Yunque-2018 –
Six months after Hurricane Maria, the
foliage was just beginning to return at
El Yunque National Forest.
n any given day,
there are over fifteen
hundred vehicles
eager to enter El
Yunque National Forest
in Northeastern Puerto Rico, but
only two hundred parking spots.
As one of the top attractions on the
22
island, there was a push to reopen
the park as quickly as possible
after the devastation wrought by
Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.
However, repairs are ongoing, and
it may be years before all the trails
reopen, and the number of parking
spaces satisfies demand.
Because so many people want to visit these
parklands, there’s been overcrowding, litter on
trails, trampling of native vegetation, and reefharming
contamination of the surrounding ocean.
In response, the national forest instituted a
reservation system. Still, much more can be done
to promote sustainable tourism in Puerto Rico.