Puerto Rico’s meetings, conventions, and sports sector witnessed a significant financial uptick, generating over $192.3 million in sales during fiscal year 2024. This represents an 8% increase over the prior year and a staggering 249% growth compared to 2019, the last year before the pandemic, when revenues stood at $55.1 million. In the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) arena, the strategies implemented led to the booking of 239,075 room nights, marking a 22% rise from the previous year and an 87% surge from figures during the pandemic. This robust growth positions 2024 as the most lucrative year for the sector in more than a decade.
“When you combine a destination as diverse as ours with world-class facilities, culturally rich
products, successful marketing, and strategic sales efforts, we achieve these accomplishments,
marking a significant step forward for our industry,” said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico.
The leading events in Puerto Rico for fiscal year 2024 included:
Preferred Pump Dealer Awards Program 2024: This event produced a substantial economic impact of $6,742,510.
Caribbean CueSports International EXPO 2023: This contributed significantly with an economic impact of $3,855,600.
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Meeting 2024: This meeting had a financial impact of $2,971,921.
The events generating the most contracted nights for fiscal year 2024 were:
Hudson River Trading, LLC. – US Office Trip 2024: Accounted for 3,270 contracted nights, creating an economic impact of $4,383,421.
Parents as Teachers 2025 Annual Conference: This event secured 4,454 contracted nights, resulting in an economic impact of $2,606,766.
Iron Caribbean Winter Swimming Training Center 2023-2024: Accumulated 3,889 contracted nights with an economic impact of $2,135,676.
United Postmasters and Managers of America – 2026 National Convention: Garnered 3,330 contracted nights, contributing $1,814,269 to the economy.
Amex InterAction 2024: This event saw 3,735 contracted nights, with a financial impact of $1,736,129.
“These new achievements in economic contributions and bookings in the MICE and Sports sectors underscore our capability in the events and conventions domain. Collaborative efforts within the industry enhance our effectiveness and bolster our appeal to groups and business travelers,” remarked Ed Carey, Chief Sales Officer of Discover Puerto Rico.
Discover Puerto Rico spearheads the promotion of the island as a prime destination for both leisure and business travels, allocating about $13 million annually to sales and promotional activities specifically targeting the MICE and Sports market segments.
