Puerto Rico campaign promotes feel, taste and hear travel

Discover Puerto Rico has introduced “Awaken Your Senses,” a global marketing campaign designed to position the Island as a destination defined by immersive sensory experiences.

The initiative uses consumer psychology insights and traveler research to highlight how visitors connect with Puerto Rico through music, cuisine, landscapes and local communities.

The campaign reflects a broader shift in travel preferences toward experiences that create emotional connection and cultural belonging rather than traditional sightseeing.

Strategy focuses on emotional connection

“Awaken Your Senses” centers on the idea that travel becomes more meaningful when visitors engage with a destination through multiple senses. The campaign presents Puerto Rico as a place where travelers reconnect with joy, culture and community through experiences rooted in rhythm, flavor and natural landscapes.

Jorge L. Pérez, Chief Executive Officer, Discover Puerto Rico: "Awaken Your Senses goes a step further by inviting visitors to experience Puerto Rico through all their senses. In a world saturated with notifications, alerts, conflicts, and constant distractions, our Island offers something different: a place where people can reconnect, live in the moment, and rediscover the simple pleasure of truly feeling. Puerto Rico is a destination that encourages travelers to awaken their senses."

Tourism growth supports campaign launch

The campaign launches during a period of strong tourism performance for Puerto Rico. According to Tourism Economics forecasts, the Island welcomed 8.1 million visitors in 2025, representing an eight percent increase compared with the previous year.

Discover Puerto Rico aims to build on this momentum by encouraging travelers to engage more deeply with the destination’s culture, communities and natural environments.

Platform evolves from Live Boricua campaign

“Awaken Your Senses” builds on the organization’s earlier “Live Boricua” platform, which introduced international audiences to Puerto Rico’s cultural identity. The new campaign shifts the focus from awareness to immersive participation.

Storm Tussey, Chief Marketing Officer, Discover Puerto Rico: "At its core, this campaign is about how travel should make you feel. This campaign isn't responding to trends. It's answering a global heartbeat. Travelers are no longer asking where to go, but why they should go at all. They're searching for belonging, connection and meaning, which Puerto Rico naturally offers through its landscapes, music, food, culture and community."

Storm Tussey, Chief Marketing Officer at Discover Puerto Rico: "'Awaken Your Senses' is grounded in consumer psychology research showing that sensory experiences create stronger emotional memory and deeper connections with a place. When we invite travelers to feel the rhythm or taste the culture, we're not just promoting a destination. We're offering restoration. We want Puerto Rico to be the place travelers think of when they need to feel alive again. Our job is to ensure that when travelers arrive, they show up as guests who respect our home and contribute to our future."

Campaign promotes cultural participation

The strategy reflects growing demand for purpose-driven travel that emphasizes cultural engagement and local experiences. Discover Puerto Rico positions the Island as a destination where travelers participate in cultural life rather than simply observe it.

Campaign storytelling highlights artisans, musicians, culinary traditions and small businesses across Puerto Rico’s 78 municipalities. The initiative encourages visitors to connect with local creators while exploring landscapes that include seven ecosystems across the Island.

Three-year marketing strategy planned

“Awaken Your Senses” represents the first phase of a three-year marketing strategy designed to strengthen Puerto Rico’s global tourism presence while increasing economic impact for local communities.

Key objectives include increasing visitor engagement, encouraging longer stays, supporting small businesses and expanding tourism spending across the Island.

The campaign rollout began March 10 with a global creative launch. From April 1, Discover Puerto Rico will expand the initiative through targeted storytelling in priority domestic and international markets.

Puerto Rican creators lead campaign production

The campaign was developed in collaboration with Puerto Rican creative partners to ensure local voices shape the storytelling. Production was led by the Puerto Rico–based company World Junkies and involved Boricua directors, artists and collaborators.

The campaign also features a range of Puerto Rican fashion brands, culinary creators and local businesses, including Al Este, Arrecife, Bike Stop, Bohemia Cocina en Movimiento, Calipso, Carabalí Rainforest Park, Chiringas.com, Conjunto Achiote, Don Q, Elede, El Papelón, Hacienda Siempre Viva, Isleñas, Laid Back, Medalla, Palmeira, Pine Grove Surf Club, Piraguas Viejo San Juan, Rogative and Valija Gitana.

Storm Tussey, Chief Marketing Officer at Discover Puerto Rico: "We are not featuring our community as props. They are the voices, directors, and architects of this campaign. When we center local businesses and cultural creators, we're ensuring that the economic and cultural heart of the Island stays firmly in the hands of the community."

www.discoverpuertorico.com

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