As part of Puerto Rico's four-phased reopening plan, the island announced it will formally reopen for inbound tourism on July 15. It was the first U.S. entity to implement strict measures such as a curfew; currently, thorough cleanliness measures are in place Island-wide and enhanced policies are being implemented that follow the U.S. Travel Association health and safety guideline, along with locally enforced measures.
Here's what's new in the MICE sector:
As part of this phased reopening, Puerto Rico has entered Phase 3 as of June 16. From the same time, drive-in and open-air events can take place with limited capacity and, on July 1, indoor space venues such as the Puerto Rico Convention Center will reopen. Face masks and social distancing will be enforced, and in accordance with the CDC’s guidance for large events and mass gatherings. As an ASM Global-managed facility, the Puerto Rico Convention Center is implementing the new VenueShield Environmental Hygiene Program, which applies new protocols, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), food safety measures, air quality control, surface cleaning, physical/social distancing, temperature checks, thermal cameras, hand sanitizers, reduced touch points, contactless transactions, daily monitoring systems and more.
Distrito T-Mobile, which is expected to open in Q4 of 2020, is taking this time to develop new, safety-first concepts, including technologically advanced equipment and refined health protocols to guarantee the safety of all our visitors and employees.
Discover Puerto Rico is also partnering with itinerary managing tool, Travefy, to create custom agendas that are rich in multimedia content and can be experienced both virtually and, ultimately, in person. Features including geomapping, which connects business listings with Google maps, flight trackers and others, make it interactive and engages buyers both during and after the site inspection whether in person or virtually. Similarly, the Convention Center has developed 360 degree videos for planners to explore the venue. Via this content, planners can see the different levels of the venue, as well as its terrace.
In addition, since June 16, restaurants and shopping centers have been operating at 50 percent capacity; beaches are available for enjoyment with groups limited to those in the same household; and museums/theaters have now reopened.
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