At the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Christian Correa clocked in to work the night-shift as a doorman and braced for the worst.
Correa, who is also a bellman at the hotel, has seen a surge in tourists coming to the US territory in the last three months and the hotel has been busy. Although he used to enjoy high season before the pandemic, recently, many tourists arriving to Puerto Rico have enraged local residents and hospitality workers as the island eases its Covid-19 restrictions.
“The tourists think they can do whatever they want,” says Correa, 24, who’s also a student at the University of Puerto Rico. “We’ve seen fights, parties in the rooms and aggressive behavior.”
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Low-cost flights to Puerto Rico have enticed many travelers to choose the island as a vacation spot during the pandemic. A one-way flight to Puerto Rico from Florida booked two days in advance could be as low as $62.
Hotel occupancy reached 60% during Presidents’ Day holiday weekend in February, according to the island’s destination marketing organization, Discover Puerto Rico. It was the highest number since Christmas, and hotels expect to reach the same occupancy rates for the forthcoming spring break.
“We are certainly seeing the effects of increased traveler confidence coinciding with vaccine distribution in the US,” said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico.
For José Silva, owner of El Chicharrón restaurant, tourists arriving in the last weeks have put him on edge due to the large crowds without face masks forming on the weekends. His restaurant is located in La Placita de Santurce, a popular tourist area. Silva says the police close the streets around the area on weekends, making it hard for Ubers or taxis to pick up tourists after bars and restaurants close.
“We’ve asked the police to help keep everyone distanced and look for an alternative for this area,” says Silva.
In Old San Juan, another popular tourist area, Cristina Colón has been questioning whether her job as a waitress in Pirilo Pizza is worth the money as she sees a rise in clientele who don’t want to abide by the Covid-19 precautions.
“I’m not only concerned with my physical health, but my mental health too,” says Colón. “I’m nervous about myself and for the friends and family I surround myself with because I have no idea where this person who doesn’t want to wear a mask is coming from.”
Puerto Rico went into lockdown last March. Though restrictions were eased slightly over the summer, and former governor Wanda Vázquez reopened beaches fully in September, they were closed again from November until January.
Those restrictions hit the hospitality industry hard. “The executive orders implemented by Wanda Vanquez put the hotel industry under threat,” said Joaquín Bolívar, the president of Puerto Rico’s Hotel and Tourism Association.
Several hotels fluxed within single-digit occupancy percentages. “Some hotels were questioning their survival,” says Bolivar.
Now, Puerto Rico is under curfew from 12am to 5am and indoor establishments can operate at 50% capacity as the newly-elected governor Pedro Pierluis has increasingly been easing restrictions since January. Beaches are also open for recreational use.
The combination of US residents wanting to escape cold weather, cheap flight tickets and easing restrictions on the island has been bringing tourists en masse.
With restrictions having relaxed, Bolivar admits hotels have experienced issues with some guests, but said many incidents, such as large gatherings and excessive noise, occur mostly in Airbnbs.
“We’re seeing a lot of tourists in the streets not wanting to cooperate with the executive order,” says Bolivar. “The association has brought the claim to the government, municipal government and the police.”
Videos circulating on social media show aggressive tourists starting fights, disrespecting local workers and residents, and disregarding Covid-19 precautions, including not wanting to wear face masks and having large gatherings as the travel influx to the island continues.
In February, one video showed tourists assault a woman in a wheelchair after they were told to wear masks. The women, who were staying at an Airbnb in San Juan, threw their drinks at the resident’s face and told her to speak English. Airbnb removed the guest from the platform due to the incident.
Another incident includes an alleged sexual assault by a US tourist against a 23-year-old resident in Rincón, located in the western region of Puerto Rico. Last month, the Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Division in Puerto Rico filed charges against the North Carolina resident, Devin Sanders. The Guardian tried to reach Sanders’ lawyer for comment, but the number for his office was disconnected.
With spring break coming up and the spread of new variants still on the rise, Discover Puerto Rico is encouraging travelers to participate in outdoor activities, such as visiting El Yunque national rainforest or the beaches. Bolivar expects hotel rooms to sell out.
Correa, at the Condado Vanderbilt, says he hasn’t seen a descent of guests at the hotel since Presidents’ Day weekend and thinks it will stay that way for spring break. He expects to keep running into misbehaving guests and continue calling the guests’ attention for walking the halls without a mask and reminding them there’s a curfew in place.
“They never believe me when I tell them there’s a curfew,” says Correa. “Minutes after they go outside late at night looking for a party, they come back and ask, ‘Is the curfew thing actually real?’”
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