Resilience in the face of a natural disaster: Puerto Rico Adventure Tourism Industry

The island of Puerto Rico is 100 by 35 miles long and has more than 462 miles of coastline. The island has a plethora of natural resources including lakes, dry forest, rainforest and an extensive coastal and marine ecosystem and is one of the Caribbean’s best known tourism destinations. Tourists can participate in various outdoor adventure activities including hiking, surfing, sailing, snorkeling, kayaking, canyoneering, rock climbing, ziplining and mountain biking. In 2017, tourism’s total contribution to Puerto Rico’s economy was some 7.2% (USD 7,185.7 mn) of GDP, 5.4% of total exports (USD 4,189.0mn), and 6.2% of total employment (61,500 jobs).
On September 20, 2017, some two weeks after Hurricane Irma skirted Puerto Rico and caused notable damage, Hurricane Maria, a nearly Category 5 hurricane, made a direct hit on Puerto Rico causing catastrophic damage and leaving the island close to non-operational for months after the hurricane made landfall. The devastation caused by Maria affected many sectors of the island, including tourism as a whole and adventure tourism in particular.
This study examines the resilience of Puerto Rico’s adventure tourism community in the face of natural disasters. Its main focus is on (1) those communities that provide opportunities for adventure tourists and others to hike in El Yunque Rainforest and Zipline and surf in various locations around the island as well as (2) the natural resources that are the bedrock of their livelihoods. In the immediate aftermath of Maria, many adventure recreation operators first turned their equipment and skills towards supporting relief efforts before working to reestablish their own businesses. Rebuilding adventure recreation opportunities not only helps the economy, but also provides an example of independent reconstruction and exemplifies the resilience of local Puerto Ricans.