If Puerto Rico wants to continue to grow its tourism arrivals in keeping with the last two years of surging visitor numbers, it’s going to have to look to new markets. That includes South America, where top Colombian carrier Avianca has announced plans to add more flights to the island for the summer season.
Avianca is adding four more weekly flights between Bogota and San Juan this summer, with an increase to total of 11 weekly flights between the two cities.
The expansion will kick off on June 2, when Avianca will begin operating two flights on Sundays, Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays, with daily service on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
The new schedule will run through at least Aug. 21, meaning about 17,000 seats for the summer.
“We are very pleased with this announcement by Avianca, that they will increase their operations to the Island,” said Carlos Mercado Santiago, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.
South American travelers are “interested in “discovering the beauty that Puerto Rico offers,” said Rolando Damas, Avianca’s commercial director for North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
Avianca has been flying to Puerto Rico for a decade, tripling its capacity to the island in 10 years.