December 20, 2012 1234

A majority of the international demand for travel to Puerto Rico is coming from consumers in the United States, Canada and Italy, Expedia said.

Online travel company Expedia Inc. revealed data Wednesday showing demand for travel to Puerto Rico on more than 140 of its sites worldwide grew 40 percent during the third quarter of 2012, compared to the previous year.

A majority of the international demand for travel to Puerto Rico is coming from consumers in the United States, Canada and Italy, the company said.

“Traditionally, the United States has represented a leading source of demand for Puerto Rico, and we expect that trend to continue. As the brands within the Expedia group launch new international sites, such as Expedia.mx in Mexico, we’re seeing demand for travel to Puerto Rico grow from those countries as well,” said Marco Tagliatti, vice president of lodging supply for Latin America and the Caribbean for Expedia.

“In fact, Mexico is now one of the fastest-growing sources of travel demand for Puerto Rico hotels on Expedia group sites, experiencing triple-digit growth over the previous year,” he said.

The Expedia comprises several brands, namely Expedia, with sites in 30 countries; Hotels.com, with sites in nearly 70 countries; corporate travel provider Egencia, with a presence in more than 55 countries; as well as more than 10,000 affiliate sites through Expedia Affiliate Network.

Collectively, the sites within the Expedia group reach more than 55 million consumers each month across 70 countries worldwide. The company’s international presence, coupled with its multi-channel offerings, make it a key partner for Puerto Rico hotels looking to extend visibility for their properties online and on more than 130 mobile Web sites across the globe, the company said.

“Expedia has been a strong partner of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, especially in regards to driving demand to our local destinations through our recent Fall Promotion,” said Luis G. Rivera-Marín, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.

“Through our close collaboration with Expedia, we’ve experienced meaningful growth not only from traditional markets like the U.S., but also from international markets like the U.K., Germany and Mexico, where our local hotels have not historically had much exposure,” Rivera-Marín said.

Today, vacation packages represent well over one-third of bookings made to Puerto Rico on Expedia-branded sites worldwide. By participating in package promotions, hotels have the opportunity to attract bookings earlier in advance, and with extended lengths of stay compared to standalone hotel bookings.

In fact, Expedia data shows that vacation package bookings to Puerto Rico typically have a booking window that is nearly double that of, with a length of stay that is 70 percent longer than, the average standalone hotel booking. This enables Puerto Rico hotels to build a base of bookings well in advance, allowing for more strategic revenue optimization opportunities as the stay date draws near.

“We believe that Puerto Rico has the ideal conditions to grow further as a tourist destination, which is why it represents a growing market for us in the Caribbean. It is our privilege to promote Puerto Rico as a destination to our global audience of travelers,” added Tagliatti.