At the Condado Vanderbilt hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Christian Correa worked the night shift as a doorman and braced himself for the worst.
Correa, who is also a hotel courier, has seen an increase in the number of American tourists arriving in the United States in the past three months and the hotel has been very busy. Although he used to enjoy the high season before the pandemic, recently, many tourists arriving in Puerto Rico infuriate local residents and hospitality workers as the island eases Covid-19 restrictions.
“Tourists think they can do whatever they want,” says Correa, 24, who is also a student at the University of Puerto Rico. “We have seen fights, parties in the rooms and aggressive behavior.”
Low-cost flights to Puerto Rico have led many travelers to choose the island as a vacation spot during the pandemic. A one-way flight from Florida to Puerto Rico, booked two days in advance, can cost just $ 62.
Hotel occupancy reached 60% during the 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 hope to achieve the same occupancy rates for the next spring break.
“We are certainly seeing the effects of increased travel confidence coinciding with the distribution of the vaccine in the United States,” said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico.
For José Silva, owner of the El Chicharrón restaurant, the tourists who arrived in recent weeks made him nervous about the large, unmasked crowd that formed on weekends. Its 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 difficult for Ubers or taxis to catch tourists after bars and restaurants close.
“We ask the police to help keep everyone at bay and look for an alternative to this area,” says Silva.
In Old San Juan, another popular tourist area, Cristina Colón has questioned whether her job as a waitress at Pirilo Pizza is worth the money, as she sees an increase in customers who refuse to respect Covid-19’s precautions.
“I’m not only concerned with my physical health, but also with my mental health,” says Colón. “I’m nervous with myself, and with the friends and family around me, because I have no idea where this person who doesn’t wants to wear a mask. ”
Puerto Rico went into blockade last March. Although the restrictions were slightly eased during the summer, and former governor Wanda Vázquez reopened the beaches entirely in September, they were closed again from November to January.
These restrictions strongly affected the hospitality industry. “The executive orders implemented by Wanda Vázquez have placed the hotel industry under threat,” said Joaquín Bolívar, president of the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association.
Several hotels flowed within single-digit occupancy percentages. “Some hotels questioned their survival,” says Bolivar.
Puerto Rico is now under curfew from 12 pm to 5 am and closed establishments can operate at 50% of capacity, as the newly elected governor, Pedro Pierluis, has been easing restrictions ever since January. The beaches are also open for recreational use.
The combination of US residents who want to escape the cold, cheap airline tickets and reduced restrictions on the island has brought tourists en masse.
With the restrictions relaxed, Bolivar admits that hotels have had problems with some guests, but said that many incidents, such as large meetings and excessive noise, occur mainly on Airbnbs.
“We are seeing many tourists on the streets who do not want to cooperate with the executive order,” says Bolívar. “The association brought the complaint to the government, the municipal government and the police.”
Videos circulating on social media show aggressive tourists starting fights, disrespecting workers and local residents and disregarding Covid-19’s precautions, including not wanting to wear face masks and having large meetings as the flow of travel to the island continues.
In February, a video showed tourists assaulting a woman in a wheelchair after they have been instructed to wear masks. The women, who were staying on an Airbnb in San Juan, threw their drinks in the face of the resident 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 an American tourist against a 23-year-old resident in Rincón, located in western Puerto Rico. Last month, the Puerto Rico Sexual Crimes and Child Abuse Division filed charges against North Carolina resident Devin Sanders. The Guardian tried to contact Sanders’ lawyer for comment, but his office number was disconnected.
With spring break approaching and the spread of new variants still on the rise, Discover Puerto Rico is encouraging travelers to participate in outdoor activities, such as visiting the national rainforest of El Yunque or the beaches. Bolívar expects hotel rooms to run out.
Correa, from Vanderbilt County, says he has not seen any reduction in guests at the hotel since President’s Day weekend and thinks it will stay that way over spring break. He hopes to come across rude guests and continue to draw their attention by walking down the halls without a mask and reminding them that there is a curfew.
“They never believe me when I say there is a curfew,” says Correa. “Minutes after leaving late at night looking for a party, they come back and ask, ‘Is the curfew really real?'”