The island is part of a broader trend that is seeing a slowdown in tourism, but experts are waiting for the Holiday season to get a clearer picture.
By Rosario Fajardo
Passenger numbers at Puerto Rico’s main international airport have seen a notable decline after several years of strong growth.
Total passenger traffic declined by 3.5% year-over-year (YoY) at the Luis Muñoz Marín (LMM) International Airport in Carolina, during the second quarter (2Q) of 2026, according to ASUR, the parent company of Aerostar Airport Holdings, which operates the LMM Airport.
The latest numbers show that 3,455,197 passengers were reported at LMM for 2Q2026, compared to 3,580,600 for the same time period last year.
ASUR also reported that its revenues for Puerto Rico were -9.9% for 2Q2026.
However, Puerto Rico is not alone in seeing a slowdown in tourism numbers in recent months. ASUR, which also operates other airports in Mexico and Colombia, reported that passenger traffic in Mexico for 2Q2026 has seen a decline of 5% YoY.
Meanwhile, Colombia continues to be a tourism magnet in the Caribbean region, as the country saw a 3.6% increase in air passenger traffic for the same time period.
Travel industry experts often note that air-traffic passenger numbers decline for a number of reasons, including economic conditions that affect consumer behavior. For example, the US–Israel war on Iran that began on Feb. 28 has triggered a major shock across global energy and travel markets. A conflict-driven fuel price surge has raised airfares and slowed global air travel demand.
Numbers for the second half of the year, with the all-important winter/Christmas tourist season, will provide a clearer picture of the travel trends for the Island.
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