Tourism Already Spreading Beyond the Hot Spots, Airbnb Data Indicate, as Industry’s Call to Decentralize Materializes

Airbnb’s latest data points to a notable shift in Puerto Rico’s tourism economy, as local travelers increasingly choose short-term rentals in rural and inland municipalities and bring their spending power with them.

The platform’s findings suggest that this behavioral change is not only diversifying the island’s tourism map but also strengthening commercial activity in communities that historically sat outside the main visitor corridors, according to a statement Tuesday.

The findings land as the industry confronts a challenge of its own success. Visitation has grown so fast that leaders worry about packing so many people into the same places, Old San Juan, Condado and El Yunque, at the expense of the visitor experience.

The Foundation for Puerto Rico (FPR) estimates the island draws about 6 million visitors a year, spending more than $8 billion, and projects 8 million visitors and about $12 billion by 2030, as CB has reported.

The average daily spend per traveler climbed to about $290, reinforcing the broader economic footprint of this segment.

Airbnb’s numbers suggest the dispersion industry leaders are calling for is already happening on the platform, as travelers pick homes in towns that rarely appear on a tourist map. That is encouraging for a strategy that so far has been built mostly on plans, pilots and committees.

The case for spreading out

FPR’s own analysis, published late last year, identified decentralization as critical to the island’s tourism competitiveness, according to CB’s reporting. The foundation’s data makes an economic argument too. About 90% of spending at small inns, short-term rentals and family visits stays on the island, FPR found, compared with 60% at large hotels and 40% for cruise passengers.

FPR has been testing the idea in the east. In 2024 the region drew more than 2 million visitors and about $1.3 billion in direct spending, roughly 17% of the visitor economy.

The Chamber of Commerce’s new Tourism Committee has adopted the same goal as one of its six work areas, regional integration, with the aim of building attractions and lodging outside traditional tourist zones and spreading visitor spending across all 78 municipalities.

Discover Puerto Rico’s presentation to the committee showed heavy visitor concentration in the San Juan metro area.

As Yodil Cabán, general manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton San Juan at Gallery Plaza, told CB for a previous story: “We have to help that guest discover Puerto Rico.” Airbnb’s data suggests some guests are discovering it on their own.

Rebook and the independent lodging sector

Rebook is the clearest example of the private sector organizing around the idea. It began as a gathering of short-term rental operators and recently held an annual conference featuring a more robust and diversified ecosystem that includes boutique hotels, paradores, bed-and-breakfasts, agritourism farms with lodging, restaurants, tour operators, wellness providers and cultural institutions.

Pedro Fernández, the conference’s producer, said the sector is too fragmented. “We can’t keep seeing hotels on one side, paradores on another, and short-term rentals on another,” he said. “If we’re competing separately, we lose. If we’re collaborating, we shape the future.”

The stakes are large. Short-term rentals make up roughly 47% of the island’s lodging inventory, CB has reported, and Fernández said “this industry generates most of the room nights and most of the tourism jobs in Puerto Rico.”

What the Airbnb numbers add, and what they do not

Airbnb’s finding that about 55% of non-lodging spending stays in the neighborhood where guests sleep fits FPR’s retention argument. Its host network also does what Rebook’s organizers describe, steering guests toward nearby restaurants, guides and artisans.

For scale, Airbnb’s own February economic impact report put 2025 guest spending in Puerto Rico at $2.22 billion, across more than 2.3 million guests and 8.2 million guest nights. That is more than a quarter of FPR’s $8 billion estimate for total visitor spending, a rough comparison since the two sources define spending differently.

Airbnb did not say how many reservations its growth rates represent, so a 60% increase in San Germán could mean thousands of stays or a few hundred. The data cover one platform, come from the company itself, and rely on guest surveys, and the economic impact report notes that the modeling firm it used, IMPLAN, did not verify the study.

Meanwhile, the pressure on the traditional hubs continues. According to published reports, Puerto Rico received 1.6 million cruise visitors in 2025, with 2 million projected this year, Old San Juan’s urban core population fell 32% from 2010 to 2020, to 2,417, and the municipality has no tourism carrying-capacity study.

As Yodil Cabán, general manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton San Juan at Gallery Plaza, told CB, “we have to help that guest discover Puerto Rico.” Airbnb’s data suggests some guests are discovering it on their own.

What Airbnb found

Airbnb’s survey on guest spending through June 2026 shows a clear pattern: about 55% of non-lodging expenditures occurred within the same neighborhood where travelers stayed, a direct infusion into small businesses that rarely benefit from traditional tourism flows.

The company also found that nearly 70% of guests saved money by choosing Airbnb, and roughly 60% of those redirected that savings toward restaurants, retail, and local services, amplifying the economic impact.

The Emerging Destinations LATAM Report highlights where this shift is most visible. San Germán posted nearly 60% growth in reservations in 2025, the highest among Puerto Rico’s emerging markets, followed by Coamo and Barranquitas. Jayuya and Maunabo also saw sustained increases in traveler interest.

Across these five municipalities, reservations grew more than 25% between 2024 and 2025, while searches rose an average of 10%, signaling continued demand.

The traveler and the neighborhood

Guests cited privacy, location, and affordability as key decision factors, with more than 60% valuing private space and over 25% prioritizing cost savings.

This preference steers visitors toward residential and rural zones rather than established tourist districts, creating new commercial opportunities for small operators from restaurants and tour guides to artisans and outdoor recreation providers.

Hosts themselves are emerging as economic catalysts. Among guests, 60% received restaurant recommendations from their hosts, and 35% were guided toward outdoor activities, with nearly 60% of those suggestions pointing to businesses in the immediate neighborhood.

This dynamic positions hosts as informal ambassadors who help direct spending toward local enterprises.

Hosts, prices and the bottom line

The financial implications extend to hosts as well. Median annual earnings in the five emerging destinations reached approximately $9,200 USD, reflecting the growing viability of short-term rentals as supplemental income in rural municipalities.

Meanwhile, the average daily spend per traveler climbed to about $290, reinforcing the broader economic footprint of this segment.

Price sensitivity remains a defining factor: more than 95% of travelers said cost plays an important role when choosing between Airbnb and other lodging options. Still, the data suggests that affordability is translating into higher discretionary spending once travelers arrive.

Airbnb’s view

Airbnb says these trends underscore its commitment to supporting Puerto Rico’s tourism ecosystem by helping distribute visitor traffic more evenly across the island and strengthening commercial ties between travelers and the communities they visit.

The company maintains that its model continues to generate economic opportunities for local businesses, municipalities, and hosts. Founded in 2007, Airbnb now counts more than 5 million hosts worldwide and has welcomed over 1.5 billion guests.

The platform continues to promote stays and experiences that connect travelers with communities in more authentic and economically impactful ways.