At the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Christian Correa called in to work the night shift as a porter and encountered the worst.
Correa, who is also a caretaker at the hotel, has seen a surge in U.S. tourists come to the U.S. territory over the past three months and the hotel has been busy. Although he had enjoyed high season before the pandemic before, many tourists who arrived in Puerto Rico angered locals and hospitality workers as the islands eased restrictions on Covid-19.
“The tourists think they can do whatever they want,” says Correa, 24, who is also a student at the University of Puerto Rico. “We saw fights, parties in the rooms and aggressive behavior.”
Low-cost flights to Puerto Rico have attracted many travelers to choose the island as a vacation spot during the pandemic. A one-time flight to Puerto Rico from Florida booked two days in advance can cost up to $ 62.
Hotel occupancy reached 60% during President’s Holiday Weekend in February, according to the island’s destination marketing organization, Discover Puerto Rico. This was the highest number since Christmas, and hotels expect to reach the same occupancy rates for the coming spring break.
“We are definitely seeing the effects of increased traveler confidence that coincides with the distribution of vaccines in the US,” said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico.
For José Silva, owner of the El Chicharrón restaurant, tourists who arrived in recent weeks put him on the spot because of the large crowds without having to wear a face mask over the weekends. Its restaurant is located in La Placita de Santurce, a popular tourist area. Silva says police close the streets around the area on weekends, making it difficult for Ubers or taxis to pick up tourists after bars and restaurants close.
“We have asked the police to keep everyone at a distance and look for an alternative to this area,” Silva said.
In Old San Juan, another popular tourist area, Cristina Colón asked if her job as a waitress at Pirilo Pizza was worth the money, as she saw an increase in customers refusing to comply with the Covid-19 precautions .
“I’m not only concerned about my physical health, but also with my mental health,” says Colón. “I’m nervous about myself and the friends and family I surround myself with because I have no idea where the person coming from is coming from.”
Puerto Rico closed in the lock last March. Although restrictions were eased slightly during the summer, and former Governor Wanda Vázquez reopened beaches in September, they were closed again from November to January.
These restrictions have hit the hospitality industry hard. “The executive orders implemented by Wanda Vázquez pose a threat to the hotel industry,” said Joaquín Bolívar, president of the Hotel and Tourism Association of Puerto Rico.
Several hotels increased within single-digit occupancy rates. “Some hotels question their survival,” says Bolivar.
Puerto Rico is now under the 12am to 5pm curfew and indoor businesses can operate at 50% capacity as newly elected governor Pedro Pierluis has increasingly eased restrictions since January. Beaches are also open for relaxation.
The combination of US residents wanting to escape from cold weather, cheap airline tickets and easing restrictions on the island has brought tourists en masse.
As restrictions have eased, Bolivar admits that hotels have experienced problems with some guests, but many incidents, such as large gatherings and excessive noise, occur mostly in Airbnbs.
“We see a lot of tourists in the streets who do not want to cooperate with the executive order,” says Bolivar. “The association has brought the claim to the government, municipal government and the police.”
Videos posted on social media show aggressive tourists starting to fight, disrespecting local workers and residents and disregarding the Covid-19 precautions, including not wanting to wear face masks and holding large gatherings while the travel stream to the island continues.
In February one video shows tourists assaulting a woman in a wheelchair after being told to wear masks. The women, who were staying at an Airbnb in San Juan, threw their drinks at the resident’s face and told her to speak English. Airbnb removed the gas from the platform due to the incident.
Another incident includes an alleged sexual assault by a US tourist against a 23-year-old resident of Rincón, located in the western region of Puerto Rico. Last month, the sexual crimes and child abuse department in Puerto Rico filed charges against North Carolina resident Devin Sanders. The Guardian tried to reach Sanders’ lawyer for comment, but the number for his office was disconnected.
With the onset of spring break and the proliferation of ever-increasing varieties, Discover Puerto Rico encourages travelers to take part in outdoor activities, such as visiting the national rainforest of El Yunque or the beaches. Bolivar expects hotel rooms to sell out.
Correa, in the Condado Vanderbilt, says he has not seen a reduction in guests at the hotel since President’s weekend and thinks it will stay that way for spring. He expects to continue to keep guests who are behaving wrong and continue to draw the guests’ attention because they walk into the halls without a mask and remind them that there is a curfew rule.
“They never believe me when I tell them there’s a curfew,” Correa says. A few minutes after going to a party outside late at night, they come back and ask, ‘Is the curfew real? ”