Puerto Rico brought its festive culture, traditional music and culinary flavors to the Big Apple last week, promoting the All-Star Island’s “Summer is Easy” campaign with celebratory events at John F. Kennedy International Airport and Lincoln Center’s Appel Room.

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) campaign highlights the island as an affordable and accessible destination with convenient air travel.    

“Traveling to Puerto Rico, where a passport is not required for U.S. citizens, has never been easier than this summer,” said Ingrid I. Rivera Rocafort, executive director of PRTC. “Puerto Rico is a short flight from most major airports located in the east coast.

Whether looking for a new experience like surfing in Rincón, walking down 500 years of history in Old San Juan, or reconnecting with your Puerto Rican roots, our guests will find many incredibly diverse activities to enjoy.”  

Celebrations kicked off at John F. Kennedy International Airport with Delta Air Lines, which has provided 62 years of uninterrupted service to Puerto Rico. Travelers were welcomed by PRTC with promotional information about the “Summer is Easy” campaign, and Delta Air Lines’ Sky Club members were delighted with festive drinks, prepared with the All-Star Island’s famous Rums of Puerto Rico, as well as traditional Parranda Blitz. Delta is also supporting PRTC’s “Summer is Easy” campaign by increasing its capacity to five daily flights from the airport during this peak summer season, offering 1,600 round trip seats per day, with 10 percent of those in Delta’s Business class.

“Puerto Rico has much to offer to travelers looking to explore the All-Star Island under a different light and in luxurious accommodations,” said Gabriel R. Emanuelli, director of global sales for PRTC. “Our ‘Summer is Easy’ campaign highlights hotels like the Royal Isabela, The Ritz Carlton Reserve in Dorado, The St. Regis in Rio Grande, the W Hotel in Vieques and the soon to be open Vanderbilt Hotel in El Condado. All of these properties have unique appeal and are the perfect start to a journey of discovery in Puerto Rico.”

The festivities continued into Thursday evening with the “Tropical Night of Jibaro Jazz” hosted at the Lincoln Center featuring renowned Puerto Rican musicians Nestor Torres, Jerry Medina and Edwin Colon Zayas. More than 150 travel agents, journalists and guests enjoyed the event, which included culinary samplings and tastings of Rums of Puerto Rico and was co-sponsored by PRTC and Delta.

“Delta’s commitment to Puerto Rico is as strong as ever as the airline works to become the best U.S. airline in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Maria Fernanda Price, Delta’s regional manager for the Caribbean. “We are proud to partner with the Puerto Rico Tourism Company and invite New Yorkers and the over 900,000 people of Puerto Rican descent living in the Big Apple to experience Puerto Rico as a preferred destination for the luxury traveler.”