{"id":42401,"date":"2024-07-23T12:06:25","date_gmt":"2024-07-23T16:06:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foundationforpuertorico.org\/?page_id=42401"},"modified":"2024-07-24T21:26:14","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T01:26:14","slug":"eastern2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/foundationforpuertorico.org\/en\/eastern2\/","title":{"rendered":"Eastern Region Economic Development Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Unleashing the Visitor Economy in the East<\/h2>\n

Fostering sustainable economic growth and community well-being in Puerto Rico’s Eastern Region<\/p>\n

EXPLORE THE STRATEGY<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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OUR VISION FOR THE\nEASTERN REGION<\/span><\/h2>\n

Foundation for Puerto Rico envisions a vibrant and resilient Eastern Region, where communities thrive in harmony with their natural surroundings. Our commitment to sustainable development is grounded in the belief that by harnessing the region’s unique assets, such as El Yunque National Forest, we can create opportunities for economic and social development.\u202f <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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BUILDING ON SUCCESS<\/h2>\n

Over the past four years, FPR has been actively collaborating with communities across the Eastern Region, building local capacity for effective destination management through various efforts. In 2021 FPR first targeted Luquillo, Fajardo, Ceiba, and Naguabo through our award-winning program Bottom Up Destination Recovery Initiative, funded by the Economic Development Administration (EDA). Multi-sector collaboration and community-driven efforts paved the way to revitalize tourism and economic activity, leveraging distinctive natural, cultural and social assets to create the first Destination Plans for the region crafted through participatory planning.<\/p>\n\n

In 2022, our organization embarked on a community-driven initiative called Destino 191<\/em>. As part of the Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge (RPIC), funded by the Rural Development division from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), this initiative sought to support local community leaders in the ideation and planning process for the Destino 191: \u201cEl Yunque del Caribe\u201d<\/em> project, a community-based initiative from the Cubuy sector in Barrio R\u00edo Blanco, Naguabo seeking to position this community as the official southern gateway to El Yunque National Forest. By collaborating closely with local stakeholders, we worked to improve visitation infrastructure, promote sustainable tourism practices, and build organizational capacity of the Cubuy community leaders to effectively develop PR-191 South corridor as a viable destination. The project resulted in the publication of the Rural Placemaking Plan for Destination 191<\/a> and the Rural Placemaking Toolkit for Puerto Rico: Methods for implementing \u201cPlacemaking\u201d in your community<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Now, Foundation for Puerto Rico has spearheaded a collaborative effort with the US Forest Service to enhance the visitor economy in Puerto Rico’s Eastern Region. Central to this initiative is leveraging the natural wonder of El Yunque National Forest as a catalyst for increased visitation and length of stay, driving sustainable economic growth and benefit for local communities.<\/p>

Recognizing El Yunque’s pivotal role, we are working on a Destination Stewardship Strategy for the Eastern Region, emphasizing multi-faceted development that will benefit all 15 municipalities* in the eastern area. By fostering partnerships and engaging with other non-profit organizations and federal and local government entities, we aim to unlock the full potential of the Eastern Region as a vibrant and sustainable destination.<\/p>

*The 15 municipalities that are part of the Eastern Region economic development strategy are based on the Puerto Rico Tourism Company’s regional map. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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OUR STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH<\/h2>\n

In 2022, the visitor economy sustained over 44,000 jobs in the Eastern Region, generating $1.17 billion in wages and $380 million in state and local taxes. <\/p>\n\n

In an era where sustainability and community well-being are at the forefront of global consciousness, our strategy presents a transformative approach to tourism development. Rooted in the principles of community participation and regenerative practices, our vision aims to not only enhance visitor experiences but also foster socio-economic growth and environmental stewardship. At the heart of this strategy lies a deep commitment to leveraging our natural and cultural assets to create a thriving, resilient destination.<\/p>\n\n

El Yunque is the second most important attraction in Puerto Rico, receiving over a million visitors annually, thus representing one-fifth of the island’s tourism economy.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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EASTERN REGION STRATEGY<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Our Objectives<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Promote the economic development of the Eastern Region through the Visitor\u00a0Economy.<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Boosting El Yunque as a magnet attraction for\u00a0visits, increasing the total number of visits, the\u00a0duration of stays in the region, and spending on local businesses.<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Developing multimodal transportation alternatives and integrating existing systems to increase mobility for residents and visitors.<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Create a shared vision and alignment among stakeholders, promoting collaboration and continuity of strategies and efforts.<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Enhance the key assets of the region, including Roosevelt Roads, as well as other natural, cultural, and historical assets.<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The 10 Transversal Principles<\/span> of The Strategy<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\r\n Shared Stewardship\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n
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\r\n Destination Mangement\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\r\n Regenerative Tourism\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\r\n Asset-Based Community Development\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\r\n 21 st<\/sup> Century Technology to Enhance Visitor Experiences\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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\r\n Gateway Communities\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\r\n Ecological\r\nSustainability\r\nand Carrying\r\nCapacity\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\r\n Equitable\r\nAccess and\r\nCommunity\r\nEngagement\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\r\n Shared Vision\r\nand Stakeholder\r\nAlignment\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\r\n Climate\r\nAdaptation\r\nand Mitigation\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n