The new campaign builds on the success of ‘Vive Boricua’ and evolves from traditional tourism narratives to showcase experiences that are completely vivid, sensory and deeply immersive.
Discover Puerto Rico, the island’s official destination marketing organisation, today announced the launch of ‘Awaken Your Senses,’ a new global marketing campaign based on consumer psychology insights that positions Puerto Rico as a destination where travellers reconnect with joy, a sense of belonging and culture through sensory experiences.
The campaign was inspired by studies on travellers, which highlight the growing demand for travel experiences based on a sensory dimension. Rather than simply showcasing the destination, ‘Awaken Your Senses’ focuses on how travellers experience Puerto Rico through rhythm, flavours, landscapes and human relationships.
‘In a world saturated with constant notifications, alerts, conflicts and distractions, our island offers something different: a place where people can reconnect, live in the moment and rediscover the simple pleasure of truly feeling. Puerto Rico is a destination that encourages travellers to awaken their senses, as reflected in the campaign,’ said Jorge L. Pérez, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico.
‘Awaken Your Senses’ seeks to stimulate how sensory immersion can help foster a sense of cultural belonging. When travellers engage with a destination through multiple senses, from music and food to landscapes and community interactions, their sense of connection deepens and the feeling of being a stranger begins to fade.
This announcement comes at a time when Puerto Rico continues to experience strong tourism momentum. The island welcomed 8.1 million visitors in 2025, an 8% increase over the previous year, according to Tourism Economics.
The ‘Awaken Your Senses’ campaign, launching today, marks the next success of Discover Puerto Rico’s award-winning ‘Vive Boricua.’ While the latter introduced the world to the island’s vibrant spirit, ‘Awaken Your Senses’ invites travellers to connect more deeply with Puerto Rico through its music, cuisine, natural landscapes and communities across its 78 municipalities.
‘Essentially, it’s about how a trip should make you feel,’ says Storm Tussey, chief marketing officer at Discover Puerto Rico. “It doesn’t respond to trends. It responds to a global heartbeat. Travellers no longer ask themselves where to go, but why they should go. They seek belonging, connection and meaning, something that Puerto Rico naturally offers through its landscapes, music, cuisine, culture and community.”
‘The “Awaken Your Senses” campaign is based on consumer psychology research that shows sensory experiences create more intense emotional memories and deeper connections to a place,’ continued Storm Tussey. “When we invite travellers to feel the rhythm or taste the culture, we’re not just promoting a destination. We’re offering the chance to restore well-being. We want Puerto Rico to be the place travellers think of when they need to feel alive again. Our job is to ensure that when they arrive, they behave as guests who respect our home and contribute to our future.”
Response to the rise of purposeful travel
This launch comes at a time when traveller behaviour is changing globally. Research across the industry shows that travellers are increasingly prioritising immersive experiences, local culture and emotional connection when choosing where to visit.
Discover Puerto Rico’s strategy responds to this shift by positioning the island not just as a destination, but as a place where travellers actively participate.
Through stories focused on artists and artisans, musicians, culinary traditions and local communities, the campaign highlights the reciprocal relationship between visitors and the island. Travellers are encouraged to connect with the people behind Puerto Rico’s culture, from meeting local artisans and supporting small businesses to exploring the landscapes that span different ecosystems across the island.
Based on ‘Vive Boricua’
‘Awaken Your Senses’ builds on the global recognition achieved by Discover Puerto Rico’s ‘Vive Boricua’ campaign, which helped introduce millions of travellers to the island’s culture and identity.
The new campaign delves deeper into that narrative, evolving from introduction to immersion. Rather than simply showcasing Puerto Rico’s culture, it invites travellers to experience it first-hand through sound, taste, movement and human connection.
The diversity of experiences Puerto Rico offers, from the El Yunque rainforest to its three bioluminescent bays, vibrant coastal communities and dynamic culinary scene, sets the stage for the campaign’s sensory narrative.
A long-term strategy for sustainable tourism growth
‘Awaken Your Senses’ represents the first phase of a three-year marketing evolution designed to strengthen Puerto Rico’s global tourism presence and increase the economic impact of travel on local communities. The campaign focuses on several key objectives:
- Increase visitor engagement and emotional connection to Puerto Rico.
- Encourage longer stays and deeper exploration of the island.
- Support small businesses and cultural creators.
- Drive sustainable visitor spending that benefits local communities.
The initial launch of the campaign begins on 10 March with the premiere of its global creative campaign. Starting on 1 April, additional stories targeting key audience segments in priority domestic and international markets will be released.
Over the next three years, Discover Puerto Rico will continue to expand the campaign with new creative resources, partnerships and digital experiences designed to connect travellers with the island’s culture in a more personalised way.
Celebrating Puerto Rican creativity
Authenticity is at the heart of ‘Awaken Your Senses,’ developed in collaboration with Puerto Rican creatives, brands, and cultural partners. Local production company World Junkies led the production, bringing together Puerto Rican directors, artists, and collaborators deeply rooted in Puerto Rico’s cultural and creative community.
The campaign also features a select group of Puerto Rican fashion brands, culinary creators and local businesses, including Al Este, Arrecife, Bike Stop, Bohemia Cocina en Movimiento, Calipso, Carabalí Rainforest Park, Chiringas.com, Conjunto Achiote, Don Q, Elede, El Papelón, Hacienda Siempre Viva, Isleñas, Laid Back, Medalla, Palmeira, Pine Grove Surf Club, Piraguas Viejo San Juan, Rogative, and Valija Gitana, ensuring that the voices shaping modern Puerto Rican culture are at the heart of the campaign.
‘We are not presenting our community as a mere accessory,’ Tussey said. ‘They are the voices, directors and architects of this campaign. By focusing attention on local businesses and cultural creators, we ensure that the economic and cultural heart of the island remains firmly in the hands of the community.’
‘Awaken Your Senses’ positions Puerto Rico as a destination where travel goes beyond a simple getaway and becomes a way to reconnect with culture, community and the joy of discovery.
For more information on Discover Puerto Rico’s ‘Awaken Your Senses’ campaign, click here.
About DISCOVER PUERTO RICO
Discover Puerto Rico is a private, non-profit Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO) whose mission is to ensure that Puerto Rico is perceived globally as a premier tourist destination. The DMO brings prosperity to the people of Puerto Rico by collaboratively promoting the island’s diversity and uniqueness for leisure and business travel and events. It is responsible for all global marketing, sales and promotion of the destination and works in collaboration with key local governmental and non-governmental players across Puerto Rico’s tourism economy and the wider community to drive economic growth. To discover all the beauty the island has to offer, visit DiscoverPuertoRico.com
Source: SERGAT Comunicación