Several industry experts were interviewed for Women Leading Travel & Hospitality’s latest report, Customer Experience Trends in Travel and Hospitality. Their answers were so thorough and detailed, we didn’t have the space to share every word in the final report! Below, find a full-length interview with Leah Chandler, chief marketing officer at Discover Puerto Rico. Subscribe to our newsletter to get additional interviews in the coming weeks, and check out the full report here.

Women Leading Travel & Hospitality: How did the pandemic cause travel and hospitality trends to shift so rapidly?
Leah Chandler: The pandemic and halt of traditional travel as we knew it forced consumers to reevaluate what’s important to them. In the midst of the pandemic, we saw a few key drivers in travel. At first, it was the rapid growth of remote work, which prompted Discover Puerto Rico to launch our “Work in Full Color” campaign. As the pandemic hit the travel industry with such immediacy, it caused us to respond rapidly with solutions, requiring us to be nimble and adaptive to the consistent changes that were presented. The hospitality and tourism industry had to be resilient and set ourselves up for a strong comeback. The quick action to create programs like “Work in Full Color” was critical to meet consumers where they were.

The pandemic also saw the trend of increased travel inspiration content, as we were all more plugged in than ever. Discover Puerto Rico is uniquely prepared to handle and overcome challenges; we’ve experienced quite a bit of adversity and had a variety of processes in place, including a Preparedness Playbook, and a trained team that was able to pivot in lockstep with the evolving landscape. We were among the first destinations to offer virtual travel inspiration programming, like virtual vacations, and even created a phased campaign titled “It’s Time” that was focused on visual content and developed to easily evolve with the pandemic’s unexpected ebb and flow. Some of the phases included “All in Good Time,” communicating that the time wasn’t right to travel at COVID’s peak; “It’s Almost Time” as positive change was seen; and eventually progressed into “It’s Time” when the island was happy to welcome travelers back again.

WLT&H: What trends that surged in popularity due to the pandemic are here to stay?
LC: Among the two biggest trends in travel to come from the pandemic that I believe are solidified are both the principle of exploring the great outdoors and experiences that offer a deeper connection to the place you’re visiting — seeking locations that provide not only unique tangible experiences, but also meaning. Puerto Rico was built for this moment. The destination has offered this all along.

      • We launched our new campaign “Live Boricua” earlier this year, turning to what’s true to our DNA: the incredible local culture of Puerto Rico. Boricua is a word used to describe a person from Puerto Rico by birth or descent. “Live Boricua” is a movement born out of Puerto Rico by our Destination Marketing Organization alongside Puerto Ricans to emphasize the state of mind, way of life, spirit, flavor, style, rhythm, and melody that can only be experienced on the island.
      • Among our activations leaning into natural wonders is “Population: YOU,” which showcases eight underdiscovered locations throughout the island’s various ecosystems and our “Sounds like Puerto Rico” video series, which was nominated in five Emmy categories and won three. The series sought to educate potential visitors about the island and its peculiarities in an entertaining way, generating inspiration and travel ideas for future visitors.

WLT&H: What customer experience trends are you predicting for the short term and the long term?
LC: Travel is an experience that people are inherently driven to. While downturns and headwinds occur long term, the principle of exploring through travel will be constant. Travel is coming back with a vengeance as people look to reconnect, explore new destinations where they’re immersed in new cultures and local communities, or simply revisiting favorites. And while travel to Puerto Rico was strong even throughout the pandemic, we’re seeing it now more than ever, and it’s reflected in our record-breaking success. The island surpassed $1 billion in lodging revenue for the first time ever in 2022. For the short term, we know people want to get away from the confines of their homes, take advantage of remote work and the new normal of “bleisure.” And for the long term, we expect the focus to be on seeking a deeper connection when traveling, leaving a positive impact, and doing so sustainably.