I-Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) isanda kungimema ukuthi ngiye ohambweni lokujwayelana ne-American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) ngaphambi kwenkomfa. Benginethemba lokuthi lolu hambo luzoqeda ezinye zezinto ezibhalwe phansi ezimbi ezivele ngePuerto Rico ezinyangeni ezedlule ngokuxoxisana nezibalo ezibalulekile ePuerto Rico. Bengicele ngokukhethekile ukuxoxisana nomqondisi omkhulu we-PRTC, uMario González Lafuente - isicelo esamukelwa ngaphambi kohambo, kodwa ekugcineni akwenzekanga, ngoba uMnu. Mario Gonzales Lafuente unqume "ukusuka aye eSpain" ngaphansi kwamahora angama-24 ngaphambi kohambo. inhlolokhono ehleliwe. (Mnu. Lafuente, ngiyazi ukuthi uyakufunda lokhu. Yenza, mnumzane, ukuthi inhlolokhono yenzeke. Kunezindaba ezidinga ukulungiswa. Ngisho nabanye babanikazi bamahhotela eSan Juan banginike imibuzo embalwa ukuze ngikubuze yona. Ngakho-ke, ngokokuqala ngqa, iPuerto Rico Tourism Company yehlulekile ukungawuthathi umzuzu.
Ohambweni, leli qembu lalinabasebenzi bakwa-ASTA nezinye izintatheli ezintathu, ukuba khona kwabo ohambweni ngandlela thize kwangimangaza njengoba base bevele beye ePuerto Rico. Okubi kakhulu wukuthi enye yezintatheli ebindize isuka eCalifornia yazalelwa ePuerto Rico kanti ibiyobona abazali bayo ngemuva kohambo olubizwa “ngolwazi”. Kungani emhlabeni bezoletha izintatheli ohambweni lwabezindaba uma kade zikhona? Bekungenjalo ukuthi bebehlanganisa umcimbi, ngoba umcimbi wangempela we-ASTA awuke wenzeki kuze kube ngu-Ephreli walo nyaka. Kimina, ukuba khona kwezinye izintatheli ezintathu ngandlela-thile kwayiqeda inhloso. Ngangiwukuphela kwentatheli eyayingakaze iye ePuerto Rico. Ngakho-ke, ukubala okubili, iPuerto Rico Tourism akuyona eyokuqala kuphela.
Lokho kusho ukuthi kunezinto eziningi ezokuvakasha ePuerto Rico okufanele zinikeze. Okokuqala, iPuerto Rico akuyona indawo yabantu ababuthakathaka uma kuziwa endabeni ye-gastronomy. Abavakashi kumele babe nesibindi sokuzama okunye ukudla kwasendaweni. Ubusuku bami bokuqala buhilele isidlo sakusihlwa endaweni yokudlela yase-Coko e-El San Juan Hotel kanye ne-Casino, esesifundeni sase-San Juan e-Isla Verde, lapho ngaziswa khona ngentandokazi yendawo ebizwa ngokuthi i-Mofongo - isidlo esithosiwe se-plantain, esiphakelwa kwesokudla. ingxenye ye-mero eshisiwe. Isipiliyoni sokudlela siyilokho umuntu angakulindela endaweni yokudlela esezingeni eliphezulu, yithi, Las Vegas, futhi kufanele, njengoba Indawo yokudlela yase-Coko iyikhaya lomunye wabapheki abadumile base-Puerto Rico, u-Hector Crespo wodumo lwe-Aguaviva.
Umuntu akudingekile ukuthi adle endaweni yokudlela ewubukhazikhazi, nokho, ukuze azizwele izitsha ezinambithekayo zasePuerto Rico. Ku-San Sebastian Street Festival, umcimbi waminyaka yonke wezinsuku ezine enkabeni ye-San Juan, abathandi bephathi bangabamba kalula “amaphinki,” ingulube eyosiwe noma ama-kabob enkukhu othini olunokhova. Ukudla okuhlanganisa ama-pincho kanye nokuphakelwa kwejusi ye-acerola kubonakala kuyinhlanganisela ethandwa kakhulu enikezwa kwifestivali yomgwaqo. Ngokwesithathu, iPuerto Rico Tourism ayilona uhlobo olunamahloni okudla.
Uma sikhuluma ngeSan Sebastian Street Festival, iPuerto Rico Tourism ayiyona neze izivakashi ezine-claustrophobic. Uma isixuku siyilokho ofuna ukukugwema, ngakho-ke awufuni ukuba seSan Juan ngempelasonto yokuqala noma yesibili kaJanuwari (kulo nyaka, ibibanjwe kusukela ngoJanuwari 10-13) ngoba balinganiselwa ku-150,000 abantu basePuerto Rican imigwaqo yaseSan Juan yakudala izinsuku ezine zilandelana futhi babe “ama-Party” Ricans. Lokho kuhlanganisa ukudansa okuningi, umculo, nokuphuza utshwala. Lo mcimbi ungumbukwane impela, okumele ufakazwe yizivakashi njengomuntu obukele, hhayi njengomhlanganyeli, ngoba uguga ngokushesha. Kodwa, uma ufuna ukwenza iphathi, okusho ukuthi uthanda ukuhlangana kwesixuku kanye nephathi engapheli izinsuku ezine, khona-ke i-San Juan iyindawo oya kuyo ngempelasonto yokuqala neyesibili kaJanuwari. Kucabange njengenguqulo ye-San Juan ye-Carnival edumile e-Rio, kodwa ngesilinganiso esincane kakhulu.
Futhi, iSan Juan iyichweba elidumile lokubiza imikhumbi eminingi yokuhamba ngomkhumbi. Uma kunjalo, lokhu kwengeza ngokushesha engxenyeni yesixuku engisanda kukhuluma ngayo. Ngatshelwa ukuthi iSan Juan ithwala imikhumbi efinyelela ku-7 kuya kweyisi-8 phakathi nenkathi ebaluleke kakhulu. Yenza izibalo. Ukuthi izivakashi eziningi kungenzeka zibe semigwaqweni yase-San Juan kanye nezakhamuzi zakhona eziyizigidi ezingu-2 endaweni enikeza amaphathi, amaphathi, namaphathi amaningi. Uma usuthole okuthile okukukhathazayo, ungaba nesikhathi esimnandi, njengoba abantu basePuerto Rican bazi kahle ukuthi ungenza kanjani umbuthano wokuzijabulisa. Uma sibala ezine, iPuerto Rico Tourism akuyona eyabavakashi abesaba izixuku.
Ukuze uthole indawo ethi inikezela ngama-surf, isihlabathi, kanye nelanga, i-Puerto Rico Tourism iyashoda eminyangweni yesihlabathi nelanga. Okungenani ngingasho lokhu okuningi nge-San Juan - phakathi nesikhathi sami esifushane edolobheni, isihlabathi kuphela engasibona "indawo yolwandle" encane e-Caribe Hilton. Impela, kunezindawo eziningi zokuntweza, kodwa angeke kushiwo okufanayo ngezindawo zesihlabathi eSan Juan. Yilapho inkinga yokuguguleka komhlaba iqala khona. Ngokuqondene nokuthi ithini impendulo kahulumeni wasePuerto Rico (noma ukuntuleka kwayo) kule nkinga, ngisho nabasebenzi baseCaribe Hotel bayazibuza. Bavumile ukuthi kuyabakhathaza, njengoba beyindawo yasolwandle. Uma sibala ezinhlanu, iPuerto Rico Tourism ayisiyo eyalabo abafuna ukushona kwelanga emabhishi anesihlabathi ahlukahlukene.
Njengoba iPuerto Rico iyindawo yase-United States (noma ukuba neqiniso kwezombusazwe, i-Commonwealth), indawo okuyiwa kuyo isebenza futhi isebenza njenganoma yisiphi esinye isimo e-US, nakuba ibiza kakhulu. Inani ledola laseMelika eSan Juan yilokho umuntu angakulindela emadolobheni afana neSan Francisco, Honolulu, New York City, noma iMiami imbala. Kusukela endaweni yokuhlala kuya endaweni yokudlela nezinye izindleko zohambo, yonke into ingabiza ngokushesha okukhulu. Izilinganiso zasebusuku e-Caribe Hilton zisuka ku-US$193 ziye ku-US$250. Engeza lokho ngobusuku e-Coko Restaurant, enezindawo zokudla zakusihlwa maphakathi no-US$20 kuya ku-US$30 ephezulu yebanga, futhi ubheke ukuchitha imali eshisiwe izinsuku ezimbalwa e-San Juan. Wonke umuntu uhweba ngedola laseMelika, futhi abagembuli abaqinile bazothola ukuthi amakhadi esikweletu aba ozakwabo abakhulu lapho beshaya amakhasino eSan Juan. Kanjani futhi kungani lokhu kusebenza, kuzodingeka uvakashele eSan Juan ukuze uthole. Uma sibala isithupha, iPuerto Rico Tourism akuyona eyabantu abayongayo.
Lapho ngisePuerto Rico, abanye abantu basesiqhingini batshelwa ukuthi ngangikulesi siqhingi, futhi abanye babecele umhlangano, ngakho ngabavumela. Umuntu engihlangane naye nengisaqhubeka nokubhalelana naye nguRaul Colon. UMnu. Colon wayenokuningi ayengabelana ngakho ngokuphila kwalesi siqhingi. Imizwa yakhe ihambisana neyomuntu okhungathekile ngezinto ezahlukene, okubalwa nokuhlukunyezwa kwezilwane. Ngokokulandisa kukaMnu. Colon, izilwane ezishayiswa izimoto zishiywa zishone emigwaqweni - inkinga evamile ezindaweni ezingaphandle kweSan Juan. Nakuba mina mathupha ngingazange ngibone noma yiziphi izigameko ezinjalo phakathi nokuvakasha kwami, izincwadi ezihlukahlukene ze-imeyili noMnu. Colon ngeshwa zibonisa isithombe esihlukile. Ngakho-ke, njengesixwayiso kubavakashi abangaba khona, yazini ukuthi kuze kube yilapho umuntu onegunya eyichitha, iPuerto Rico Tourism, kubalwa eziyisikhombisa, akuyona eyabathandi bezilwane ezifuywayo.
Lokhu kuyingxenye yochungechunge lwami lwezihloko ezimayelana Nezokuvakasha kwasePuerto Rico engithemba ukuthi ngizoyiphetha ngengxoxo yami nomqondisi omkhulu we-PRTC uMario Gonzales Lafuente.
