Bad Bunny's Puerto Rico residency makes shock impact on economy

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

Bad Bunny 's residency kicked off earlier this month and he is not just showering his native country with his famous reggae music, he's also making an astonishing impact on Puerto Rico.
The 31-year-old singer, who currently stars in Happy Gilmore 2 alongside Adam Sandler, is performing a historic residency, titled 'No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí,' at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan.
Celebrities like LeBron James and Ricky Martin - as well as other fans - have been flocking to the Caribbean island to get sight of the hunky rapper (turned Calvin Klein model).
The 30-date performance is 'projected to generate at least $196.5 million in economic impact,' according to Destinations International's Event Impact Calculator.
'The real impact is even greater, as this [estimate] doesn't account for independent rentals or other accommodation outside of these [hotel] packages,' Discover Puerto Rico's Vice President of Marketing, Glorianna Yamin, told the Daily Mail.
Hotel packages, which include hotel stays and concert tickets, can be booked by fans through vibee, a curated destination experience company, which Bad Bunny - whose birth name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio - has partnered with.
The residency has 34 confirmed hotel properties vibee has partnered with, containing 48,255 room nights total.
While tens of thousands of visitors travel to Puerto Rico for concerts, Bad Bunny's concert is expected to draw over 600,000 visitors alone.
Demand for accommodations 'has skyrocketed since the residency announcement,' Yamin said, while also noting that the surge in travel interest and bookings following the announcement 'has been remarkable.'
As of July 7, short-term rentals for August have reached 175,000, which is 60 percent more than the same period last year, and for September, there are 54,000 booked room nights, which is 68 percent more than last year, according to AirDNA.
Statistics prove just how great of an impact the Latina star made on his homeland.
The Caribe Hilton in San Juan, renowned for being the birthplace of the Piña Colada and Hilton's first international hotel, is up 'approximately 30 percent in bookings' compared to last year over the same three-month period, the hotel's General Manager Mike Garcia revealed to the Daily Mail.
'We're nearly sold out for August, and over 60 percent booked for September.'
The resort-style hotel, which has 652 guest rooms, a secluded beach and three-tier oceanfront swimming pools, has become a celebrity hotspot where stars like Scheana Shay recently stayed as well as notable figures and Hollywood legends like former president Barack Obama, Elizabeth Taylor and Rita Moreno.
Bad Bunny, who boasts 49 million followers on Instagram, has made some other places around Puerto Rico a celebrity hotspot.
He has made numerous appearances at the music museum, Casa Histórica de la Música en Cayey, where he has surprised locals with a pop-up performance.
In addition, earlier this year, he opened a new coffee cocktail bar in Old San Juan, called Café Con Ron, which has become a must-visit for his fans.
In April, he was seen on the streets of San Juan, surrounded by film crews when he was reportedly shooting a 'confidential visual project.'
Although he has yet to announce the secret project, he has been updating the Tití Me Preguntó singer has been updating his fans with how he's been spending his summer, when he's not on stage performing.
Earlier this month, Benito posted a series of scenic and personal photos to summarize his summer, including a sign that read 'Shop local for Bad Bunny's concert,' and a baseball cap with the saying, 'Stop dating people who don't get your music.'
Many fans were quick to make fiery comments about the saying possibly being about his ex Kendall Jenner, whom he dated in 2023 and partially in 2024.
New music is always on the horizon. Bad Bunny dropped a new single Alambre Púa on July 14 and previously released his sixth studio album, 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos' on January 5, which he said was a tribute to Puerto Rico and its rich musical heritage.
Bad Bunny art can be seen on the walls inside the music museum (pictured)
At the time, he posted a heartwarming message on his Instagram, which translated to English, reads, 'Without a doubt this is the best project of my career, the most special, the most beautiful and with the purest feeling.
'I dedicate this to Puerto Rico! I dedicate this to all my family and friends! I dedicate this to Latina America... the best experience of my career arrives, this moment!
'This week has been a lot of happy tears and thankfulness.'
The Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, native's influence and his historic residency, Yamin told the Daily Mail, 'has united our community, energized our tourism industry, and created a positive economic wave that benefits all of Puerto Rico.'
Yamin described the energy in Puerto Rico as 'absolutely electrifying' and noted that his concert series has brought together locals and visitors in a shared experience 'unlike any other,' especially since music is at the heart of the Island's culture.
Meanwhile, Caribe's GM Mike Garcia remarked that Bad Bunny has made a 'powerful' impact by transcending generations, specially with his latest album carrying 'a sense of nostalgia that takes the grandparents and the parents way back, while bringing the new generation in to connect to their past and their roots.'
'It's truly a beautiful thing,' he gushed. 'This celebration of authentic Boricua culture can be seen in how people are dressing up for the concert, many of them donning a Jibaro outfit complete with straw hats and indicative of the rural Puerto Rican culture that influences the album.'
Yamin told the Daily Mail that Discover Puerto Rico has become a vital tool for visitors to experience more of what Puerto Rico has to offer, including world-class beaches, a growing culinary scene, rich history, and natural wonders that appeal to everyone.
The singer's residency, which began on July 11, concludes on September 14.