During what is typically a slow season for tourism in Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny’s residency sets an unprecedented record in visitors. A musical residency is a series of performances by an artist or group, similar to a tour, but all held at a single venue. In this case, the Residency is going to be held in El Coliseo De Puerto Rico, for 30 concerts all across the weekends of July 11 to September 14. More than 600,000 people are expected to visit Puerto Rico specifically for the concert, about double the number of visitors it usually receives during the summer. The Residency, “No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí,” is predicted to give the Puerto Rican economy a significant boost for hotels, restaurants, and local businesses.
The economic impact is expected to be between $200 million, as estimated by Discover Puerto Rico, the islands’ tourism agency, and over $344 million, as estimated by the Municipality of San Juan, where the concerts are being held. The Municipality of San Juan also predicts that 3,352 jobs will be created.
“(I’m) excited, super excited, super happy to see Bad Bunny live here in Puerto Rico, which is a unique experience that can only be had in Puerto Rico,” said Gilda Santos, a Bad Bunny fan. “Seeing Bad Bunny in Puerto Rico isn’t the same as seeing him in another part of the world.”
Tickets for the Residency sold out within hours of the announcement back in January. In addition, some businesses are creating and selling memorabilia, restaurants are designing themed menu items, and local news stations are devoting special coverage to what residents are calling “Bad Bunny mania.” Notably, the first nine shows of the residency are devoted strictly to residents of the island and were sold only in person.
An important factor influencing the economic impact is the sale of tourism packages. According to Ricardo Cortés Chico, Vice President of Industrial Affairs for Discover Puerto Rico, there are about 38,000 nights already reserved. These were only under the program established to coordinate lodging and experiences for concert attendees.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, views the concerts as the perfect opportunity to show off the islands’ creative arts, which he states are Puerto Rico’s “best resource to build a future of economic and political development.”
“Benito is fostering cultural and economic development through the island’s cultural gifts,” said Javier Hernandez, Dean of the School of Arts, Design, and Creative Industries at la Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in an interview with CNN.
Puerto Rico has been at the forefront of music for a very long time— from salsa, bomba, plena, and Ricky Martin to Wisin y Yandel. However, no other Latin icon has ever gone to such extreme lengths to prove the importance that his own birthplace occupies in his personal perspective.
“It’s important to me that we translate the feeling of really being proud of where you come from in a way that is still honest,” Bad Bunny said.
Bad Bunny successfully changed the sound of contemporary Latin music and reggaeton in the current decade; this residency stands as a moving tribute to the place that inspired his vision.
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