By José Orlando Delgado | El Nuevo Día

What began 21 years ago in the town of Boquerón as a celebration of diversity, with a tent and about 300 people, today is “the largest economic event in Cabo Rojo.”

It is Boquerón Pride, the main LGBTQ+ festival in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, which this year expects to reunite over 30,000 people from Thursday, June 6, through Sunday, June 9.

The arrival of visitors to the west zone has become, year after year, synonymous of prosperity for merchants in the area, especially for owners of lodges, restaurants and bars, according to several people interviewed by El Nuevo Día.

The mayor of Cabo Rojo, Jorge Morales, acknowledged that the economic impact of the event has not been measured, but assured that it is worth millions of dollars, since the activity not only benefits his municipality, but the entire southwest of the country.

“This activity (Boquerón Pride) must continue to be supported, not only for what it represents for this community (LGBTQ+), but for what it represents for the economy of Puerto Rico, said the municipal executive in an interview with El Nuevo Día. “It increases the payment of patents and SUT collections, as well as hotel occupancy … it is the largest economic event that Cabo Rojo has during the year”.

Tomás Ramírez, owner of the Combate Beach Resort in Combate, and Ángel Rodríguez, owner of Parador Boquemar in Boquerón, agreed that the Boquerón Pride celebration is the busiest time of the year in the area’s inns and neighboring towns.

Guests, they assured, book up to a year in advance, with the objective of securing a space to spend the night in a place close to the festivities.

“Although (the event) is in Boquerón, we sponsor it in many ways and it brings a positive impact to the entire region. Thousands of people arrive and fill all the lodging facilities in the region,” said Ramírez.

In addition, Rodríguez described that the nearly 40 businesses located in the popular town are also experiencing their best time of the year as they receive visitors from Puerto Rico and abroad.

“There is an big gastronomy offer of restaurants for all tastes and prices. The offer that Poblado de Boquerón has is great and covers a lot. People don’t have to take their cars out, because they have everything here,” he said.

The event is attended by the local LGBTQ+ community, but it is also the ideal opportunity for tourists looking to celebrate Pride Month on the island.

LGBTQ+ travelers make up 8% of the total number of tourists arriving in the country, according to data from Discover Puerto Rico, the destination’s marketing organization (DMO).

In fact, according to the DMO, such tourists leave an annual economic impact of over $500 million. The figure takes into account their spending on lodging, transportation, food, among others.

Discover Puerto Rico’s data also indicates that these travelers have a high economic level, considering that the average income per household is over $114,000 per year.

Fulfills its purpose

The multimillion-dollar impact of Boquerón Pride is evidence that the festival fulfills one of the purposes for which it was created in 2003, said Pedro Julio Serrano, spokesman for the organization Puerto Rico for everyone, which is in charge of coordinating the activities.

“There are two reasons for Boquerón Pride. The first was to make us visible and find a space to celebrate our way of being and loving. The second is that Boquerón has always been a very open, inclusive and respectful space for everyone,” he said.

“We wanted that merchants receive appreciation from the community for their openness and respect. Since the kick-off, Boquerón Pride has had an economic impact just like the power of the LGBTQ+ community to thank the respect and inclusion,” he added.

The growth of the festival has been such that now brands and businesses “fight” to have a space among the group of sponsors, Serrano said.

Boquerón Pride, said the activist, is possible thanks to the support of businesses and organizations committed to promoting respect for the LGBTQ+ community.

Although the festival is sponsored by the government through the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (CTPR), Serrano lamented that it is a smaller amount than other activities on the island.

“The brands have seen the economic injection that this festival represents, which is a world-class festival, because we bring artists of the caliber of Ednita Nazario, Pedro Capó and La India. This attracts the attention of the sponsors, not only because of the quality of the event, but also because of the number of people who attend and the movement of the economy that this festival represents,” said Serrano.

This year’s offering

Boquerón Pride will serve this year to kick off the celebration of Pride Month in Puerto Rico, since the parade organized by Colectivo Orgullo Arcoíris, in San Juan, this time will take place during the last weekend of June.

The festival activities will begin this Thursday with the crowning of model and businesswoman Maripily Rivera as queen of the festivities, Serrano said.

The participation of Rivera, winner of Telemundo’s reality show “La casa de los famosos”, required the addition of a day to the activities, so the activist said that everything points to a record-breaking total of attendees.

The three subsequent days will feature sports and musical activities, including the participation of the band Algarete, Neysa Blay, La India, among others. Mújica Group is in charge of the production.

The Cabo Rojo mayor assured that the Municipal Police and the Municipal Emergency Management Office will collaborate with the event organizers.

“It is an event that in more than 20 years has not had a single incident,” Serrano emphasized, indicating that the event transcends the LGBTQ+ community in an environment of respect.

“Boquerón Pride is the Puerto Rico we deserve, because that’s where we live as Puerto Rico should be. Where there are heterosexuals, LGBTQQ+, allies, non-allies, everyone sharing in healthy coexistence, in harmony and peace. That is the Puerto Rico we seek and want,” Serrano said.

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This content was translated from Spanish to English usingartificial intelligence and was reviewed by an editor before being published.