*By Amanda Weston*
Puerto Rico is back open for business one year after Hurricane Maria battered the island ー and now the island territory has to tackle perception.
"We've been in the headlines and in mainstream media for so long with so many pictures \[of devastation\]," Carla Campos, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, told Cheddar at the Skift Global Forum last week.
"A lot of people think we're without power and underwater, but the reality is pretty different. The reality on the ground is that we've made significant recovery, and we actually opened ourselves for tourism back in December."
And months after that, certain industries, like cruise lines, are just as stable as they were before the hurricane hit, Campos said. In fact, in May and June, cruise operators boasted record-breaking numbers.
Campos said the storm actually created an opportunity for growth and renovation. Puerto Rico will open about 3,000 new hotel rooms at its flagship properties after a year of remodeling, she said.
"It's actually going to allow us to open ourselves up to the world with a completely fresh face ー new hotels, new rooms right in the urban strips. And we're just excited about our future," Campos said.
"There's so many opportunities, and that's sort of what we want to tell the world. Yes, we've been on everyone's top of minds, and now that empathy, compassion, connection with the island ー what we want to do is convert that to interest in travel."
The Puerto Rican government also enacted a law earlier this year to launch an independent [Destination Marketing Organization](http://www.meetings-conventions.com/News/Convention-and-Visitors-Bureaus/Puerto-Rico-to-Launch-New-DMO-2018/). "Discover Puerto Rico" was designed to formulate a brand for the island and implement a consistent marketing strategy to attract tourists.
And the government isn't the only sector getting involved.
After a recent trip to the island, travel insight company Skift is also taking part in the effort with the creation of its [Skift Foundation](https://cheddar.com/videos/skift-launches-foundation-inspired-by-puerto-rico). The foundation offers aid for travel destinations considered "under-resourced." Part of that mission is training and empowering local communities with advanced research and data, CEO of Skift Rafat Ali told Cheddar in a separate interview.
"The fact that Skift is going out of its way to support Puerto Rico, I think it speaks to the transformative power of tourism," Campos said. "We all feel that tourism is a force for good. And in cases like Puerto Rico, tourism can really be that thing that takes us to a whole other level."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/puerto-rico-ready-to-welcome-tourists-after-hurricane-maria).
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
