Discover Puerto Rico
Website
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Situation
Travelers today are skipping the traditional trip-planning methods and opting for digital tools that feel intuitive, human, and deeply connected to community. Partnering with Discover Puerto Rico, the Madden team faced a big task: create a website that feels like the island itself—colorful, culturally rich, and full of energy. At the same time, the DMO needed to attract high-intent, culturally curious travelers, empower local stakeholders, encourage longer stays, and make sure the story being told matched the lived experience of being in Puerto Rico.
So, Discover Puerto Rico ditched the static, built-for-desktop experience and reimagined their digital front door as something more alive: a high-functioning love letter to the Island that sparks curiosity, and inspires people to not just visit—but feel something.
Approach
This wasn’t about replacing traditional visitor tools. It was about expanding the ecosystem—creating a digital experience that feels personal, alive, and unmistakably Puerto Rican.
Discover Puerto Rico wanted a site that went beyond basic listings and glossy photos. The goal was to build a platform that mirrors the Island’s rhythm: easy to navigate, rich with culture, and built to connect with today’s traveler—who expects planning to feel more like inspiration than obligation.
Here’s how we brought that to life:
- Interactive Map: A dynamic map highlights regions with visuals and cultural points of interest, helping users explore intuitively.
- Trip Planner: A customizable itinerary tool lets users build, save, and share their ideal Puerto Rico trip.
- Bioluminescent Bays Feature: Interactive storytelling uses visual effects and science-based content to teach and inspire conservation.
- Sustainability Microsite: An educational platform that gamifies eco-friendly travel, rewarding users for conscious choices.
- AI Chatbot: A bilingual, behavior-responsive chatbot that delivers personalized content and cultural recommendations.
- Availability Calendar: A real-time hotel availability tool that promotes off-peak travel and supports planning.
- Content Recommender: NLP-powered suggestions surface related cultural content and enable user dialogue through comments.
- Themed Content Hubs: Curated pages organize stories by topic, turning culture into an easy-to-navigate journey.
- Inclusive UX & Copy: The site uses human translation and culturally-aware design to reflect Puerto Rico’s true voice.
Results
- 8.09 Million Organic Clicks
- 350 Million Organic Impressions
- +81% Total Users
- +75% Sessions
- +54% Views
- +51% Partner Referrals
- 560k+ Average Monthly Sessions From Organic Search
- +35% Sessions For Spanish Content
- 3k+ Average Monthly Mindtrip AI User Message Interactions
Map, but Make It Magic
The site’s interactive map doesn’t show you where to go—it pulls you in. With layered visuals, cultural callouts, and intuitive navigation, it transforms the classic “click-to-see” moment into a sensory scavenger hunt. Zoom in, and suddenly the Island isn’t just a shape—it’s a story unfolding in real time.
A Tool Built for Daydreamers
“My Dream Trip” is where wanderlust turns into actual plans. It’s part wishlist, part itinerary, and part bragging rights. Users can build their perfect Island escape, tweak it on the fly, and then send it to their friends like a digital postcard. It’s planning without the pressure—and it keeps visitors coming back to keep dreaming.
Shine a Little Bioluminescent Light on It
Here’s where things get a little sci-fi in the best way. The Bioluminescent Bays feature glows (literally) with storytelling and science. A glowing cursor mimics the real thing—it’s educational, a little weird, and downright delightful. It brings environmental stewardship into the spotlight without feeling like homework.
Smarter Than Your Average Chatbot
Most chatbots are glorified FAQs. This one? It adapts. It learns. It gets you. Seamlessly bilingual and tuned into traveler behavior, the bot offers video recs, cultural insights, and guidance that feels eerily personal (but never creepy). It’s like chatting with someone who lives there—because it kind of is.
Come for the SEO, Stay for the Soul
With Natural Language Processing working behind the scenes, users don’t just browse—they tumble down storytelling rabbit holes. Discover a music festival and end up learning about a local legend. Commenting features turn passive scrolling into real conversations. It’s Google-friendly, yes—but more importantly, it’s community-powered.
Content Expansion: Friendly by Design
Long pages? Short attention spans? We built a better way to serve up info. This new content expansion offers quick-hit takeaways with optional deep dives—making the site easier to scan, faster to navigate, and more fun to explore. We introduced region callouts, estimated read times, and modular “learn more” options that keep users in control of how they consume content.
Content Hubs with a POV
To make sure no gem goes undiscovered, themed hubs center on Puerto Rico’s biggest cultural flexes—Baseball, Set-Jetting, Music & Dance. These aren’t content piles. They’re curated experiences designed to keep users engaged and SEO on point.
Built for Everyone It Serves
And perhaps the most important part: the site reflects the Island’s people. Human-translated content honors local dialects and culture. Every feature was built to include, not exclude. Because when a digital platform is made with care and cultural fluency, it becomes something rare—a tool for both visitors and locals.
