Ferry reform isn’t enough. Vieques and Culebra need reliable access.

“The ferry is not simply transportation for Vieques and Culebra. It is economic infrastructure,” contributing columnist Bob Gevinski writes. (Facebook via Vieques Culebra Ferry Watch)

By ROBERT GEVINSKI

Vieques and Culebra are often described as two of Puerto Rico’s most remarkable destinations. Their beaches are among the most beautiful in the Caribbean, and their character -- defined by nature, small businesses, and a slower pace of life -- continues to attract travelers looking for something different.

Demand is not the problem. Access is. For offshore island municipalities whose economies depend heavily on tourism, that is not a minor inconvenience. It is a structural constraint.

The ferry is not simply transportation for Vieques and Culebra. It is economic infrastructure. It is the primary gateway through which visitors arrive, businesses are sustained, and the private economy functions. When that system operates efficiently, the islands benefit. When it does not, the consequences ripple across restaurants, rental properties, tour operators, and small businesses that depend on a steady flow of visitors. The economy falters.

Residents of Vieques and Culebra depend on the ferry for essential travel, and any system must serve that function reliably. But the needs of residents and the needs of the tourism economy are not in conflict. They are tied to the same system.

Beginning April 1, new pricing structures are set to take effect. These changes are intended to stabilize the system and improve operations. But beyond pricing, there is little clarity on how the system itself will evolve. That raises a larger question: once the system is stabilized, will it be structured to meet the actual needs of Vieques and Culebra?

Modern travel is built on certainty. A traveler planning a vacation today expects to be able to book flights, accommodations, rental cars, tours and activities months in advance. Entire international trips can be planned, confirmed and paid for online with confidence. That sense of certainty is what allows a destination to convert interest into actual bookings. Vieques and Culebra, despite their appeal, still struggle with this basic expectation.

A visitor can book a flight to Puerto Rico, reserve a property on either island, arrange transportation, and plan an itinerary -- yet still have no reliable way to confirm how they will get there. Ferry tickets are not available far enough in advance to allow for complete trip planning, and air travel, while faster, is often prohibitively expensive for families. The result is a gap in the planning process that introduces hesitation. And in tourism, hesitation has consequences. A destination that cannot be fully planned is often quietly set aside in favor of one that can.

This issue did not emerge overnight. Over the past decade, Vieques and Culebra experienced a rapid transformation in how tourism functions. The expansion of short-term rental platforms dramatically increased the number of available accommodations. Properties that were once invisible to the broader travel market became accessible to a global audience, and the islands’ capacity to host visitors grew quickly.

The local economies responded. Restaurants opened and expanded, tour operators increased capacity, and rental services scaled to meet rising demand. The private sector adapted in real time. But one critical piece of the system did not keep pace: transportation. Vieques and Culebra grew as destinations, but their access system did not expand with them.

Today, the ferry system still operates in ways that reflect an earlier, smaller version of the islands’ tourism economies. The result is a mismatch between demand and access. The islands are capable of hosting visitors, but the system that brings them there does not consistently align with that capacity. The issue is not only how many people can travel, but when and how they are able to do so.

Travel patterns to and from the islands are predictable. Residents often travel early in the morning to the main island for appointments, errands or work, returning in the evening. Visitors, by contrast, tend to move during the middle of the day, checking out of accommodations in the morning and arriving in the afternoon. Yet the ferry schedule does not fully reflect these patterns.

High-speed passenger vessels capable of making the crossing in 30 to 60 minutes are available, but they are not consistently deployed in a way that maximizes movement during peak travel periods. In the middle of the day -- when visitor demand is highest -- there are often gaps in service rather than a steady flow of departures. Capacity that exists but is not deployed when demand is highest is effectively capacity that does not exist.

If the goal of the current changes is to create a more functional ferry system, then scheduling must be part of that conversation. A system that operates reliably but does not match demand is still a system that falls short of its potential.

There is also a broader economic dynamic at play. If access to Vieques and Culebra improves and visitor numbers increase, the islands will likely experience periods of strain. Restaurants may become busier, services more stretched, and availability tighter. But those are the kinds of pressures that functioning economies adapt to and often welcome. Businesses expand, new services emerge, and investment follows demand.

The alternative is less visible, but more concerning. When access limits the number of visitors who can reach the islands, the economy adjusts downward. Businesses scale back, hiring slows, and growth becomes cautious. Over time, the islands operate below their potential -- not because demand is absent, but because access is constrained.

The ferry is not just moving passengers. It is determining how much of the islands’ economy is allowed to exist.

A ferry network that moves people efficiently benefits everyone who depends on it.

The changes taking effect on April 1 represent an important step toward stabilizing the ferry system. But stabilization alone is not the finish line.

The expectation that follows is clear: a system that not only functions, but functions in a way that reflects the realities of how Vieques and Culebra live, work and grow.

Reliable access is not a luxury for these islands. It is the foundation of their economies.

And as these changes take effect, the question is no longer whether the ferry system can operate. It is whether it can deliver the level of access that the islands already depend on.

Robert Gevinski is a resident of San Juan and Vieques, founder of Paraiso Realty, and a real estate professional who has served on the boards of the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association as well as the Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust, with an interest in economic development and sustainability.