On Tuesday, Puerto Rico announced its plan to become a tourism destination for those searching for cheap medical care. The United States commonwealth is especially targeting Hispanics from the East Coast and the Caribbean.

"Puerto Rico has a privileged situation in this market," Alberto Baco, the secretary of Economic Development and Trade, said during a presentation of the strategy, EFE reports.

The island plans to lure tourists with services like weight-loss surgery, liposuction and dental treatment. The administration said it supported a market study that found that medical procedures in Puerto Rico are 40 percent to 60 percent cheaper than in the continental U.S.

If Puerto Rico's plan succeeds, officials in San Juan believe that the commonwealth can see the addition of 3,000 new jobs in the next three years. They also predict that 30,000 patients will be attracted to the island in that time period.

Puerto Rico estimates that it can make $200 million in revenue in the next three years if it is able to stand its ground against Latin America, which Baco said has cheaper options than the island.

"It's a new sector in Puerto Rico, which is going to create business: It's going to [require] more hotels, like those in Bayamón and Manatí, which are receiving many people," Baco said. "... It's true that we're more expensive than Latin America, but we're a U.S. jurisdiction, which means that we offer more security and guarantees."

Ingrid Rivera, director of Puerto Rico's tourism agency, added that because of its connection to the U.S., Puerto Rico has a good reputation.

"When you're going to have surgery, your main concern is going to be the training of the doctor," she explained. "The majority of our doctors have studied in the U.S., and our hospitals are accredited and certified by Medicare, just like those in the U.S."

A plan to boost tourism comes none too soon as Reuters reports that economic activity in the commonwealth declined in July for the 19th consecutive month "to a 20-year low."

---

Follow Scharon Harding on Twitter: @ScharHar.

Related