With the signing of an agreement with the tourism wholesaler El Corte Inglés, 600 agencies in Europe and Latin America will promote the country as a tourist destination.
From Monday, 600 agencies which are part of the Spanish tour operator El Corte Ingles, distributed in Europe and Latin America, began promoting El Salvador as one of their destinations.
The Central American countries are positioning as a destination for the major cruise ship companies.
Central America prepares its infrastructure to support an increased number of lines coming to its main ports.
Madrid, April 2nd, 2012.
The seven countries of the region (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama) are one of the most attractive destinations for cruise passengers.
Countries are making significant efforts to strengthen this sector, according to the Tourism Promotion Agency of Central America.
Honduras recently reported the arrival of 470,000 cruise passengers in the first six months of 2011, over 188 cruise ships, 115 of which landed in Mohogany Bay, which recently opened a new dock. According to the country’s authorities, the activity in the country earned it $40 million, an increase of 17% compared with 2010.
The region is being promoted in London as a multi-venue touristic destination.
Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama are presented as a single exhibitor at the International Tourism Fair in London, one of the largest in the world.
"In the first half of 2010, Central America received 4.5 million foreign visitors, representing an increase of 17% over the same period last year," says an article published in Sigloxxi.com.
The isthmus will improve its presence in the European market through an agreement between Rainforest Alliance and the Central American Tourism Promotion Agency.
Such agreement will make it easier for sustainable tourism companies to market themselves in Europe, said Cristina Surh, marketing director of Rainforest Alliance.
"Joint activities will be focused in events, like tourism fairs.
The regional airline and the Agency for Tourism Promotion in Central America (CATA) signed an agreement to bring tourists to the isthmus.
Taca will provide $500.000, special discounts for Asian and European wholesalers and will engage in promotional activities during the Centroamérica Travel Market trade show.
"Likewise, CATA will include Taca in all European trade shows in which it participates with Central America's regional stand, and in brochures it sends to wholesalers", reported newspaper Prensalibre.cr.
From October 9 – 11, 2009, the city of San Salvador will host the sixth edition of the Central American Travel Market (CATM).
The CATM Fair is the region's most important showcase because it is a platform that promotes business between the tourism sector in Central America and the rest of world. This event’s organization is provided by the private tourism sector in the region, through the Federation of Chambers of Tourism of Central America (FEDECATUR), with support from the ministries or institutes of tourism in the region which are represented in the Central American Tourism Council (CCT).
The Isthmus decided to relaunch the "Central America, so small, yet so big" brand and to strengthen its promotion as a multi-destination region for tourists.
The promotion includes the brand and pictures from each country that will be placed at the various airports.
Even though each country will have its own brand, they are seeking to position Central America as an area which offers a diversity of destinations and activities, said the aid to the director of the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism (Inguat), Carlos Haase.
Iberia airlines and the Central American Tourism Agency have signed an agreement to promote Central America in Europe.
Based on the agreement, the airline's logo will now appear next to the Central American Tourism Agency (CATA) on promotional materials for the European Market and at International tourism fairs where CATA will promote the regional as a mulitple destination.
Tourism in Central America is picking up the pace, but it Nicaragua seems to be lagging behind, more so when it comes to attracting investment.
The World Economic Forum, in its recent Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index, ranked Nicaragua at number 99 in a list of 130 countries that attract capital and do business in the tourism sector.
Within Central America, Nicaragua is at last place as the other countries managed to top it because they have better conditions and infrastructure to drive tourism activity.