The company Enterprise Rent-A-Car has announced it will be investing $12 million in the purchase of 500 vehicles to begin providing a car hire service in the country.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car, through the ANC Group, which operates the franchises Alamo Rent a Car and National Car Rental, will provide a car rental service initially in five strategic points: Liberia, Belen, Lindora, and Juan Santamaría and Daniel Oduber airports.
The Deputy Minister of Transport of El Salvador has delayed for up to eight months permits for tourist transport vehicles.
Tour Operators meeting in the Salvadoran Chamber of Tourism (CASATUR), denounced the delay in the delivery of operation permits by the Vice Ministry of Transportation (VMT) and harassment by the Transit Police. Bureaucracy at the Vice Ministry has created delays of up to eight months in the granting of permits which has caused forfeiture of vehicles by the Police.
In 2009, the arrival of international tourists dropped 9%, while domestic ones 15%. 2010 should be better.
The recovery will only be felt in the second half of the year, even though since November 2009 most statistics are showing a trend shift from negative to positive.
An article in Elfinancierocr.com analyzes the subject, with opinions from tourism entrepreneurs and institutions.