Event Planning: Excessive Restrictions

Although the government did not extend the State of Calamity and since October 1, Guatemala has been allowing the holding of events, fairs and concerts, the sector's businessmen believe that it is not profitable to hold meetings in which an area of 10 m2 per attendee is required.

Thursday, October 1, 2020

The modifications to the Alert System were published in the September 29th edition of the Diario de Centroamerica. The text of Ministerial Agreement 229-2020 of the Ministry of Health explains that most activities are allowed, regardless of whether the municipality is on red alert.

According to the new provisions, if a hotel is located in a municipality that is on red alert, they will be able to hold events, but the venue will have to provide an area of 10 m2 for each attendee.

If the place is on orange alert, in the event each person must have 6 m2, in yellow 4 m2 and in green 2 m2. The authorities have decreed that in none of the above cases will it be possible to group more than 10 people per table.

Check out the "System for monitoring markets and the economic situation in Central American countries", developed by CentralAmericaData.

Andreas Kuestermann, president of the Convention Bureau, told Prensalibre.com that in the case of the capital, since it is on red alert "... it would be up to him to apply the 10 square meter capacity per person for events, which is not profitable. A convention center of 2,000 square meters has a capacity for between 1,000 and 1,500 people, but with the restricted capacity it could have only 200 people. These types of activities have high expenses as organizers, waiters, chefs and others."

According to the manager, during October the Westin Camino Real, the Intercontinental, the Hyatt Centric Guatemala and other large hotels plan to reactivate their operations.

Kuestermann added that "... we understand perfectly well that the restrictions are on the health side to reduce the possibility of contagion, but in these conditions the time has not yet come to reopen certain services."

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