The coast of the department of Rivas harbours not only beaches, but also thermal springs, forests and lagoons, but there is no infrastructure to take advantage of this touristic potential.
The plan by a group of tourist entrepreneurs in the area is to develop, with the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism, a medium and long term plan to turn the area into a pole for tourism development.Two hours from Liberia's international airport in Costa Rica, the coastal strip of the municipalities of Buenos Aires, San Jorge, Rivas and Cárdenas is considered by the private sector as a "tourist treasure".
The tourist sector is proposing to develop a long-term strategy be create a market segment aimed at bird watching tourism in the country.
Authorities from the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism and entrepreneurs say the birding business generates significant revenue in markets such as Peru, where it "... currently generates $50 million a year." Although there is still no official program or strategy focused on attracting this type of tourism, tourism operators say that some companies have started to specialize in the subject.
Investments include an airfield in Tola, residences in Sardina beach and modernization work in the ports of San Jorge and San Juan del Sur.
Investments totaling $43 million, are distributed with $20 million for the residential project in beach Sardina, $12 million for the airport in Costa Esmeralda, $8 million to modernize the port San Jorge and San Juan, with the remaining funds being used in other related works.
A hotel in Estelí is part of the projects that will benefit from the tourism incentives approved by the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism so far this year.
From a statement issued by the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (INTUR):
TOURIST BOARD APPROVES OVER 10 MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT FOR TOURISM
INCENTIVES
Over 10 million dollars has been approved by the Board of Tourism Incentives in the third ordinary session held by the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (INTUR).
The Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism has unveiled a strategy which aims to increase the number of tourists especially in summer, promoting the main tourist routes in the country.
It is expected that the plan called "Nicaragua Our Summer 2015", will be implemented from February and will run until April this year. It also seeks to implement new measures to increase the daily expenditure of tourists which until September 2014 was $43.
The approved law facilitates the promotion of the country as a destination for business tourism and creates a board for the Bureau on Conventions, composed of members from the private and public sectors.
The law aims to facilitate the promotion of Nicaragua as a destination for business tourism and creates a board for the Bureau on Conventions, composed of members from the private and public sectors.
Tourism entrepreneurs disagree with the list of countries in which the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism has announced it plans to promote the country.
The tourism promotion agenda includes a visit to the United States, the Netherlands, Finland, Spain and Germany, among others, where tourism facilities on offer for 2015 will be presented. With this initiative it is expected that more than 1.4 million foreigners will be received, which would equate to about $440 million in foreign exchange.
Between January and November 30th tax breaks for private investment projects were approved as well as 9 public ones, estimated at $95.7 million, up 125% compared to the same period in 2013.
Added to the approval for incentives for investments worth $95.7 million are more supplies for tourism, including 12 hotels, adding 283 new rooms. It is expected that by the end of 2014 incentives for investment in tourism will reach $100 million.
Between January and September, the Nicaraguan Tourism Board approved eleven new hotel investment projects that will add 248 new rooms to the market.
The Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (Intur) reported that the approved investment amounts to $32 million for hotels in various municipalities, including the Caribbean zone.
Mayra Salinas, executive president of Intur, told Eleconomista.net that "...
Between January and September, 965,369 tourists arrived in the country, 7.1% more than in the same period in 2013.
From a statement issued by the investment promotion agency of Nicaragua:
Nicaragua, with a steadily growing tourism industry, received 965,369 visitors up to September this year, which is giving rise to new hotel investments, said the executive president of the Nicaraguan Tourism Institute, Intur, Mayra Salinas, yesterday after stating that "on October 21 we will probably pass the one million tourists figure. "
The Tourism Incentives Board has approved the granting of tax exemptions to build an airport in Guacalito de la Isla.
The airport will be built by the Corporación del Sur SA and will be located in the luxury resort of Guacalito del la Isla. The agreement approved by the Board of Tourism Incentives at the Nicaraguan Tourism Institute grants tax exemptions "... for the first stage of construction of the project, which will cost $12 million. "
In the first five months of the year the country received 42,000 more tourists than in the same period in 2013.
Confirming the upward trend in the flow of tourists coming to Nicaragua, in the first five months of the year alone 545,174 tourists visited, 8.3% more than in the same period in 2013, when the figure was 503,077.
The executive president of the Nicaraguan Tourism Institute, Mayra Salinas said in an article on Elnuevodiario.com.ni that "... between 2007 and 2013, the number of tourists visiting Nicaragua grew by 65%."
Up until May incentives have been authorized for 22 tourism investment projects, including the construction of the airport in Costa Esmeralda, for $12 million.
Tourism growth and incentives granted to investment projects in the tourism sector are boosting investment in the country, which, according to estimates by the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism, will amount to $400 million in the year.
In the first two months of 2014 the country had 227,812 visitors, 7.6% more than in the same period in 2013.
The executive president of the Nicaraguan Tourism Institute, Mayra Salinas, highlighted tourism growth of 7.2 %, exceeding by 3% the 4% expected in Central America in 2014.
"The vast majority of tourists came by land, mainly through Costa Rica, and through Managua International Airport, while 8,796 did so via cruises, she added. "
On 25 and 26 April 2014 the fifth edition of the International Tourism Fair will be held in the Crowne Plaza Convention Center.
Enrollment is now open for local tour operators who wish to participate in the event. The National Chamber of Tourism (Canatur) and the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (Intur) are the entities organizing the fair.
During the activity, which will take place in the new year, it is expected that more than 50 international wholesalers and 150 SMEs in the national tourism sector will be brought together.