New health and hygiene protocols in the establishments and the commitment to attract national tourists in an environment where short trips will be preferred, are some of the trends predicted in the new "normality" that will come after the quarantine period.
Given the quarantines decreed by most governments worldwide, it is anticipated that the habits of tourists will change dramatically in the short and medium term, as the crisis of covid-19 will leave consequences among consumers.
With the strategic development of the Guatemala Country Brand, there are expectations in the business sector to jointly promote investments, exports and tourism.
From May 9 to 10 in Costa Rica Expotur 2019 will be held at the National Convention Center, which will bring together 230 international buyers from the tourism sector from 35 countries.
Erasmo Rojas, president of the Costa Rican Association of Tourism Professionals (Acoprot), explained to Nacion.com that "... The activity consists of two days of negotiations and alliances that allow revitalize the tourist offer each year and generate millions of dollars in tourist currency for accommodations, food and transportation."
At the end of 2018, it is projected that the tourist arrivals to the country will register an increase of 13% with respect to 2017, and the currencies generated by the sector could exceed $1.6 billion.
Authorities of the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism (INGUAT) reported that if the arrival of tourists increased 13% during 2018, it would be the second consecutive year that the country reports double-digit increases, since between 2016 and 2017 there was a year on year variation of 11% in the number of visitors.
On May 25 and 26, a meeting of tourism companies from Central America will take place in Panama City, in which buyers from all over the world will take part.
The International Tourism Expo 2018 will be held at the ATLAPA Convention Center, in Panama City.
The meeting, organized by the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama, will involve more than 160 international issuing wholesalers from Europe, North America and Latin America, with the aim of seeking service providers and tourism products.
The number of foreign visitors who arrived in the country during Easter Week increased by 33% compared to the same period in 2017, while domestic tourism grew by 21%.
Figures from the Guatemalan Tourism Institute detail that "... tourist activity from March 23 to 31 was intensified compared to the same period in 2017 and exceeded forecasts, with a total of 3,065,918 domestic and foreign tourists."
The international tourism sector meeting scheduled for the end of April, is expected to be attended by 166 buyers from 44 countries.
The Expotur 2018 tourist fair, organized by the Costa Rican Association of Tourism Professionals (Acoprot), will take place in the new Congress and Convention Center, from April 25 to 27 of this year.
A decree reform to promote local tourism, and a bill that would grant tax exemptions for investments in certain tourist sites, are some of the proposals to boost tourism activity in Guatemala.
In addition to the decree that moves holidays to a Monday or Friday in order to favor destinations which are further away by creating long weekends, and the bill that would give tax benefits to investments in tourist sites, authorities at the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism also intend to modify the institution's Organic Law.
Tailor made tourist packages, modifications in hotels, and learning the Mandarin language, are just some of the aspects that companies must work on in order to receive tourists from China.
The bilateral tourism promotion agreement signed between the governments of China and Panama, after they reestablished diplomatic relations in June 2017, involves much more than a simple framework to promote the arrival of tourists, but also contemplates the requirements that Panama must meet in order to be categorized as a country authorized to be visited by the citizens of China.
On October 26th and 27th, Panama City will be hosting an international forum on international promotion strategies and best practices in brand management.
From a statement issued by the Tourism Authority of Panama:
Panama will be hosting the 5th International Forum on the Country Brandon October 26 and 27, with the participation of 10 Latin American countries who will come together to exchange experiences and learn from best practices in brand management.
A draft bill proposed by the Executive includes the exemption for five years from import tax on goods needed to start development of tourism projects.
The bill that has been promoted by the Inguat since last year includes several incentives such as tax exemptions and others, but it has not yet been agreed with companies in the tourism sector.
Through an agreement with the online travel agency, the Guatemalan Institute will be running a tourism promotion plan for the second half of the year.
From a statement issued by the INGUAT:
Guatemala July 28, 2017.As part of the Guatemalan Tourism Institute's (INUAT) priority marketing activities for the current year, authorities from the tourism governing body presented their promotion plan for the second half of the year in conjunction with the online travel agency Expedia.
Throughout the rest of the year Guatemala will take part in 39 tourist fairs in Europe, South America and the United States.
The aim of the Guatemalan Tourism Institute (Inguat) is to strengthen marketing and promotion of the country as a tourist destination in the markets that traditionally have been the main emitters of tourists to Guatemala.
The average european tourist plans trips less than a year in advance and searches and books tour packages via the internet, without using intermediaries.
A study by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute to identify best prospectsfound that"... generally Europeans decide on their holiday destination less than a year in advance and in most cases organize their trips independently i.e., without using intermediaries. It was also found that the most used methods of finding information include recommendations from friends, search engines and online travel agencies and websites promoting the destinations.
In 2016, 19,586 meetings were held with 1.2 million participants, 695 thousand hotel rooms were occupied and an estimated economic turnover of $1 billion was generated.
From a statement issued by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute:
Guatemala April 5, 2017.With the objective of finding out the significance of the segment for Meetings, Incentives trips, Conferences and Events, (MICE), the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism, INGUAT, disseminated the results of a study that measured, among other subjects, the contribution in consumption in the tourist industry and in other economic activities, as well as in the generation of jobs.