In a context of a drop in the number of tourists arriving in the Dominican Republic, the authorities announced that they are implementing a new campaign to reposition the destination, which will be focused on the U.S. market.
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.
A group of German wholesale travel agents will be meeting with local tour operators to explore business opportunities.
From a statement issued by the Panamanian Tourism Authority:
A total of 11 German tour operators from the Lufthansa City Center chain will be staying for a week in Panama in order to familiarize themselves with the tourist market and set up tour packages including destinations in our country.
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.
The maximum amount that the Tourism Authority will provide will be $20 million a year, and it may also receive private contributions and contributions from international organizations.
In contrast to what was initially proposed, the Tourism Authority of Panama will not allocate more than $20 million for the tourism promotion fund. These resources will come from the revenue generated by tax collections at Tocumen airport.
On June 21 and 22 local and foreign tourist companies will be meeting to discuss issues such as using technology as a tool for promotion and hearing about successful experiences from other countries.
From a statement issued by the Tourism Authority of Panama:
The Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP) and the Panamanian Chamber of Tourism (CAMTUR) will be holding from June 21 to 22 the first National Tourism Convention "Juntos por Panama" (CONATUR), to establish a strategy with all stakeholders in the sector, which will strengthen the country's tourism supply.
In light of the announcement of a campaign to promote tourism in Nicaragua "through embassies and consulates," entrepreneurs are recommending the utilization of professional methods.
Tourism entrepreneurs believe that the "Pride of my country" campaign is insufficient to achieve the impact required to Nicaragua as an important tourist destination in the region.
The Costa Rican Tourism Institute is inviting companies in the sector to participate in international events.
In a press release issued on a large scale on July 13, 2015 in a single printed media format, the Marketing Department at the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) called on companies to register their interested in participating in international fairs in the second half of 2015 and the first of 2016.
The Tourism Authority has announced that it will focus its efforts on international tourism promotion, when preparing the tender specifications for the development of an advertising campaign.
From a statement issued by the Tourism Authority of Panama:
The Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP) presented on Thursday to the national tourism associations, its new international marketing and promotion strategy for 2015, based on the markets of the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Europe, without neglecting other destinations where there is air connectivity with our country.
The plan proposed by the Ministry of Tourism includes amending tourism land use, improving the promotion of the sector and implementing training programs for companies.
EDITORIAL NOTE: The text of the Plan is not available online.
As reported in an article on Laprensagrafica.com, implementation of the plan will begin in the town of San Lorenzo, and it is expected that the remainder of the year specific programs will be designed for Suchitoto, Izalco, Panchimalco, Perquín and San Vicente. This plan includes the participation of municipal authorities, the private sector and government.
In order to achieve maximum growth potential and position themselves as a major destination in the region, it is imperative to update the Master Plan for Tourism, developed in 2007.
In the view of tourism enterprises, some of the factors that need to be strengthened are related to the creation of a plan to boost tourism products, work with indigenous regions to boost tourism in these areas, update sector priorities and above all to create the concept of clusters, "... conglomerates which form a more integrated tourist circuit."
The government has announced the opening of a consulate in Shanghai and other efforts to open others in cities where there is high purchasing power in an effort to attract people to the Costa Rican tourism sector.
From a statement issued by the Government of Costa Rica:
Tourism is one of the axes that form part of the strategic partnership relations between Costa Rica and China, with concrete actions leading to an increase in visits by tourists , the beginning of efforts to establish a direct flight and contact made by tour operators.
So far this year $82 million has been invested in tourism projects outside of Panama City, but the business sector has indicated there are obstacles to further development.
Law 80 of 2012, which provides tax incentives for tourism investment outside of Panama City has produced results, say entrepreneurs, but government support is still needed to remove some obstacles that prevent the development of tourism outside the capital from being even greater.
In the first half of the year $218 million came into the country, 10.3% more than the $197.5 million generated in the same period in 2013.
Details from the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (Intur) show that "... Between January and June Nicaragua received 650,008 foreign visitors, representing a growth of 7.1% compared to the same period in 2013, when the country received 607.155 tourists. "
As the nation with the greatest potential visitors, the U.S. has chosen Costa Rica as the site of an Advisory Council to promote the northern country as a tourist destination throughout Central America.
After receiving complaints about the amount of paperwork that has to be filled out and visa requirements needed in order to visit the country for tourism as well as the slow speed of processing, the government has decided to implement the Brand USA Act, to streamline procedures and facilitate the promotion of the country as a tourist destination.