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.
Through a strategy that will be implemented in the coming years, the authorities seek to position the country as a gastronomic destination by 2026.
According to the National Gastronomic Tourism Strategy for the period from 2019 to 2025, to be implemented by the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism (INGUAT), the country will work in four axes.
After nearly 100,000 Mexican tourists visited Costa Rica in 2018, this year the authorities plan to intensify the country's promotion in Mexico's main cities.
According to the latest estimates, this year about 508,000 Mexicans would be considering vacationing in Costa Rica.
To encourage the arrival of more tourists, the Inguat will be investing the funds in a new advertising campaign, which will target the markets of North America, South America and Europe.
With the aim of reactivating the flow of tourists into the country, which suffered a slowdown after the disasters caused by the eruption of the Volcán de Fuego, the Guatemalan Tourism Institute (Inguat) will be implementing a campaign that will have a reach of 120 million people in the markets of the United States, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom.
Between the first quarter of 2017 and the same period in 2018, the number of visitors that arrived in the country registered a slight decrease of 1.4%, but the overall expenditure made by them increased by 2.7%.
According to sector's figures, between the first quarter of 2017 and the same period of this year the number of tourists fell from 734,000 to 723,000, and the currencies received registered a slight increase, going from $302 million to $310 million.
The international and local campaign that the tourism authorities has started running includes, among other things, advertising spots on board United Airlines flights.
Representatives of the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (Intur) reported that the market segments that will be promoted are low-density sun, beach, adventure or active tourism, nature, culture and identity tourism, rural community tourism, agrotourism and ecotourism and gastronomy. It also includes business tourism, wellness, cruises and nautical tourism.
In the second quarter of the year, incoming tourism recorded an average stay of 10.3 days, reflecting a year-on-year change of 7.1% and 3.5% compared to the first quarter of 2017.
From a report by the Central Bank:
On August 23, 2017, the Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN) published the Tourism Survey Report for the second quarter of 2017.
A decline of 4.6% in the flow of visitors has been attributed by tour operators to the fact that in recent years the country did not have sufficient international promotion.
An article on Prensa.com reports that "according to the National Migration Service and the Comptroller General's records, 2,432,641 visitors were registered last year, down 4.6% compared to 2015."
Companies in the sector expect to generate $660 million in revenue this year, mainly driven by an increase in tourist spending.
In addition to an increase in the number of visitors to the country, companies in the sector also expect a rise in the average daily expenditure of tourists, which at the close of the third quarter registered anincrease of 8.5% compared to the previous quarter.
Tourism entrepreneurs have suggested setting up a border post in El Naranjo in order to encourage the arrival of international tourists coming from Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
The announcement of the possible construction of a coastal highway in the Pacific, represents an opportunity for entrepreneurs in the tourism sectorto further enhance the development of tourism in the area and also provide a route for foreign tourists arriving at the Liberia airport in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
Viajes El Corte Ingles will be selling tourism products in El Salvador in its sales network in Spain and carrying out a promotional campaign from March 15 to October 31.
The agreement aims to increase the number of Spanish tourists visiting the country, which in 2015 was around 20,000. The promotion will be done through the marketing channels of the agency and will be reinforced by a campaign that will run until October 31, 2015.
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 promotional campaign announced by the government has been described as antiquated and lacking a proper communication strategy.
The campaign to promote the country, presented yesterday by the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism (INGUAT), left doubts among tourism operators, who say it is outdated and lacks a proper communication strategy.
Bruno Mertins, manager of the travel agency Turansa, "...
During the first five months of 2013, 526,443 tourists entered the country while during the same period in 2012 the figure was 483,105
Mayra Salinas, chief executive of the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (Intur), said that of those 526,443 visitors, 503,077 were tourists and 23,366 were cruisers and day trippers. Figures from the Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN) reveal that between January and March the arrival of travelers contributed $107 million to the country.
On 13 May, Costa Rican businessmen will meet at a business forum in which they will study strategies to position Costa Rica as a destination for the European market.
From a press release by the National Chamber of Tourism of Costa Rica (CANATUR):
The European region represents one of the main markets for attracting tourists to Costa Rica, which, according to figures from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), received 284,996 visitors from Europe, which means about 12% of total reported income in 2012.