A new 106-room hotel complex was inaugurated in the department of Retalhuleu, with the capacity to accommodate 440 guests.
The new resort, called "Hostal Aldea de la Selva" was built by the Institute for Recreation of Workers of Private Enterprise of Guatemala (IRTRA) on a 50,000 square meter property.
Participating for the first time are Nicaragua and the United Arab Emirates as exhibitors, and buyers will be coming from Germany, Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Italy, Colombia and Sweden, and other places.
From a statement issued by the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (CCIAP):
International Tourism Expo, in its seventh version, will feature more than 150 exhibition booths, which will be displaying to national and international companies, working in different areas of tourism, in 3,000 m2 of the Atlapa Convention Center in the exhibition which will be held on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 May.
Even without having resolved their border dispute, both countries are working on joint projects including the facilitation of tourist traffic in both territories.
In order to improve relations between the two countries, it is expected that next December a roadmap will be ratified which contains at least 15 bilateral agreements on energy, tourism, education, cultural affairs, environmental, security, temporary workers, cooperation in justice, migration, etc.
Building on the momentum that the industry gained from the Central American Cruise Convention 2013 the best tourist sites in the country are being promoted.
According to the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism (INGUAT), thanks to the implementation of strategic plans and new campaigns, the results from cruise tourism have been satisfactory. 628,550 tourists were recorded last year and 668,403 in the first quarter of 2013.
The 2013 edition of Expotur is to receive 180 representatives from international companies at the Hotel Wyndham San Jose Herradura on the 9th and 10th of May.
A statement from the Costa Rican Association of Tourism Professionals (ACOPROT) reads:
Country's Main Tourism Exchange Market Prepares its XXIX Edition
- From 9th to 11th the 29th edition of Expotur will be held at the Convention Center at the Hotel Wyndham San Jose Herradura.
Guatemala's hotel sector is concerned about lack of inclusion of the tourism category within the country’s investment promotion policies.
The first version of the National Competitiveness Agenda excludes the tourism sector, confirmed Jaime Day, director of the National Competitiveness Program, who said it would be added in the new version of the agenda.