An agreement has been made to give tax exemptions to Aerotel SA, part of Empresas Bern, for the construction of the Hotel Crowne Plaza Aeropuerto, near Tocumen International Airport.
Prensa.com reports: "Empresas Bern will benefit from tax incentives, according to the provisions of Resolution No. 078 of June 7 in the official newspaper, a total exemption for a period of five years from import tax on construction materials, and 10 years for furniture, fittings and equipment. "
Between April 2012 and March 2013, surfing generated revenues of $20 million for the tourism sector, which is twice what the country received five years ago.
Elsalvador.com reports that "according to a study funded by the program All Invest and developed by Grupo Amate in coordination with the Corporation of Exporters of El Salvador (Coexport), the sport has boosted tourism and investment in the approximately 200 kilometers of Salvadoran coast between the beaches Las Flores and Mizata ".
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 advantages offered by the country for more than 20 million surfers worldwide, makes the sport as a key ingredient in tourism development.
Among the advantages of this tourism generating sport is the fact that it does not require much infrastructure in order to start generating revenue, what really counts is the impact of the waves, which is a natural resource.
In the Cocle Tourism Forum 2013 entrepreneurs from the sector will will discuss opportunities provided by the Scarlett Martinez airport in the province of Cocle.
The event will be held at the Hotel JW Marriott Panama Golf & Beach Resort, from 8:30 am. to 2:30 pm.
According to Alberto Quirós, hotel owner and organizer of the event, the activity includes participation of Costa Rican and Dominican exhibitors who will speak about tourism development in the areas of Guanacaste and Punta Cana, after an international airport has been built on the outskirts of these cities.
With an investment of $20 million the Crowne Plaza Panama Airport will be constructed, one minute from Tocumen International Airport.
Intercontinental Hotels Group and Bern Hotels & Resorts have signed an agreement to build the Crowne Plaza Panama Airport, which will be located on the premises of Global Business Terminal in Torremolinos, Tocumen.
The project which will open in the next 24 months, will be the closest to the Tocumen International Airport, a distance of about one minute.The hotel will have 126 rooms, a restaurant, exercise room, business center, bar and meeting rooms, however there are plans to increase the number of rooms to three thousand in the future.
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.
There are already five investment projects seeking to take advantage of the benefits of a Fomilenio II project which has yet to materialize.
"Up to 31 December 2012, the Agency for Investment Promotion and Export of El Salvador (Proesa) has received five formal requests for projects seeking to be financed by the nonrefundable fund 'Investment Commitment ES', said the executive director of the institution, Giovanni Berti. "
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.
As of May a total of 934,899 visitors came to the country, a 7.7% increase compared to the same period in 2011.
Despite the number of tourists by sea having decreased (-22%), the result of the cancellation of the arrival of two cruisers, entry via Tocumen International Airport increased by 19.3%.
According to Laestrella.com.pa, "Tickets for the border area of Paso Canoa add on a total of 70,761 visitors, reflecting a decrease of 2.1%, while 39,644 people entered the country through other channels.
In 2011 $405 million was invested in projects in the tourism sector, and 2012’s investment is estimated at $842 million.
From a press release from the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP):
There is no doubt that tourism in Panama is taking giant leaps when beach projects are attracting thousands of visitors from around the world who choose to come to the isthmus to have their best vacation ever.
As part of the proposal for Fomilenio II, the government has announced several projects for creating a nucleus of attractions in various parts of the coastal zone.
Among the plans for the development program FOMILENIO II using funds from the U.S., the National Institute of Tourism is promoting the creation of tourist development as part of a strategy that aims to increase tourist visits and create more jobs for the sector.
Nicaragua is ready to strengthen its tourism industry, refining its attractions both for the backpacking tourist who spends $50 a day, as well as the high end visitor who spends over $1,000.
After coming a long way since the 90’s, tourism in Nicaragua must now make a quantum leap and create a national brand in the minds of tourists with higher purchasing power, said Rep.
Plans are afoot to boost coastal areas as a center of tourism development, agribusiness and marine resources with funds from the US Millennium Challenge funds.
The Salvadoran government could be managing $277 million to be provided by the MCA (Millennium Challenge Corporation MCC) of the U.S. government to create development centers in coastal areas which have great potential.