Mariott International, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels and Ritz-Carlton Reserve, presented to Dominican Republic authorities their plans to develop luxury tourism projects in Puerto Plata.
From the statement of the Presidency of the Dominican Republic:
December 11th, 2018. A group of foreign investors met today with President Danilo Medina and expressed their interest in transforming the country's northern coast into a luxury tourism destination.
With the condition that there be an incentive law for investment in tourism infrastructure, a Dominican entrepreneur could be interested in investing in the Mundo Maya airport.
The entrepreneur from the tourism industry and founder of the Punta Cana group, Frank Rainieri, visited several Guatemalan tourist sites with the intention of identifying investment opportunities, finally showing interest in a possible concession of the aerodrome located in the municipality of Flores, Petén.
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 company Toscana Azuero has announced that it will build a hotel and a housing complex in Playa El Toro, in the province of Los Santos.
Complaints by the hotel industry regarding the low occupancy rates of their rooms due to an apparent excess in the number of hotels, do not seem to have affected the boost in investment in the sector, particularly in areas outside of Panama City, where the largest number of rooms is reported.
A hotel in Estelí is part of the projects that will benefit from the tourism incentives approved by the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism so far this year.
From a statement issued by the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (INTUR):
TOURIST BOARD APPROVES OVER 10 MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT FOR TOURISM
INCENTIVES
Over 10 million dollars has been approved by the Board of Tourism Incentives in the third ordinary session held by the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (INTUR).
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."
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. "
The resort in the Caribbean of Honduras in which $98 million has been invested will open in early 2014.
The project is located in the Bay of Tela and has a golf course, a five-star hotel, spa and other areas . "The important thing is the impact it will have on the community, as more than 400 people will work on the project, most of the area, and I think the resort will bring great benefits to this region," said Camilo Atala, president of Indura .
The largest and wildest of the Panamanian provinces holds promise for the development of ecotourism and attracting investor interest.
Well known as a jungle barrier which makes the border between Panama and Colombia virtually impassable, Darien is a protected area and a national park that was globally recognized as a World Heritage site in 1981.
UNESCO declared the park a Biosphere Reserve for Humanity and in 1983, it was named in the reserve category of biodiversity due to its extraordinary biodiversity and genetic value and because it is home to indigenous tribes that still live there and practice their ancestral customs.
With an investment of about $20 million the Institute of Tourism has announced the construction of two marinas in the Caribbean and a hotel in Leon.
The investments are of Italian and Spanish origin, explained the head of the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (Intur), Mario Salinas.
With an initial investment of about $15 million, one of the marinas will be built in Bluefields Bay and the other on Corn Island, in the south Caribbean, said Juan Manuel Muñoz, manager in charge of the proposed marinas. Construction work is scheduled to start in late December.
Tourism has become one of the pillars of Panama's economy with potential for annual growth of between 12% and 15% per year, equivalent to income of $2-3 billion.
As of last year there were 19,688 vacation rooms in Panama, 1,713 more than in 2009 and it is estimated that the number will continue to rise. The increase in tourism infrastructure has been matched by increasing numbers of travelers.
These include the creation of new touristic routes, such as the one known as “Monseñor Romero” or “El Boquerón”.
José Napoleón Duarte, Tourism Minister, added they plan to strengthen the circuit known as “Sol y Playa” (Beach and Sun), at La Libertad Port and El Tunco Beach.
Duarte explained that these investments seek to increase the number of foreign tourists as well as domestic visitors.
Consulting company C4T presented the government a project to develop a touristic complex at the former Sherman air base.
Company spokesperson Jordi Marcé noted that the project requires an investment of $180 million, and would generate over 1.000 new jobs.
“We have considered all the possibilities and talents of the area”, explained Marcé, who remarked that the initiative is geared towards ecologic tourism and will imply new infrastructure connecting the area with the city of Colón.
Consulting company C4T Tourism Business & Planning will develop a master plan for touristic development in the former Sherman military base.
Liriola Pittí, from the Economy Ministry, informed that once the study is ready they will proceed to market and promote it.
“Dámaso García, major of the province of Colón, commented that this is the most important tourism initiative of the past 25 years in Panama”, reported Laestrella.com.pa.