The Cabinet Council approved several impact measures for the reactivation of the tourism sector and the economy, including the Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism 2020-2025.
The Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism (PMTS) 2020-2025 will focus on strengthening the institutional capacity of the ATP, investing in the country's tourism promotion, improving the tourism products offered by Panama and in infrastructure, maintenance and basic services.
In Panama, a bill was approved that will grant tax exemptions until 2025 to those who make investments in hotels and recreational activities.
On December 31st, President Cortizo sanctioned the bill that provides tax incentives to the tourism sector by modifying some of Law 80 of November 8th, 2012.
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.
The Canyon Group plans to invest more than $200 million in the construction of its first resort in Central America, which will be on the Papagayo Peninsula in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
Without specifying the start date of construction of the new resort, which will be part of the brand of hotels "Six Senses", the developers of the project reported that the hotel is expected to be ready in mid 2021.
Because of the delay of the Costa Rican authorities to solve the problem of water supply in the Gulf of Papagayo, developers request that the terms of the concessions granted to them to develop tourism projects in the area be extended.
The Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT) has already received requests for concessions to be extended, because some of the projects that have not been completed have already consumed half of the time they were granted.
On a 21-hectare site in Sardinal, Guanacaste, a tourist complex consisting of a hotel and private residences is planned.
ML CR Continental LLC presented the Environmental Impact Study (EIA) to develop the project called "Hotel and Villas Cala del Sol", which will be made up of three hotel villas and seven private residence villas.
The document explains that the hotel villas will be one floor and will house between four and five rooms. They will have an arrival square, social area, kitchen, bathroom, covered terrace, swimming pool and electromechanical room. Residential villas will be on two levels and will have a garage and larger social areas.
Of the $91 million invested in tourism projects in El Salvador during 2018, 87% went to finance private works and 13% to public infrastructure.
The Ministry of Tourism (MITUR) reported that among the projects with private investment are works located in the Ruta de las Flores with an approximate investment of $6.27 million, in El Tunco beach with $3.8 million, in Boquerón $1.36 million and in the Ruta Fresca $1.8 million.
With the purpose of diversifying its income and attracting more visitors, the authorities of the Panama Canal plan to develop new tourist attractions during the next five years.
Representatives of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) informed that after the Canadian firm Forrs conducted a study to identify the attractions that could be developed, it was concluded that some of the investments that will be granted in concession for its exploitation are the expansion of the visitors center and the construction of a new one, a 2,500 m2 park for children's activities and the operation of a cable car.
The Salvadoran government approved the construction of Plaza Marinera, which will have a 10,000 m2 area and will be in La Libertad Port.
The El Salvador Ministry of Tourism (Mitur) reported that Plaza Marinera will be built within a year and the work will require an investment of approximately $5.6 million. According to the authorities, the resort is expected to receive more than one million national and international tourists per year.
Construction has started in Tola of a mixed tourist complex estimated at $20 million which includes 12 houses, a four-story tower with 18 apartments and a commercial area.
Travis and Lucas Boychuk, promoters of the tourism project that will be located in Gavilán beach, reported that for the tourism development called "Surf Ranch Hotel & Resort-Emerald Coast Popoyo", they will be building condominiums, apartments, restaurants, an events center, commercial premises, swimming pools, a spa, casino, gym and other amenities.
Businessmen from the Panamanian tourist sector welcome the arrival of Air China flights in March 2018, but consider it will be a challenge to attract a type of tourist that seems to prefer very different destinations than those offered by Central America.
In a region which for many years has specialized in serving North American tourists and more recently Europeans, preparing to provide the attention demanded by tourists from China will be a challenge, according to the Panamanian tourism entrepreneurs themselves.
In Panama companies dedicated to the activity are complaining about the absence of a state policy or strategy to help promote the country as a destination for medical tourism at the international level.
Although Panama has all the necessary characteristics to make it a relevant market for medical tourism, a specific policy to promote the activity led by the Tourism Authority could encourage much more development of the activity in the country."...'The only disadvantage Panama has as a destination for medical tourism is that this sector has not been recognized by the state as a tourist product or a real feature of its organizational infrastructure,' said Luis Santamaría, general director of Panasalud S.A., to Prensa.com."
In the past 12 months, 78 environmental impact studies were submitted to develop hotels, marinas, clubs and beach residences in Central American countries.
Data from the interactive platform "Construction in Central America", compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData:
A delegation of tourism entrepreneurs led by the owner of Air Europa are in Managua to explore business opportunities with the government and local companies.
The entrepreneurs who make up the group represent companies linked to the tourism sector, such as the airline Air Europa, tour operators and others. Representatives from the government explained to Elnuevodiario.com.ni that the businessmen "... are going to meet with the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism, aeronautical authorities and ProNicaragua."
In Nicaragua, a law is being prepared to facilitate concessions for the development of marinas, piers and yacht clubs, with the aim of encouraging tourist activities such as sport fishing.
The bill is an initiative by private sector entrepreneurs, who want to attract foreign investment to develop tourist activities that are centered around marinas, such as sport fishing.