Because of the crisis affecting the country since April last year, it is estimated that during 2018 the losses of the Nicaraguan tourism sector totaled $440 million, and more than 62 thousand jobs disappeared.
The arrival of tourists to the country is another figure reporting a considerable decline last year, since between 2017 and 2018 the number of visitors who came to Nicaragua fell 55%, going from 1.7 million to 800 thousand.
Last year, tourist arrivals in the Dominican Republic totaled 6.6 million, making it the highest reported figure, surpassing the 6.2 million recorded in 2017.
The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic reported that "... The cumulative arrival of non-resident passengers at the close of 2018, which includes foreign visitors and non-resident Dominicans, reached the historic figure of 6,568,888 people, reaching 381,346 additional travelers compared to 2017, for a 6.2% year-on-year growth. Of this increase, 69.4% corresponds to foreign tourists (264,544 additional passengers) and the remaining 30.6% to Dominicans living abroad (116,802 additional passengers). These results show that the country remains one of the most attractive vacation destinations in the entire island Caribbean.
Last year in Panama was recorded the entry of 5.6 million visitors, 2% below the 5.8 million reported in 2017.
According to the National Immigration Service, between 2017 and 2018 there were 141,332 fewer travelers, as the number of visitors fell from 5,759,280 to 5,617,948. The figures of the institution detail that in 2018 May was the month that reported the lowest number of visitors with 410,954.
After reporting a 16% year-on-year increase in revenues generated by this sector in El Salvador in 2018, a 13% growth is expected for this year.
According to authorities of the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR) for this year is expected that more than 2.6 million tourists visit El Salvador, representing a 6.2% increase over what was reported in 2018.
Regarding the income generated by the sector, MITUR forecasts that in 2019 the income from tourist activities of foreigners in the country will reach $1,660 million, 12.7% more than the $1,473 million registered last year.
During the last year, the country's income from foreign tourism reached $1.473 million, 16% more than in 2017.
Regarding the number of tourists who arrived in El Salvador, representatives of the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR), reported that between 2017 and 2018 the figure increased 13%, rising from 2.2 million to 2.5 million.
José Napoleón Duarte Durán, head of MITUR, told Laprensagrafica.com that "...
It is estimated that the year will close with a 12% increase in the foreign exchange generated by the sector, and the number of tourists who arrived in the country will increase by 13%.
According to the Ministry of Tourism (Mitur), the foreign exchange generated in 2018 will reach $1.417 million, 12.7% more than what was reported in 2017. In the case of the number of visitors, at the end of the year it is estimated that the figure will reach 2,532,033, almost 13% more than the previous period.
At the end of 2017 and beginning of 2018, touristic companies in Nicaragua were reporting a good performance, but the political situation in the country has generated a crisis that is still unsolved.
In 2017, tourism generated $840 million in revenue for the Nicaraguan economy, 31% more than in 2016, growth that improved the companies' expectations at the beginning of the year, since in the first quarter of 2018 the forecasts were that by the end of this year revenues could reach $900 million.
At the end of 2018, it is projected that the tourist arrivals to the country will register an increase of 13% with respect to 2017, and the currencies generated by the sector could exceed $1.6 billion.
Authorities of the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism (INGUAT) reported that if the arrival of tourists increased 13% during 2018, it would be the second consecutive year that the country reports double-digit increases, since between 2016 and 2017 there was a year on year variation of 11% in the number of visitors.
From January to October of this year, 5.4 million tourists arrived in the country, 6% more than the figure reported for the same period in 2017.
The cumulative arrival of non-resident visitors by air in the January-October 2018 totaled 5,424,399 travelers, an increase of 317,247 additional tourists over the same period last year, equivalent to a 6.2% growth.
In the first eight months of the year, Panama received 1.65 million tourists, 2% less than those reported in the same period in 2017.
According to the country's official figures, between the first eight months of 2017 and the period from January to August of this year, tourist arrivals fell from 1.69 million to 1.65 million. This negative behavior strengthens the trend that has shown throughout the year.
Up to July, a 13% increase was reported in the number of tourists who arrived in Guatemala, but upon incorporating the August figures, the accumulated variation in the year was -0.4% with respect to the same period in 2017.
The Guatemalan Institute of Tourism reported that during August a total of 220,844 visitors entered the country, of which 76% were tourists and 24% were hikers.
The sector's guild reported that 24 charter flights scheduled to arrive in the country from Canada were cancelled between December and February 2019.
The representatives of the National Chamber of Tourism of Nicaragua (Canatur) confirmed that with the cancellation of flights, will stop arriving between 2,000 and 3,000 tourists.
In this regard, the president of Canatur, Lucy Valenti, explained to Laprensa.com.ni that "...
From January to September of this year, the Dominican Republic registered the arrival of 5 million tourists, 6% more than the figure reported in the same period in 2017.
The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic reported that the influx of non-resident visitors in the period January-September 2018 registered the historic figure of 5,009,417 passengers, being the first time that this number of non-resident travelers is reached during the first nine months of the year, arriving 297,931 additional travelers compared to the same period of 2017, representing an accumulated year-on-year growth of 6.3%.
In accordance with what was reported during 2018, in the first seven months of the year Panama received 1.48 million tourists, 2% of those reported in the same period of 2017.
According to the latest figures from the General Comptroller, between January and July 2017 and the same period of this year, the number of visitors with tourist purposes who arrived in the country fell from one million 504 thousand to one million 475 thousand.
Germany recommends German tourists to be cautious when travelling to the Central American country, mainly because of the general strike that has caused road blocks.
The German Information Center for Latin America informed its travelers that because a nationwide general strike continues in Costa Rica, there are restrictions on the public sector and road blocks in and around the capital, San Jose.