New health and hygiene protocols in the establishments and the commitment to attract national tourists in an environment where short trips will be preferred, are some of the trends predicted in the new "normality" that will come after the quarantine period.
Given the quarantines decreed by most governments worldwide, it is anticipated that the habits of tourists will change dramatically in the short and medium term, as the crisis of covid-19 will leave consequences among consumers.
Some of the most notable effects caused by the spread of covid-19 is the cancellation of at least 8,000 hotel nights in Costa Rica, and the interruption by Iberia of its flights from Madrid to Guatemala and San Salvador.
Businessmen in the region agree that due to the virus that has been spreading from China, supply chains have been interrupted, which is combined with a drop in the transit of people, causing losses to the tourism sector.
Last year, 2.3 million tourists arrived in the country, spending $715 million, 3% more than in 2016.
The Central Bank of Honduras reported that "...In the fourth quarter of 2017, spending by non-resident travelers in the country totaled US $714.8 million (54.2% of total service exports), 3.1% more than last year."
Although major hotel brands claim not to be affected, the growing supply of houses and apartments for short stays, is forcing hotels to change their methods of attracting guests in order to survive.
Airbnb, VRBO and Homeaway are just some of the countless websites where owners rent their houses or apartments to tourists, who increasingly opt for this alternative to conventional hotels worldwide, and Central America is no exception.
The arrival of the charter flights with the airline Transat to the island will run until August 28, with a weekly frequency.
It is expected that the entry of Canadian tourists to Roatan in June-August 2014 season, will bring in revenue of over one million dollars, as average tourist spending in the summer is $600 per stay. The flight will operate the Toronto-Roatan-Toronto route once a week and can accommodate 189 passengers.
The Chinese are in third place in terms of expenditure on travel, just behind the United States and Germany. By 2015 they will be in second place.
According to the latest Global Trends Report, spending on accommodation by Chinese tourists in 2011 will amount to around $57 billion, ranking them third behind the Americans and Germans.
By 2015 the volume of expenditure is expected to increase by17%, to $67 billion.