Since the borders were reopened and the country began to receive visitors, tourists have purchased more international policies, a situation that could be explained by the lower prices compared to insurance offered locally.
Data from the Costa Rican Ministry of Health show that between August 1, 2020 and February 11, 2021, 209,779 health insurance policies have been filed. Of the total number of policies, 54% are international, 34% from Sagicor and 12% from the National Insurance Institute (INS).
In the last months of 2020 and in January 2021, interest in travel agency services and other tourism-related services began to increase, a rise that was most evident in Costa Rica and Guatemala.
Through a system that monitors in real time changes in the interests and preferences of consumers in Central American countries, developed by CentralAmericaData, it is possible to project demand trends in the short and long term, for the different products, sectors and markets operating in the region.
Because travelers must expect delays before returning to the U.S. and the Nicaraguan government arbitrarily enforces laws, the U.S. government is urging its citizens to reconsider traveling to the Central American country.
The Nicaraguan government arbitrarily enforces laws for political purposes.
The amount of visitors arrivals to Central America and the Dominican Republic shows a downward trend since 2016, which was consolidated in 2019 and worsened in 2020, a phenomenon that is explained by the events recorded in the extra-regional market.
Between 2015 and 2019, the countries of the SICA region, the average growth rate of visitor arrivals was 4.9%, where only in 2019 there was a negative rate of -0.2%, highlights a document of the Secretariat for Central American Tourism Integration (SITCA) published in January 2021.
Given that the table area of restaurants and tourist sites are closed to the public in Panama due to the outbreak of covid-19, the business sector is asking the authorities to reconsider their reopening.
After several months without arriving in the country due to the covid-19 outbreak, Copa Airlines will resume flights to Managua starting January 20 and will do so on a weekly basis.
The plans of the Panamanian airline is to operate during January a weekly frequency on Wednesdays, informed Carlos Schütze, vice president of the National Chamber of Tourism of Nicaragua (Canatur).
Due to the outbreak of covid-19 worldwide and restrictions on passenger transportation, only 1.01 million visitors arrived in the country during 2020, 68% less than what was reported in 2019, when 3.14 million tourists arrived.
Although the fall in tourist arrivals was generally resounding, during the last months of 2020 a more favorable behavior was reported.
In Panama, there are plans to develop in Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Archipelago de las Perlas and Punta Chame, five lodging projects that seek to benefit from the Law on Incentives for Tourist Investments.
Law 122 of December 31, 2019, which dictates incentive rules for the promotion of tourist activities in the interior of the Republic, attracted projects for the country, for a total value of $371,843,971 in new tourist investments, to be built in areas with great tourist potential, informed the Presidency of Panama.
Because only two airlines currently operate in Nicaragua and there is no certainty when other companies will reactivate their flights, entrepreneurs in the tourism sector remain uncertain.
Due to the covid-19 outbreak, the country was left without an air connection, as the airlines decided to suspend their operations due to the low number of travelers who were willing to travel in this context of the pandemic.
In the context of the health crisis generated by the outbreak of covid-19, businessmen of the sector foresee that at the end of 2020 the tourism industry will add revenues of about $176 million, an amount that would be 66% less than that reported in 2019.
The estimates of the National Chamber of Tourism of Nicaragua (Canatur), are more pessimistic than the projections of the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (Intur), since according to the business association the income will amount to $176 million and according to the government institution it will add $216 million at the end of the year.
Due to the alert that health authorities have issued for the appearance of a new SARS-CoV-2 strain and in line with the decision made by El Salvador, the governments of Panama and Guatemala will also ban the entry of people from the United Kingdom and South Africa.
Due to the new variant of Covid-19, the National Operation Center decided to temporarily suspend as of 11:59 p.m. on December 21 the entry into the country of those who have stayed or transited through the United Kingdom and the Republic of South Africa in the last 20 days, informed the Presidency of Panama.
The international chain began to operate in the Santa Ana district of the country's capital a hotel that has 143 rooms and halls for social events.
The new Hilton Garden Inn Santa Ana, will focus on attracting clients from the international and local corporate sector, since the meeting rooms are equipped with the most advanced technology to hold meetings, trainings, seminars, among other activities.
According to estimates, hotel occupancy for the December 27, 2020 to January 1, 2021 period will be 100% in the Pacific beaches and in the destinations located in Lake Atitlan. This dynamism is explained by the trips made by local tourists.
For the last days of the year, the sector's union predicts that hotel occupancy will rise to 70% in Antigua Guatemala, 50% in Peten and barely 20% in Izabal and the Verapaces. This low proportion can be explained by the damage caused by tropical storms Iota and Eta.
Due to Costa Rica's estimated average hotel occupancy rate of 52% by 2020, well below the 95% recorded at the end of 2019, businessmen in the sector expect that in this context of crisis there will be no peak seasons next year.
The tourism sector is one of the hardest hit by the economic crisis generated by the outbreak of covid-19, because mobility restrictions, the closure of air terminals and the fear of tourists to be infected, have influenced the drastic fall in tourism activity.
After it was announced that incentives would be given to cruise lines that establish their base port in one of the country's maritime terminals, Lindblad Expeditions expressed its intention to operate cruises from the ports of Cristobal and Amador.
According to the letter of intent that was sent, it is 6 operations in the year 2021 and 14 operations for 2022 of Lindblad Expeditions that operates its adventure cruises with National Geographic and Ancon Expeditions in Panama.
Recognized Brazilian company of backhoe loaders, telescopic, articulated and other types of cranes looking for companies interested in representing the brand and distributing their machinery in Central America and Mexico. The company manufactures and sells telescopic,...
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