In a context of a drop in the number of tourists arriving in the Dominican Republic, the authorities announced that they are implementing a new campaign to reposition the destination, which will be focused on the U.S. market.
A new 106-room hotel complex was inaugurated in the department of Retalhuleu, with the capacity to accommodate 440 guests.
The new resort, called "Hostal Aldea de la Selva" was built by the Institute for Recreation of Workers of Private Enterprise of Guatemala (IRTRA) on a 50,000 square meter property.
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.
The W Costa Rica hotel, which will offer a total of 151 rooms and is located in Guanacaste, reported that it plans to start operations in November of this year.
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.
Throughout the rest of the year Guatemala will take part in 39 tourist fairs in Europe, South America and the United States.
The aim of the Guatemalan Tourism Institute (Inguat) is to strengthen marketing and promotion of the country as a tourist destination in the markets that traditionally have been the main emitters of tourists to Guatemala.
A group of German wholesale travel agents will be meeting with local tour operators to explore business opportunities.
From a statement issued by the Panamanian Tourism Authority:
A total of 11 German tour operators from the Lufthansa City Center chain will be staying for a week in Panama in order to familiarize themselves with the tourist market and set up tour packages including destinations in our country.
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.
From May 26 to 27, 170 wholesalers from Europe, and North and South America will be meeting with Central American tourism companies to explore business opportunities.
From a statement issued by the Tourism Authority:
The Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP), the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP) and the Chamber of Tourism of Panama (CAMTUR) announced this Thursday that as part of the celebration of Expocomer, the Eighth Edition of International Tourism Expo-2017 will be held from May 26 to 27.
The maximum amount that the Tourism Authority will provide will be $20 million a year, and it may also receive private contributions and contributions from international organizations.
In contrast to what was initially proposed, the Tourism Authority of Panama will not allocate more than $20 million for the tourism promotion fund. These resources will come from the revenue generated by tax collections at Tocumen airport.
Insecurity and high political uncertainty are preventing growth of private investment in the country, increasing the gap with the rest of Central America.
From the study by Fusades:
One sentence summarizes why at FUSADES we have always been interested in the theme; "Without investment, there are no new jobs, and welfare is reduced."In El Salvador, worryingly, the average annual investment rate of 14.1% as a percentage of GDP has been decreasing from 2010 to 2015; in that period, Central America recorded 24.2% of GDP, 10 GDPpoints more than in our country.In the region, we share similar problems and opportunities, but every country has performed better than us, and we occupy the dishonorable last position.In this regard, dollarized Panama has become the example to follow because of its agenda of international integration and the reforms it implemented, raising investment to 44.3% of GDP and it is one of the fastest growing economies in the world; Nicaragua is ranked second and having recorded an average investment of 29%, despite problems in its institutions; while Guatemala, with 14.1% has similar rate to El Salvador, with which we share some problems such as high corruption, insecurity and drug trafficking.
Hard Rock International announced the new 294 room all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel Papagayo, which is set to open by early 2019.
From a statement issued by Hard Rock International:
ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hard Rock International makes waves today as it announces plans to bring the Hard Rock Hotels experience to Costa Rica with the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel Papagayo, Costa Rica. Hard Rock, in collaboration with Sunwing Travel Group, is set to open Costa Rica's first Hard Rock Hotel by early 2019. The brand's strategic partnership with Sunwing Travel Group, the largest tour operator in North America, provides the perfect opportunity for future growth within the region. With Hard Rock and Sunwing Travel Group's shared vision of providing authentic experiences in word-class destinations, this new partnership paves the way for potential collaborations in both the Caribbean and Latin America.
With the arrival of new airlines a further increase is expected in the flow of tourists from Europe, after having grown by 41% between 2010 and 2015.
European tourists stay on average 17 days in the country and spend an average of $1660 during their stay, higher than the figures for the overall average, which are 13 days and $1351.
A third and final call has started for companies and investors interested in participating in the development of projects in the program 'Apuesta por InversionES'.
Applications are open for national and international companies with the financial capacity to invest anywhere in the country.
Elsalvador.com reports that "...Interested investors should do so in a new project or expansion of an existing one in the category of tradables, which includes goods or services that can be traded internationally, said a statement issued by Fomilenio II.These are projects that can be set up in any part of the country, with a minimum investment of $100,000 by the applicant. "
The union of private companies is preparing a plan for promoting tourism development in San Juan del Sur and Tola, where more than $130 million has already been invested.
The area of San Juan del Sur and Tola, Rivas, has all the characteristics needed to become a tourist destination, but basic infrastructure in the area needs to be improved along with conditions to attract more foreign investment.