Refinancing the debts of tourism companies, reviewing the exchange rate policy so that the country is not a very expensive destination and recovering the category of aviation security are some of the actions that the government should focus on to prevent the bankruptcy of this sector.
In addition to the millions of investments that have been made in this sector, it is very important for the country because according to official figures for 2019, its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product amounts to about 7%.
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.
Because the legislation currently does not allow the collaborative hosting economy platform to operate in the country's capital, the company expressed an interest in working with the authorities to remove the ban.
For now, the platform only offers the public accommodation in the interior of the country, the most popular destinations being Bocas del Toro, Río Hato, Boquete, Chiriquí and Playa Gorgona.
In the 2019 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala fell back in the ranking, while the Dominican Republic was the only country that improved.
According to the report prepared by the World Economic Forum, during 2019 Costa Rica ranked 41 out of 140 countries. It was followed by Panama at box 47, the Dominican Republic at 73, Nicaragua at 91, Honduras at 94, Guatemala at 99 and El Salvador at 108.
In Costa Rica, the bill to regulate the provision of tourist rental services in housing through digital platforms, which includes a 13% tax and would require suppliers to register, which would make this accommodation option more expensive.
The deputies approved in their first debate, file No. 20,865 Framework Law for the regulation of non-traditional hosting and its intermediation through digital platforms, reported the Assembly on August 28.
About 153,000 visitors annually come to the country to fish for recreational purposes, and the activity generates a chain of business of about $500 million annually.
According to a study conducted by the Costa Rican Fishing Federation (Fecop), most of the income reported in the country by sport and tourist fishing derives from the arrival of tourists interested in the activity, who generate annual revenues of $460 million.
From January to March of this year, hotels in Panama City reported a daily average occupancy of 5,014 rooms, 2% more than that recorded in the same period in 2018.
The latest report of the General Comptroller of the Republic, details that only in March the daily average of occupied rooms registered an 8% increase over the same month last year, growing from 4,644 to 5,017.
The Tourism Promotion Fund has the aim of increasing by 100 thousand the number of visitors that annually arrive in the country, a rise that would be determined by the development of advertising campaigns in five areas.
In 2018, the entry of tourists through the main ports of entry to the country was 2,480,190, according to official figures. Therefore, the arrival of 100,000 more tourists would be equivalent to a 5% annual increase.
In 2018, revenues generated by health tourism companies in the Dominican Republic totaled $265 million, 15% more than in 2017, partly because of the competitive prices offered by the country.
Figures from the "Study and Diagnosis of Health Tourism in the Dominican Republic", detail that between 2017 and 2018 the income from this type of tourism increased by nearly $35 million, going from $230 million to $265 million.
In order to maintain the growth rate achieved last year in the number of visitors, government and business sector face challenges in terms of security, tourism supply, quality standards, among others.
Data from the Ministry of Tourism detail that generally, 2018 was a good year for tourism activity in the country. The figures show that the number of foreign tourists who came to the country totaled 2.5 million, 12.9% more than in 2017.
The construction of the road to Monteverde in Costa Rica, which has been postponed for years and that in the coming weeks would publish the tender documents, promises to further enhance tourism in the sector.
This is not the first attempt by a government to develop this important road project. In July 2014 the Ministry of Public Works announced that it would publish in 2015 a "direct competitive tender" to asphalt 18 kilometers of road in the province of Puntarenas.
In the first quarter of 2019, hotel occupancy in Panama was 55%, 13% below the rate reported in March last year, and the decline is due to the lack of international promotion.
Statistics from the Panamanian Association of Hotels (Apatel) specify that in the country the hotel offer amounts to 32 thousand rooms, of which only 42% were occupied in the first quarter of 2019.
It is estimated that more than a thousand events of all kinds are held annually in El Salvador, generating an economic output of around $100 million.
In 2018, five fairs and more than 1,063 private events of all kinds were held just at the Centro de Ferias y Convenciones (Cifco), for which the center budgeted around $11 million for activities.
Marta Cecibel Lau, the president of Cifco, told Elsalvador.com that "...
After nearly 100,000 Mexican tourists visited Costa Rica in 2018, this year the authorities plan to intensify the country's promotion in Mexico's main cities.
According to the latest estimates, this year about 508,000 Mexicans would be considering vacationing in Costa Rica.
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.