El Salvador Impressive!

Looks like a great place to visit.

Tourism Worries in Guatemala

Ball courts at Tikal

Guatemala is one of the best tourist destinations in the Americas. There are beautiful beaches, ancient Mayan ruins at Tikal, and picturesque towns such as Antigua and Panajachel. That's in addition to the stunning beauty of the country's highlands. US and European backpackers, Spanish-language learners, missionaries, and tourists from other Central American countries are everywhere.

Tourism is the country's second largest source of international currency. It's no surprise then that Guatemalans are worried about how this weekend's massacre will impact the tourist industry and the general economic conditions in a country where approximately 3/4 of the population lives in poverty and over one-half live in extreme poverty.

Last year, several natural disasters (volcanoes and tropical storms) were thought to affect tourism in the country. Tourists were also scared away because of the high rate of murder and overall level of crime. However, even with the crime and natural disasters, tourist visitors Guatemala in 2010 showed a 5.57% increase over the previous year.

On Tuesday, Mariano Beltranena, the president of the Guatemalan Chamber of Commerce voiced his concerns about how the massacre at Los Cocos ranch in the Peten will impact tourism to the country. And on Tuesday afternoon, the National Tourist Assistance Program issued a warning to foreign diplomats, Guatemalan nationals and foreign tourists to avoid travelling to the Peten while the state of siege remains in effect for the next month.

However, Deputy Director Guillermo Novielli of the Guatemala Tourist Institute said that the violence is nowhere near the Tikal and Flores and that tourists should continue with their plans until things change. Hotels, restaurants, and tourist agencies in Flores are the businesses most likely to suffer from the Peten massacre. Peten is the jumping off city for Tikal. Everyone hopes that this weekend's event is a one-shot occurrence. However, they are also aware that Acapulco suffered a 25% drop in visitors once open warfare broke out between rival cartels in that Mexican city.


And it's not just the violence that leads Guatemalans to fear about the future of the tourism industry. Danilo Valladares has an article about the threat posed by iron and gas operations to the country's beaches at IPS. Environmentalists, academics, and local communities are all worried about the damage to the country's ecosystem and are calling on the government to take a stronger stance against unsafe drilling and exploration in the country.   

Visitors to Central America up by 10% in 2010

According to numbers reported by the tourism ministries in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, the number of tourists to the region increased by 10.8% in 2010 compared to 2009 numbers. (I have no idea why the article rounded down to 10% rather than up to 11%).

Belize - 1,035,577 visitors arrived in 2010, 10% more than the previous year.

Costa Rica - reported a total of 2,485,191 visitors, an increase of 8.6% on the previous year. 

El Salvador - received 1,604,358 visitors, 8.34% more than in 2009.

Panama - received 1,685,295 visitors, 7.83% more than the previous year.

Nicaragua  - 1,071,660 visitors, an increase of 6%. 

Guatemala - 1,875,776 visitors in 2010, up by 5.57%. 

Honduras - an increase in visitors of 2.92%.

The report doesn't give total numbers for Honduras, but it's probably an indication that the 2009 coup impacted Honduras as a tourist destination.

Top 5 places to visit in Guatemala

Dani and Jessica come up with the Top 5 places to visit in Guatemala at Hostelbookers.com.

1. Antigua
2. Lake Atitlan
3. Tikal
4. Flores
5. Chichicastenango

Nothing surprising on the list except separating Tikal and Flores since I imagine most people combine these two on a trip to the Peten.

Update: I meant to link to Danilo Valladares' article on Alternative Tourism Seeks to Overcome Obstacles that appeared on IPS last week as well. The article discusses efforts to develop rural tourism in Central America as well as some problems that have prevented the region from becoming a prime tourist destination.

According to a study by the World Economic Forum, Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica are at the top of the region's rankings while El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua are near the bottom.

The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2011, released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) this month, says there are two distinct realities in Central America in terms of tourism development. While El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua are in the last places in the ranking in Latin America, Costa Rica and Panama are at the head of the region.

Guatemala is ranked 86th, out of the 139 countries included in the report, followed by Honduras (88), El Salvador (96) and Nicaragua (100).

Of this group, Nicaragua moved up eight spots and El Salvador two, from the last ranking by the Switzerland-based WEF. But Honduras fell nine places, and Guatemala dropped back 13.

Costa Rica, on the other hand, is ranked second in Latin America and 44th overall, while Panama is fourth in the region and in 56th place overall.

The top-ranking Latin American country is Mexico, which is 43rd overall, and Brazil is third in the region and 52nd overall.

It's really a shame as the region has so much to offer.

Travel to El Salvador

I generally like to encourage students and others to travel to El Salvador, Guatemala, and other locations throughout the Americas to learn about the region's people and history or simply for a great vacation. 

El Salvador is s a wonderful country with a lot to offer and that's why I like to post stories once and awhile about its tourism. So here's another story entitled Welcome to El Salvador (Central America) : the Country of Your Life! 

This country has got the lot : from exotic restaurants, luxury hotels, notable museums, and churches to statues and clubs.

El Salvador is one of Latin America's most stable and peaceful nations. This Central American nation is a democratic country since 1984. Because of this, ES is destination of choice for tourists and business travellers alike.

It's not how I would characterize the country, but that's neither here nor there.

Top Destinations - Guatemala and Peru

CNN recently named two countries in Latin America among its nine Top Destinations for 2011.  The Peruvian Amazon came in at number 3.

When many people think of the Amazon, they think of Brazil, but Peru offers a great base for exploring the region: Iquitos, a metropolis of almost half a million people in the heart of the Peruvian jungle.

Iquitos is a fitting destination for 2011, which has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Forests.

"You can create your own adventures when you're there," Reid said.

It's the biggest city you can't drive to in the world, he added. You have to fly in or take a boat.

To experience the region in a unique way, Rapp recommended taking an Amazon River cruise from Iquitos on Delfin or Aqua Expeditions.

Here's an Iquitos video from YouTube.

Guatemala checked in at number 8.

More than 10 years after the end of its civil war, Guatemala is coming into its own as a tourist destination, Frommer said.

The country is an appealing alternative for people looking to travel south of the border and trying to branch out beyond popular places like Costa Rica, she added. Once there, you'll be amazed by the sites -- and the low prices.

"Lake Atitlan is one of the most beautiful places in the world. In fact, Aldous Huxley said it was more beautiful than Lake Como. I was there in March, and I would agree," Frommer said.

She called the destination "a bargain wonderland." A round-trip flight from New York cost Frommer $350, "decent hotels" charged as little as $35 a night, and a meal at a sit-down restaurant might set you back just $3, she said.

And here's a YouTube tourism video for Guatemala.

Zona Viva in Guatemala City

Unsurprisingly, both Guatemalan nationals and foreigners have avoided Zona Viva since last week's shooting at the Taco Inn that left three people dead.

Initial reports indicate that dining was down 40% since last week's shooting.  However, it's still unclear how many people are avoiding Zona Viva because of the killings or because of how uncomfortable they feel surrounded by such high levels of "security."

The National Civilian Police, the Municipal Traffic Police, the Army, and private security have all increased their presence in the area with around the clock patrols.  Two hundred agents patrolled the streets last week and their numbers increased to 400 over the weekend.