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how to sell Central America by Adam Coulter C
entral America is made up of seven countries that connect North America to South America in an arc about 1,500kms long. The Pacifi c lies to the west and the Caribbean to the east, and at its narrowest point – the Panama Canal – it's just 50km wide. Belize and Guatemala border Mexico; Honduras and El Salvador come next; then Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, which borders Colombia.
Why sell it
Panama: The Panama Canal expansion programme, which will see it double its capacity, is expected to be completed by late 2015. Panama also has a brand-new attraction: the new Biodiversity Museum (
biomuseopanama.org) designed by Frank Gehry, which is located on the Amador Causeway, former site of a US Army base on the Pacifi c. Nicaragua: Work is due to start imminently on a second canal, running through Lake Nicaragua, so now is the time to sell the country before it gets 'discovered'.
Who to sell to
The key sectors are nature, wildlife and ecotourism, but in 2015 Central America is aiming to expand its offering to include: Active tourism: Central America is a great destination for outdoor and adventure sports. Explore has introduced two new tours for next year: Costa Rica on Two Wheels, and the Maya Trek to Tikal (it’s the fi rst tour operator in the UK to offer this new four -day trek through the rainforest, launched by the Guatemala Tourist Board earlier this year); Cultural Tourism: Central America now
Carnival time in Nicaragua
Central America Essentials TIME:
-6 hours GMT; -7 GMT in summertime
VISAS:
Full passport with at least six months validity; visa available on the inbound flight.
LANGUAGE: Spanish and English is widely spoken
has 17 World Heritage Sites declared by UNESCO. The newest addition, is the Diquis
Heading for Costa Rica's surf
stone spheres crafted by the pre Columbian Diquis peoples in the Osa Peninsula, in the southern region of Costa Rica. Cruise passengers: The region's popularity among cruisers is on the rise. In the fi rst half of last year, Nicaragua alone saw a 97.3% increase. An even bigger number of cruise passengers is expected in 2015 following the opening of the new Banana Coast port in Trujillo, Honduras.
What to sell
Central America packs in an awful lot into a very small area, and is perfect for a twin- or even a three-centre stay. The region is perhaps best known for adventure tourism, particularly Costa Rica where you can hike in pristine
CURRENCY: Seven different currencies (US dollars are widely accepted):
£1 = Belize: 3 Belizian Dollars (BZD); Guatemala: 11 Quetzal (GTQ); Nicaragua: 41 Cordoba; Honduras: 33 Lempira; El Salvador: 13 Colon; Costa Rica: 843 Colon; Panama: 1.56 Balboa
CAPITAL CITIES: Belize City, Guatemala City, Managua (Nicaragua); San Salvador (El Salvador); Tegucigalpa (Honduras); San Jose (Costa Rica); Panama City.
BOOK IT: Travel 2 offers the nine-day Spirit of Costa Rica option from £1,499pp. It includes return flights from London to San José, self drive and B&B throughout.
Departure dates are January 31 to May 15.
travel2.com
OTHER OPERATORS:
Journeylatinamerica.com;
explore.co.uk;
sunvil.co.uk
GETTING THERE:
airfrance.com;
iberia.com;
klm.com;
lufthansa.com;
thomson.co.uk
SEE:
visitcentroamerica.com
sellingtravel.co.uk
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