p10-11 News Oct23 21/10/09 18:34 Page 11
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There were contrasting predictions at last week’s Centro
America Travel Market. Philippa Jacks reports from El Salvador
Honduras hit by unrest
HONDURAS could take 10 years to “The Economic Commission
recover from the impact of its for Latin America estimates we
current political crisis which has seen will take around 10 years to
tourist numbers plummet by 70%. recover from the damage,”
The country’s president, Manuel Zelaya, was Martinez told delegates.
forced into exile by the military in June but Many Hondurans feel media coverage of
MEXICO SEASON: Tourism officials were returned secretly in late September. He has been the situation has been misleading. Martinez
promoting Mexican cuisine at London’s holed up at the Brazilian embassy in the capital emphasised that key tourist destinations, at
Borough Market and at Fortnum & Mason. city of Tegucigalpa since then. Copan and along the country’s Caribbean coast,
Pictured: Mexico’s UK ambassador, Juan The UK Foreign Office has advised against all have not been affected.
Jose Bremer (left) with top chef Monica but essential travel to the country. In the US, Flavia Cueva, owner of Hacienda San Lucas in
Patino (third left) and Mexico Tourism Honduras’s biggest market, similar guidance has the Copan Valley, said she needed tourists to
Board UK director Manuel Diaz Cebrian been issued. return soon. “We were running at 88%
Ricardo Martinez, minister of tourism under occupancy before this. Now we’re down to 12%
Zelaya, said tourist arrivals had fallen by 70%. and I’ve had to let many of my staff go,” she said.
Etihad to restart
Tourism is the country’s biggest earner, Journey Latin America product manager Rafe
employing 155,000 people and an important Stone said the capital can easily be avoided.
Colombo flights
sector for 7,000 small businesses. “We don’t have anyone in Honduras at the
Much-needed investment in infrastructure, moment,” he said. “But if clients wanted to go to
ETIHAD Airways is to resume flights to Colombo such as a new airport at Copan and a new the ruins at Copan, for example, they can enter
in Sri Lanka from January 2010. highway link to El Salvador, has been withdrawn. the country via Guatemala instead.”
The airline will operate four flights per week
from Abu Dhabi to Sri Lanka’s commercial
capital, using an Airbus A320 aircraft.
The resumption of flights follows the recent
end to the conflict in Sri Lanka and is seen as a
major boost for tourism and the wider economy.
Visitors are up 30% on last year for July and
August, and the Sri Lankan government is now
targeting 2.5 million visitors a year by 2016.
Etihad chief executive James Hogan said: “Sri
Lanka is an established market with a strong
local traffic base. Colombo will be our first new
route launch of 2010, and bring to 58 the number Honduras’s Caribbean coast is said to be unaffected by the political situation in the capital
of destinations available across our network.”
FORECASTS.
La Residence to
year,” Flores said. “The Central American brand
Central America
is now well positioned, and the public and private
sectors have worked together to create excellent
give Hue a boost
predicts recovery
new products.”
Arrivals from the US, the region’s biggest
HUE, the former imperial capital of Vietnam, is market, have dropped most sharply but arrivals
expected to benefit from a major new marketing CENTRAL America is well positioned for recovery from Europe are growing.
initiative, launched by one of the city’s foremost in 2010, despite a fall in tourist arrivals this year. Close to 50% of the buyers at this year’s
properties, La Residence Hotel & Spa. Figures for the first half of 2009 (5.34 million Centro America Travel Market were from Europe,
The Heart of Vietnam campaign, which is due visitors) were 6.9% down on the same period last compared with only 38% from the US.
to launch on January 1, is designed to enhance year, and the region expects to finish the year
worldwide appeal for Hue, designated a Unesco with the same percentage drop.
World Heritage Site in 1992. However, Allan Flores, acting president of the Central American airline group TACA has said
The hotel is planning to co-ordinate communi- Central American Tourism Agency, said success its tie-up with Colombian carrier Avianca could
cation to more than 2,000 media outlets world- in region-wide marketing and branding looked open up a direct route from the UK. Avianca
wide and will support the production of a major set to pay off in 2010. has landing rights at Heathrow.
travel documentary on Hue. “I predict a slow and secure recovery next
23.10.2009 11
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