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First with the Latest Business Travel News
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A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO CENTRAL AMERICA In the first of 3 special reports, BBT Online's 'Latin' correspondent, Bruce Taylor, looks at Central America and how Iberia has brought this fascinating new world closer to Europe.
ONE REGION, SEVEN DESTINATIONS Central America for the uninitiated - as I was – is one region comprising 7 very different countries. These are in order of size: Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, Belize and smallest of all, El Salvador. The marketing slogan 'so small…so great' is slightly misleading. In Latin American terms they may indeed be small. But if you look closely, the region as a whole is only slightly smaller than France, but bigger than Spain and with a lot more variety. Guatemala, for example, is over 3 times larger than Belgium. Because of their geographic proximity to the USA and constant interference in the past, 4 of the countries have had a bad press which has somewhat damaged their image. But this has all changed – peace & common sense are at last prevailing, and tourism is now one of the principal motors behind their economies and there's a new spirit of co-operation in the region.
CATA CREATED FOR JOINT MARKETING This is certainly the right approach for selling Central America in Europe and it's already starting to bring results: "It's a new era – we have 7 Ministers of Tourism working around the table with 7 Tourism Commissions (representing 50% public/50% private sector)", says Angela San Miguel When final figures are available for 2004, Europe is expected to show a spectacular increase in visitors of 14%, following last year's 11.8%.
European visitors stay on average 14 nights and discover 2-3 countries during their trip. They are much more rewarding financially, and are worth 1.8 times their shorter staying American counterparts!
WHY CENTRAL AMERICA?
Central America is many different destinations in one or 'un multidestino' as they say locally. For more info: http://www.visitcentroamerica.com
IBERIA BRINGS CENTRAL AMERICA CLOSER TO EUROPE This new direct daily service from Madrid by 250-seater Airbus A340 brings Central America closer than ever - from 12-14 hours depending on the combination of flights which are daily to San José de Costa Rica and 3 times a week to Guatemala & Panama:
Iberia now has over 100.000 seats a year available out of Europe and they have a plane in the air on the way to or from Central America 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at least 364 days a year. According to International Press spokesman, Jaime Pérez Guerra, load factors have been so high that Iberia has already started using the new larger 380-seater A340-600 on the route. "Summer bookings are looking very good and Iberia is really happy with the results so far". Code share connections with other major cities in the region and also via Miami are available with Iberia's partner airline, TACA. But these non-stop flights are definitely quicker, more convenient and more comfortable for Iberia's clients, and they also open up tremendous new tourism potential for Central America, provided of course air capacity continues to grow in proportion to the new business from Europe.
THE 1st CENTROAMERICA TRAVEL MARKET IN GUATEMALA CITY There were 2 days of hard working sessions; 2 long lunches; 3 big fiestas on successive nights for over 180 tour operators from Europe, Asia & the Americas, 75 foreign journalists and some 115 local companies from Central America. The result, again in the simple and direct words of Angela San Miguel: 'Beyond expectations!'
I RIGOBERTA* Tourism has to respect nature and there have to be clear rules, against rubbish, pollution etc. To protect the rainforest, tourism also has a duty to provide a better life for those who live on its doorstep. There are many ecological tourism initiatives which could help those very people who need it. Tourism is about discovery – a people, a culture, different ways of doing things & seeing the world. Indigenous peoples have a duty to share their values with visitors. Such values are priceless, because they are not for sale. Tourism and peace are closely related, leading to a real cultural interchange between peoples. Peace must be a way of life for everyone in a war against egoism. These and many other thoughts from Rigoberta Menchú were greeted with a long standing ovation from an audience of some 500 from all over the world. * The title of her best selling autobiography: 'Me llamo Rigoberta Menchú…..'
MUNDO MAYA
In Mundo Maya, of course. This region covers 500.000 kms² and is shared by There are over 100 archaeological sites, scattered amongst valleys, volcanoes, jungles & reefs, which have been saved and restored. And there are still many more to discover. Today over 5 million Mayas live in the region and preserve their culture, languages, traditions, arts & crafts, and religion. The concept of Mundo Maya as a trans-frontier tourism concept came from National Geographic Magazine some 6 years ago. It's a new option for tour operators and has the support of the International Development Bank, UNESCO & the OAS (Organisation of American States) For more info on this unique co-operative marketing venture:
FROM SOFT LUXURY TO HARD ADVENTURE
BELIZE – MOTHER NATURE'S BEST KEPT SECRET For a spot of soft luxury combined with soft adventure, look no further than Rainforest & Reef Resorts, a consortium of top quality independent hotels. Janet Woollam at Victoria House offers her small corner of paradise and non-stop water sports on the Ambergris Caye peninsula, right by the barrier reef in the north. And for a little inland paradise, there's the award winning Chaa Creek Adventure Centre & Spa set in a private 330 acre Nature Reserve in the Cayo District, to the south west of Belize City For more luxury: For general info on Belize:
GUATEMALA - THE LAND OF ETERNAL SPRING There'll be more about Guatemala in BBT Online next month. We will be covering the highlights – the colonial city of Antigua; the Mayan National Park at Tikal; the colourful market town of Chichicastenango & magical Lake Atitlan at sunrise. Two small Guatemalan operators impressed me at the Travel Market: Ramiro Tejada believes there should always be 3 criteria for tourism in Guatemala: it must respect nature, the environment & local culture; it must contain an educational element; and it must help local communities which is why he and his members all use local services, wherever possible More Maya Expeditions: Guatemala Verdadera is not your typical incoming agency. It was set up 25 years ago by a group of university lecturers. It is run by Jean Fouillet who is They train and test their own guides rigorously, and arrange off-the-beaten track visits to the different ethnic communities of Guatemala. Despite the trend towards independent travel, they claim it is still cheaper to go through an agency. More info on Real Guatemala: For general info on Guatemala (in Spanish only at present): There's a commercial US website with some useful general info in English:
EL SALVADOR – THE ESSENCE OF CENTRAL AMERICA To combine something active with El Salvador's history & culture, Green Destinations offers adventure, outdoors and ecological tourism with programs in El Salvador & throughout Central America. In one day or multi-day expeditions, either hiking or by canoe, you can discover the incredible biodiversity of the unlikely-named 'El Imposible' National Park, the Tecapa-Chiameca volcano range, According to Karen Bermúdez of Green Destinations, "People in Europe are not yet aware of the richness of Central America – our unique mixture of culture, archaeology and nature. We are all close neighbours, but each country has something different. There are always interconnections and of course the short distances make travel easy". For softer green adventure: For general info on El Salvador:
HONDURAS - ONE SMALL COUNTRY, THREE WIDE WORLDS The LetsGoHonduras website is excellent and divides this varied country into different thematic destinations:
I also learnt a lot about Roatan from a resident South African, Sandra Sampayo (www.tropicalrez.com) who has been working there for the last 5 years. Roatan is a long island, measuring more than 80 kms, and forms part of the Bay Islands to the north, off the coast of Honduras. It has a total land area of just 80 km². Roatan has a mountainous backbone and is totally surrounded by coral reefs, offering superb diving as well as excellent fishing. A Unique Selling Point is that all the dive sites are within 5 minutes of the major resorts and you can swim out to the reefs. It makes for an ideal incentive destination. The island has been attracting a lot of European interest since the start of direct charter flights from Milan in 2003. For general info on Honduras & Roatan:
NICARAGUA - A COUNTRY WITH A (WARM) HEART Here I found a wide range of small family run hotels – Pequeños Hoteles de Nicaragua. 60 out of a total of some 200 small hotels in the country are part of a new Association of 'hotels de charme' which started in Nicaragua and has spread to the other 5 Spanish speaking countries. There are now 200 members across Central America. They are taking part in a 6 year OAS (Organisation of American States) programme of staff training and marketing. I have a collection of individual brochures from Nicaragua and these hotels of all different styles look attractive and cosy, with their exotic plants & flowers and warm ochre colours – yellows, pinks, reds & browns. Sandra Mejía, President of the Nicaraguan Association commented on her native country: "Nicaragua is now one of the safest countries in Central America; it's also one of the poorest and one which has the most natural beauty. Although Nicaragua has changed radically in the last 10 years, we still have an image problem. The best way we can solve it is by bringing travel professionals & the media here on educational tours, so they can see for themselves. Then there's also the vital role played by word-of-mouth, or mouth-to-mouth as we say in Spanish". For small Central American 'hotels de charme' (in simple Spanish): For general info on Nicaragua:
COSTA RICA - NO ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS Considered one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world, Costa Rica is Among Europeans, Costa Rica is the most popular of the Central American 7. In 2003 the country welcomed 193.000 visitors from Europe. It also has the most developed tourism infrastructure, an excellent record on protecting its environment, and strong network of real tourism professionals. In my third article, 'A Taste of Costa Rica in just 20 hours', I will be taking a few highlights – the Costa Rica Marriott, the Poas Volcano and some of the ways to enjoy the rainforest. For general info on Costa Rica:
PANAMA - THA PATH LESS TRAVELLED The people of Panama, like their 6 neighbours in Central America love parties & carnivals. The Caribbean touch is very noticeable here and the Afro rhythms and aging rum give it local colour. This is ideal meeting & incentive country, according to DMC, CAST (Corporación Americana de Servicios Turísticos). Panama has a first-world infrastructure and ' Panama City is something like Havana looking Miami in the eye: an insolent challenge to time'. CAST, a French company with European clientele and offices in Costa Rica & Panama, is yet another example of Central American co-operation For meeting & incentive ideas: For general info on Panama:
CATM MOVES TO PANAMA IN 2005 For further info on how to participate, contact Pilar Arango at CATA Madrid Hasta la próxima! Bruce Taylor
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By Bruce Taylor 
may seem like many months ago, but the impressions are still valid and amazingly vivid. 
Commission for promotion in long-haul markets. A European marketing operation, currently with 6 staff, was set up in Madrid. The new Director, Angela San Miguel, like her predecessor Javier Vega is Mexican - a clever move, which helps to avoid any local Latin jealousies or conflicts!
Leading markets are currently: 
Guatemala, Óscar Berger with colour, music and genuine Guatemalan hospitality and delight.
Vice-President, over the official opening which just goes to show how seriously Guatemala takes its tourism. And after all the official speeches, and there were many, this man-of the-people toured the Travel Market and talked enthusiastically about tourism to numerous participants. Your correspondent learnt that the President's ancestors were from originally Belgium – so more famous Belgians!
Rigoberta Menchú was a real star sent from the heavens to make us think. She spoke at a CATM lunch in support of tourism and how it can not only co-exist with her indigenous peoples, but can also benefit them, if developed sensitively.
5 countries – Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and the south eastern states of Mexico.
Tourism Association of Guatemala with its 22 member companies. 30% of their business already comes direct from the Internet.
French, with the help of Arlette de Pooter, a Belgian.
arrival in the New World to some 1,500 years B.C., according to evidence in the ruins of Tazumal and Chalchuapa. The first inhabitants were called Pocomames, Lencas and Pipiles and they settled in the central & western areas of the country.
"More natural beauty, human warmth & Caribbean charm. 
same general characteristics as the others – nature, archaeology, music & Latin warmth.
divided into 20 natural parks, 8 biological reserves, and a series of protected areas that captivate ecotourism lovers. The variety of activities includes riding, hiking mountainous paths in the cloud forests & guided bird-watching tours. 
October, in the ultra-modern 'Centro de Convenciones Atlapa'. I shall certainly hope to be there to discover another of the Central American 7.
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