Central America expects 2010 tourist arrivals to hit 8 million

2010-09-01

On August 18, 2010, El Salvador’s Minister of Tourism José Napoleón Duarte attended the 15th Forum on the Development and Integration in Central America and Dominica Tourism, held in Dominica. He told the forum that Central America expects the 2010 tourist arrivals to exceed 8 million, generating tourism consumption of US$ 7.5 billion. The forum saw representatives from Central American countries reach a consensus on providing diversified tourism services. However, the high crime rates reported across Central America scare away potential visitors, posing the greatest threat to tourism companies in the region. The Central American governments consequently have stepped up efforts to help their tourism industries maintain customer bases by cracking down on crimes.