Central America is targeting an increase of 10% to 15% in UK visitor arrivals this year as it focuses on promoting safe, multi-centre and experiential trips to the region.
The Central America Tourism Agency (Cata), the tourist board for the whole region, said it has at least four visits planned to the UK this year, including the Lata Expo in June and World Travel Market in November.
It has a presentation to UK tour operators this month to increase awareness of the region’s destinations and experiences, ranging from bird watching to surfing and snorkelling as well as cultural and adventure trips.
The region comprises Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.
Secretary general Boris Iraheta said working with the UK trade and increasing awareness of the region as safe was an important part of its growth strategy.
The agency’s current campaign, ‘Central America, Safe for Sure’, was launched in the UK at WTM 2024, and aims to highlight the region’s safety, diversity and culture.
This campaign, due to finish in April, will be followed by an online campaign which positions Central America as a hub for “transformative travel experiences”, whether that is adventure travel, wellness or cultural trips, he said.
Examples range from diving into the Great Blue Hole in Belize, trekking through the ancient ruins of Tikal in Guatemala or enjoying the vibrant street food scene in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Iraheta said: “We are trying to increase visitor numbers by 10% to 15% from the UK. The visits to the UK this year will also give us exposure in the UK media.
“We will be talking to operators about itineraries and their product. We are trying to focus on [increasing] multi-destination trips for when they send clients to central America.”
He said improving direct air links between the UK and central America was also key to increasing visitor numbers.
“We are working to increase direct flights between the UK and Central America. We are trying to create new routes and work with the ministry of tourism to market more direct routes from Europe,” he added.