AVIATION INDUSTRY

Global interest in Honduras pushes increase in tourism

When Honduras hosted the World Tourism Organization’s Regional Commission for the Americas meeting last week, it had great news to report: growth in international tourist arrivals and spending, growth in the number of cruise passengers and port calls, and improvements in air connectivity among them.

According to the Honduran Institute of Tourism (IHT), 2,177,309 million international travelers visited Honduras in 2016, compared with 2,092,700 in 2015. International tourism spending reached US$685.6 million, up from US$675.6 million in 2015.

International airlines such as Spirit Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Avianca Airlines and United Airlines are among those serving Honduras, offering non-stop flights from Fort Lauderdale (2 hours), Miami (2 hours), Houston (3 hours), Atlanta (3.5 hours) and other major cities. At the end of April, the Honduran industrial city of San Pedro Sula began receiving direct Air Europa flights from Madrid, Spain, marking a new milestone for the Central American country’s connectivity.

The San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa and Roatan airports have long been receiving international flights. Palmerola International Airport, located near the colonial city of Comayagua, will open its doors to international tourists in late 2018.

According to official port statistics, 1,052,738 cruise passengers disembarked on Honduran shores in 341 ships that called on Roatan and other Honduran cruise ports in 2016, a 14.7 percent increase over the previous year’s passenger numbers. Numerous cruise lines with itineraries originating in Houston, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and New Orleans now include stops in Honduras as part of their itineraries.

Honduras is also proud to be one of the only countries in the world to provide travel insurance to visitors as part of the price of their international plane ticket. The policy allows visitors to receive supplementary assistance in the event of accidents, illnesses and other travel mishaps…

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