Aracelia de Coronado. President of tour operator Junior S.A. and Guatemala`s Espacio Travel Agency

Q- How do Junior S.A. and its travel agency –Espacio- operate?

A- We’re headquartered in Guatemala City. Junior is a wholesaler owned by IATA, so we’ve got the possibility of offering plane tickets to our own retailer, Espacio Travels, and to other retailers. We also sell plane tickets to individuals.

Q- When was it founded?

A- It was founded some twelve years ago by my husband, the late Marco Vinicio Coronado. In the beginning, Cuba was our top market, but we’ve now branched out to other markets as well.

Q- Does that mean it was founded to spur up travel to Cuba?

A- Absolutely. My husband was in love with Cuba, so we can say he pioneered travels from Guatemala to Cuba.

Q- What are the top markets?

A- First of all Cuba, plus Cancun, Miami, Los Angeles, Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia and Argentina. We also target the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Belize.

Q- What about the major market segments?

A- We deal with a very wide market segment. We work on businesspeople, conventional tourism and specialized travel.

Q- Do you also deal with congresses and incentives?

A- Yes, we do, but especially toward Cuba. Yet, we’re also related to all tourism fairs held in different countries.

Q- What makes Guatemala stand out as a travel destination?

A- The country has many allures, but its attractiveness lies, above all, in the fact that it’s a small nation where everything seems to be close at hand. So, in a brief span of time, travelers can move from a chilly location to a beach or to an archeological site.

Q- What time of year do Guatemalan travelers prefer the most for venturing out?

A- All year round, though the high-peak season is usually the Holy Week and the months of November and December, that is, the holiday season.

Q- How do you think your company will fare this year?

A- We’ve done a lot of promotion and advertisement. We’re introducing scuba diving, a modality we want to promote alongside Gran Caribe, the Cuban hotel chain, because we believe it’s really going to catch on.

Q- How do you perceive the development of tourism in Latin America?

A- This is a highly important industry for our continent, not only from an economic standpoint, but also from the cultural implications that it might have.