Central America to Step Up Multi-Destination Ad Campaign

In order to come up with a solid strategy aimed at advertising Central America as a travel multi-destination choice, the region’s tourism ministers will huddle in El Salvador next July 23.

The gathering will also serve as a perfect setting to sit down with immigration authorities and assess drawbacks to sustainable development of the leisure industry in the region. Attendants will also find ways to bring down barriers to free traveling in the area, Salvadoran Tourism Minister Luis Cardenal said.

The Central America Integration System informed that tourist arrivals to the region climbed from 2.6 million in 1999 to 5.3 million last year.

El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Belize -comprising over half a million square miles in all and a population of 38 million- have been spreading the Central American multi-destination trademark around the world since early this year, especially to Europe.

Central America came in for five million tourists in 2003. This time around, though, the region hopes to put much better numbers on the board.

Central American nations promote themselves on an Internet portal at <b>www.visitcentroamerica.com</b> , as well as through its "Central America: So Small, So Big" joint trademark.