Venezuelan Travel Industry Snares More Profits

The amount of money raked in by Venezuela´s leisure sector jumped a blistering 26.8 percent to $86 million in the third quarter of 2004 compared to that same three-month period a year ago.

Between the months of July and September, the local hospitality industry snapped up $109 million. Caracas, the nation´s capital, continued to be the most sought-after destination with 63,663 visitors, followed by Margarita Island and the state of Aragua.

A majority of those foreign sunbathers (33,655) hailed from the United States, with Colombian travelers breathing down their necks on the runner-up spot. Italy came up with the biggest increase of all (7,885 tourists for a whopping 128 percent hike), with Spain (12,129 and a 103 percent increment) trailing behind.