CATA: New Proposals, Perspectives to Tout a Unique Multi-Destination

31 January 2025 10:29pm

An Interview with BORIS IRAHETA, Secretary General of the Central America Tourism Agency (CATA)

Central America is a multi-destination with a rarely comparable tourism offering. Uniting a unique territory rich in culture and nature, CATA—the Central America Tourism Agency—plays a crucial role in promoting the region.

During FITUR 2025, Caribbean News Digital spoke with Boris Iraheta, CATA’s Secretary General, to learn about the agency’s new strategies to maintain its position as a strong, consolidated, and essential force in the industry.

Among CATA’s latest initiatives, Iraheta discussed efforts to attract tourists to a Latin American region with multiple tourism hubs, highlighting adventure tourism and gastronomy as key elements for reaching new markets in 2025. He also reflected on the ongoing changes within the organization and CATM, Central America's largest tourism fair.

What new strategies did you bring to FITUR to promote tourism in Central America?

First, we are expanding our strategy to strengthen Central America’s presence in key markets, one of which is Spain. We are organizing pre-event activities before major trade fairs and maintaining our presence throughout these events. This time, we aimed to highlight two main tourism products in the region: gastronomy and adventure tourism.

We are carrying out targeted initiatives to promote Central America in key markets, including events focused on showcasing our natural attractions and the Mayan world.

Overall, we are strengthening ties with tour operators, travel agencies, and media outlets in key markets—not just during the trade fair itself but also by extending engagement periods. For example, last September, we conducted a roadshow that took us to Madrid, Valladolid, and Oviedo.

In short, we are increasing the visibility of the Central America brand and working on securing more business deals between major tour operators and local travel partners.

How has gastronomy been used as an asset to attract tourism to Central America during the fair?

Regarding gastronomy, we organized a show cooking event before FITUR on Tuesday, where we gathered media representatives and major and minor tour operators to sample some of the region’s signature dishes. These were prepared by Chef Ricardo Cardona, who is the executive chef for the New York Yankees and also caters for Latin American celebrities in New York, such as Marc Anthony and JLo. This event was held in collaboration with Chef of the World, an organization that brings together chefs from the region in the United States.

Additionally, we wanted to incorporate a Spanish influence, so we paired the dishes with wines from Emilio Moro, a renowned winery in Spain’s Golden Mile region. We worked with a team from Valladolid, with a sommelier providing explanations, creating a true sensory experience—combining top-quality Central American cuisine with some of Spain’s finest wines.

What are the proposals for CATM this year?

CATM will take place from October 21 to 23 in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Before the event, we will organize pre-tours in Honduras, and afterward, we will have post-tours in locations that our partners or media representatives wish to visit, such as San Salvador, Panama, or the Dominican Republic.

This year’s CATM will focus on innovation. We will increase the number of business meetings by inviting more industry partners. We will also expand networking opportunities among regional and international stakeholders. Additionally, we will offer educational sessions, including talks and workshops, for both regional operators and those looking to engage with the market. CATM will be a dynamic space for collaboration throughout the event.

We are excited to be re-establishing a strong presence in the Spanish market. With more meetings, activities, and workshops, we expect this CATM to be a major success for the region.

How are you managing the collaboration between public and private investments in Central American institutions to boost tourism?

Right now, governments are making significant investments in infrastructure. Honduras is implementing a major road development plan. El Salvador has expanded its airport. There are also new airports, such as Palmerola in Honduras, and homeport infrastructure developments in Panama.

On the private sector side, new hotels are continuously emerging. Nicaragua and El Salvador are developing as new tourism destinations. Meanwhile, in the Dominican Republic, we are seeing significant growth in Pedernales.

This synergy between public investments—focused on infrastructure like transportation and airports—and private investments in hotels and other tourism services is driving significant growth. These strong collaborations are yielding great results.

What official representation does CATA provide at FITUR for Central American countries not present at this edition, such as Belize or El Salvador?

At CATA, we are the official organization representing Central America at FITUR. Some destinations could not attend in person, so we are representing them. For example, we have a hotel from Roatán in our stand, and we are hosting delegates from Belize and El Salvador.

We have DMCs (Destination Management Companies) from both countries here, allowing them to conduct business and meet with clients in Spain. Our role is to create networking opportunities and provide a platform for these destinations at the Central America stand.

CATA has received an Excelencias Award at this edition. What does this recognition mean for the organization, and what do you think led to this achievement?

We are thrilled to receive this Excelencias Award for CATA.

Our work is based on three core pillars: sustainability, accessibility, and inclusion. Accessibility, in particular, is an area we are strengthening through our operators. This recognition from Excelencias validates the efforts we have been making in this direction, filling us with pride and motivating us to continue advancing.