Guatemala rakes in more tourist greenbacks

Tourism became Guatemala’s second-best source of revenues in 2002 –only trailing money remittances- with $492.5 million for a walloping 24.3 percent more than in 2001, local authorities reported.

Moreover, “the sector has kept up a steady growth in recent years and has clinched the importance of the leisure industry for the national economy,” the Guatemalan Tourism Institute (INGUAT is the acronym in Spanish) stated in a press release.

The institute also revealed an 11 percent increase in the amount of tax money collected among the 2,000 hotels registered in the country. The year 2002 added up $5.5 million in duties.

Money remittances funneled into the country peaked $1.4 billion last year, according to stats provided by the Central Bank of Guatemala.