The tourism sector in Puerto Rico fears that the image of the Caribbean island as a vacation spot may deteriorate after 110 murders were registered in January. Violence has hurt the worldwide perception of the U.S. commonwealth, which each year welcomes some 4 million visitors, most of them from the continental United States, the president of the Hotels and Tourism Association of Puerto Rico, Clarisa Jimenez, told EFE this week.
The optimism of Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett and the marketing expertise of Director of Tourism John Lynch have kept Jamaica’s tourism industry afloat in the midst of a global economic storm. They are to be congratulated. Yet, there is no resting on our laurels. If this most valuable industry is to not merely survive but grow, we believe that it will need new markets and new products.
Tourism began on the Island of Cozumel more than 1500 years ago when the Mayans began making pilgrimages to pay tribute to the Mayan goddess of love and fertility, Ixchel, found at a sacred Maya site called San Gervasio. Small ruins scattered around the island and open to the public document these journeys. Conservation measures help maintain the coral reefs and pristine waters.
Every November 19th the Garifunas, who are the direct descendants of African slaves, celebrate their freedom from European settlers and their arrival on the shores of Belize with festivals, religious ceremonies, cultural shows, drumming and dancing in communities with large Garifuna populations.
Studies have shown that the wellness segment generates more than 20 billion dollars annually to the tourism industry. Inside this burgeoning market there is a sub-industry of yearly holistic events, of which the Mayan Day out of Time celebration is one and is rapidly growing in popularity all over the world.
According to the World Travel Trends Report 2010, produced by researchers IPK International and commissioned by Messe Berlin, 2010 will see the Chinese displaying a disproportionately keen interest in travel and there will be no increase in the desire for long-haul travel from North America.