CENTRAL AMERICA EXPERIENCES UPSURGE IN UK VISITIORS

Central America has experienced an influx of overseas visitors in the last year with two of its countries experiencing significant increase in travellers coming from the UK. The Belize tourism board registered a 24.3% increase in European visitors between January and June 2018 with the UK market seeing a 20.8% year-on-year increase in the same period. Costa Rica has also seen an upsurge in visiting brits, with the tourist board recently revealing that a total of 40,907 visitors from the UK travelled to Costa Rica in the first half of 2018 – representing an increase of 2.5% compared to the same period in 2017.

DESTINATION NEWS

GUATEMALA ANNOUNCED AS HOST OF 2019 CENTRAL AMERICAN TRAVEL MARKET (CATM)

On 4 and 5 June 2019, Guatemala will welcome the twelfth edition of the Central American Travel Market (CATM) – Central America's most important travel trade event. For two days, members of the tourism industry including DMCs, airlines, hotel groups and tour operators, will come together at the Hotel Westin Camino Real in Guatemala City. It is predicted that over 100 travel companies from the region will exhibit at CATM and more than 80 European industry leaders will attend. www.inguat.gob.gt 

COSTA RICA'S POÁS VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK RE-OPENS TO PUBLIC

Costa Rica's Poás Volcano National Park has recently re-opened, after being closed to the public for 16 months from April 2017, with a new state of the art risk management system designed to protect visitors. The National Park has become the first park in Central America to be equipped with a protective system featuring gas sensors with live data, new equipment for visitor use, five new protection shelters and more. The park is one of Costa Rica's main tourist sites annually attracting thousands of visitors who come to hike the 8,900ft to the top of Poás Volcano. Other additions also include an online booking system and more controlled access to the park. www.visitcostarica.com

HOTEL NEWS

UNSCRIPTED BELIZE IS SET TO OPEN 2019

A new luxury boutique property is set to open in the Kanantik Belize master plan community north of Placencia in Belize in 2019. Unscripted Belize will be surrounded by lush palm trees on the edges of the nearby Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary – a jaguar preserve and birdwatcher's paradise – and will feature 24 beachfront cabanas overlooking the Caribbean Sea. It will also have an outdoor restaurant and bar, an expansive pool area and two private boats for snorkelling and scuba diving for guests to enjoy. www.dreamhotelgroup.com

ISLA SECAS RESERVE & LODGE PANAMA DUE TO OPEN JANUARY 2019

The Islas Secas Reserve and Lodge is due to open in January 2019 in Panama. The hotel will be located on a 14-island archipelago off Panama's Pacific Coast and will consist of nine elegant villas known as 'casitas'. Inspired by traditional Panama Canal Gamboa houses, each casita sleeps up to eight guests and features indoor/outdoor showers as well as panoramic sea views. www.islasecas.com

W OPENS FIRST HOTEL IN CENTRAL AMERICA

W has opened its first hotel in Central America in Panama City's 'Zona Rosa' district – known for being one of the capital's main gastronomic hubs thanks to its wide restaurant and bar offering. The W Panama takes in many historic Panamanian elements reconstructed in a contemporary, luxurious style, combined with modern and cutting-edge features. For instance, the hotel's 'Extreme Wow Suite' has its own DJ booth, built-in football table, private lounge area, a rainfall shower and a sunken bathtub. A one-night stay in a standard double room is priced from £108 based on two adults sharing. www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ptywh-w-panama/

ART DECO AMERICAN TRADE HOTEL OPENS IN PANAMA

A new four-star luxury art deco-style boutique hotel has been unveiled in the heart of Panama City in Panama. The American Trade Hotel, located in the trendy district of Plaza Herrera, boasts eight elegantly decorated rooms, as well its own jazz club known for hosting a range of international artists, and a rooftop pool boasting 180-degree views over the city's old town and the bay perfect for relaxing after a long day of sightseeing. A one-night stay is priced from £225 based on two people sharing.   www.americantradehotel.com

NEW BOUTIQUE ACANTILADOS OPENS IN EL SALVADOR

A new boutique hotel called Acantilados has recently opened in El Salvador in the region of La Libertad. The property has 19 sea-facing rooms, an on-site restaurant serving local delicacies, a cocktail bar with an extensive menu of drinks, a coffee shop, and 24-hour gym with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean. The hotel has two pools, one of which is an infinity pool with a bar right on the cliff's edge offering stunning scenic views. A one-night stay staying in a superior twin room is priced from £110 based on two adults sharing, including breakfast. www.acantilados.sv/en

NEW PLANET HOLLYWOOD BEACH RESORT OPENS IN COSTA RICA

A new hotel called the Planet Hollywood Beach Resort has recently opened in Costa Rica, located at the base of the Papagayo Peninsula in the Guanacaste region. The resort features 294 luxury suites, eight different gastronomic establishments, a spa, fitness centre, two swimming pools and a splash zone. The hotel also offers a curated list of excursions that include gliding through the canopy zip-line circuit or sailing and snorkelling in the Pacific Ocean's clear blue waters. A one-night stay in an all-inclusive junior suite is priced from £326 (based on two adults sharing). www.planethollywoodhotels.com

AIRLINE NEWS

IBERIA TO IMPLEMENT DAILY FLIGHTS BETWEEN MADRID AND EL SALVADOR

Spanish airline Iberia has announced that as of October 2018, it will increase the number of flights between Madrid and El Salvador's Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez International airport, from four a week to a daily service. The route will be covered by the new Airbus A330-200 with a 288-passenger capacity. Return flights are priced from £587. www.iberia.com/gb/

AIR EUROPA TO INTRODUCE NEW FLIGHT ROUTE TO PANAMA CITY

From February 2019, Air Europa will introduce a new flight route from Madrid Barajas to Panama's Tocumen International Airport. The outbound flight will depart from Madrid at 15:05 five times a week with the return flight departing at 21:40 from Panama. www.aireuropa.com

TOUR OPERATOR NEWS

ECOCIRCUITOS PANAMA HOSTS LAST MINUTE SALE

On 27 October 2018, EcoCircuitos Panama will offer an exclusive discount on the 'Journey between the Seas' tour - a four-night trip on board a luxury cruise ship in Panama. Guests will be able to enjoy a 25% discount on bookings made on the day. Highlights of the trip include visiting Panama City, exploring the Panama Canal, learning about traditions of an indigenous community in the Darien River and sailing around the Pearl Islands. With the discount the trip will be priced from £2,490 (original price £3,315) excluding international flights. www.ecocircuitos.com

RAINBOW TOURS INTRODUCES NEW GUATEMALA EXPERIENCE

Rainbow Tours has launched a new Guatemala excursion that will allow guests to learn about life in a jungle community and visit the archaeological site of Uaxactun on an overnight camping trip in northern Guatemala. Guests will also be given a guided tour of Tikal National Park, home of an ancient Mayan ruin declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Price on request for a two-day excursion. www.rainbowtours.com

OTHER NEWS

HONDURAS LAUNCHES NEW PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN

The Honduran Institute of Tourism has launched a new promotional campaign aimed at highlighting the culture, traditions and history of Honduras. The campaign showcases Honduras' main tourism attractions including, adventure, and sightseeing, culture, relaxation and Honduran identity. The campaign includes video content available here. www.honduras.travel/en

Images are available here.