Tourism Crisis in Guatemala

Tourism Crisis in Guatemala
Source: elperiodico.com.gt
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Rampant criminality is the main cause of the decline but a lack of "clear tourism development policies from the government" is also blamed.
Marco Antonio Barahona writing for Elperiodico.com.gt comments that, "from any angle, tourism is one of the sectors that has been most hit by the various crises that have affected Guatemalans since 2008".

The steady increase in criminal violence, linked to both street crime and drug trafficking organizations, has led to alerts abroad and many governments are warning their citizens of the danger of travelling in Guatemala. It is common for large international tour operators to cancel reservations, excluding the country from their regular itineraries.

In addition to the decline in the number of tourists, tour operators and hotels have seen an increase in the cost of security by 10% and 12% respectively.