Central America and the Dominican Republic work to revitalize the tourism value chain

The Presidents of each of the States jointly approved a Regional Contingency Plan with the purpose of complementing national efforts for the prevention, containment and treatment of the pandemic

The respective National Authorities have taken a series of measures to counter the spread of the virus, the economic and social impact. Some provisions regarding the flow of goods and passengers in the region are available here. The updated detail of the health measures and cases registered in real time can be consulted through the SICA-COVID19 Regional Observatory.

Quarantines and social isolation have meant for the world sharp declines in activities such as aviation, tourism, trade and free zones. In the region, it is expected that there will be a significant contraction in economic growth, including with implications for the year 2021. Estimates of the economic impact of COVID-19 in Central America and the Dominican Republic presented by the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA) are available here.

Given this scenario, the tourism sector in the region is preparing with biosafety protocols from a focus of sustainability, health and responsibility to restart operations during the second half of 2020. Likewise, the supply chain that feeds tourism is working quickly to facing the reopening of the economies.

The land transport sector is one of the most important in the tourism value chain in the region, since the intraregional market constitutes the second most important market for Central American countries. Transportation contributes to the regional dynamism and competitiveness, in the context of the pandemic, the countries approved the Biosafety Guidelines, before covid-19, applicable to the Central American land transportation sector to guarantee the flow of goods.

According to data presented by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), prior to COVID-19, air transport in the region contributed $ 27 billion, generating 1.28 million jobs. Along these same lines, restoring area connectivity is crucial to establish international trade flows, supply chains, investment, tourism, and job creation. That is why the Central American Corporation for Air Navigation Services (COCESNA) has launched the Regional Biosafety Protocols for the gradual and harmonized reactivation of Air Transport based on the Concept of Public Health Corridor.

Port activity in Central America has been little altered by COVID-19. Despite the crisis, services and hours have not been restricted at 28 terminals in the region, according to a report on the virus in port operations in Central America and the Dominican Republic, published in May by the Central American Commission for Maritime Transport (COCATRAM ). Learn about the preventive actions in the ports / terminals as well as the provisions to guarantee the fluidity of the supply chain.

For its part, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) has made available to MSMEs loans to finance the needs of working capital and investment through its network of financial institutions in the countries for up to $ 350.0 million US dollars.

The fund is intended for MSMEs in the production sectors of the agri-food chain, renewable energy, energy efficiency, cleaner production, hospitality and tourism, construction, creative industry, media, commerce and service provision companies.