Page 88 - STRATEGY Magazine (G)

GUATEMALA: TOURISM
Hospitable Ground for Tourists and Investors Alike
The Guatemalan government is currently developing its existing travel industry to meet the increasing demands of tourists from around the world. Welcoming foreign investors and drawing on the support of public institutions, the nation strives to emerge as a first-class tourist destination in Latin America.
TIKAL WAS THE CAPITAL OF A CONQUEST STATE THAT BECAME ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL KINGDOMS OF THE ANCIENT MAYA. ALTHOUGH THE ARCHITECTURE AT THE SITE DATES BACK AS FAR AS THE 4TH CENTURY BC, TIKAL REACHED ITS APOGEE DURING THE CLASSIC PERIOD, C. 200 TO 900 AD. TIKAL IS ONE OF THE LARGEST ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND URBAN CENTERS OF THE PRE-COLOMBIAN MAYA CIVILIZATION.
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STRATEGY
SPECIAL REPORT
Boasting everything a tourist could want—from verdant forests and sandy beaches to Spanish colonial architecture and the temples of the Maya—Guatemala is poised to become a huge participant in Latin American tourism. Economic forecasters predict that travel and tourism will continue to have a direct and ripple effect on Guatemala’s burgeoning economy. In 2014, the travel and tourism industry created 183,000 jobs directly,
a number that was expected to reach 187,000 by the end of 2015. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) expects direct employment from the tourism industry to increase by 2.8 percent each year for the next decade or so.
Even while the industry continues to grow, Guatemala has already established itself as a unique tourist destination that appeals to an array of tastes. This Central American nation
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