What would you say the number one Central American destination for Aussie travellers is? Really think about it…
There’s seven countries to choose from (according to Wikipedia, Mexico is not one of them – total surprise!) and anyone who knows their geography well enough would likely have guessed Aussies are most frequently travelling to see the beautiful coastlines and pre-Columbian history in Costa Rica.
Sorry but…
Okay, so what about Belize? Isn’t that featured on a few cruise itineraries from Miami?
Nope, still wrong.
El Salvador? Wrong! Nicaragua? Wrong! Panama? Wrong!
Ready for what will probably be the most surprising piece of information you learn today?
The number one Central American destination for Australians is… Guatemala!
Anyone guess that? Please pat yourself on the back for me.
Although surprising, it does make sense considering Guatemala is home to a mix of Mayan and Catholic history as well as famous beach resorts, a live volcano and rain forests.
The fun fact about Central America was revealed by the First Secretary and Consul of Guatemala Mario Rodriguez, during a recent Latin America event held by the organisers of Luxperience in Canberra.
The one-off event ahead of September’s three-day luxury and experiential travel exhibition was attended by nine seniors from 13 Latin nations who discussed the increase in high end product from Australian holidaymakers in Central America and South America.
As well as learning about Guatemala’s popularity, the event also created an opportunity to discuss the hurdles in streamlining the visa process and acknowledge the increase in tourism from Australia to Central and South America which comes from airlines such as Air New Zealand and LATAM increasing flight availability.
According to Luxperience Luxury Brand Strategist Michelle Papas, the annual Luxperience event attracts new Latin America exhibitors every year “which is perfectly coupled with the demand expressed” for the region.
Luxperience will be happening in a new venue for 2017, Carriageworks, in Sydney from 17-20 September. It is an invitation-only event dedicated to the high-end experiential travel sector and the only such event in the southern hemisphere.