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Martínez, however, thinks Hondurans are traveling because of economics, not political solidarity. "It's an opportunity to see Roatán, which has always been expensive for Hondurans," he says. And in many ways, the ousted minister notes, promoting internal tourism is the only option the Micheletti government has, since no one else will pay attention to them...
...vacation in Honduras can conjure up visions of spectacular destinations: the Mayan ruins of Copán, cloud forest after cloud forest filled with exotic flora and fauna, the gorgeous beaches and the dolphin-filled waters off the island of Roatán. But that's not what tourist-industry reporters saw when the country's Minister of Tourism, Ricardo Martínez, presented a video at a recent convention in neighboring El Salvador. With a sound track of revolutionary music, it showed supporters of ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya clashing with riot police in the streets of the capital...
...tourism industry are, in the words of Martínez, "suffering violently." Several TACA airlines flights to Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, which used to bring hundreds of tourists to Honduras every day, have been canceled. A project to build an international airport at the Copán ruins was suspended, and charter groups from Europe are backing out. Overall, it is estimated that Honduras' economy has been set back 10 years over the past three months. (See pictures of violence in the wake of the Honduran coup...
...military-backed regime has attempted to prop up the collapsing industry by promoting internal tourism. Working with resorts and hotels on Roatán Island, a popular Caribbean dive spot off Honduras' northern coast, the de facto tourism board is promoting special two-for-one vacation deals. Many Hondurans have taken the bait, flocking to the white sands of Roatán and filling hotel rooms that were once occupied by U.S. and European travelers. Hondurans who support the de facto regime, such as tour operator Vilma Sauceda of Rema Tours, says the fact that Hondurans are "traveling like crazy...
Despite Honduras' string of misfortunes, Martínez remains optimistic that the country's political situation will normalize and that tourism will help pull it out of the hole. Several big projects, such as Carnival Cruise Lines' tourism dock, under construction in Roatán, and a $15 million golf course-beach resort in the north of the country are still moving forward - a sign, Martínez says, of future recovery. "It's a matter of recuperating our international image, and I think that can happen overnight - just the same way we moved from positive to negative...