In this context, Travel2latam spoke with Anna Evelyn Valdez, Head of Promotion and Advertising at the Guatemalan Tourism Institute (INGUAT).
What are the expectations and objectives of Guatemala's participation in this important event?
For us, the European public is important, since Guatemala is a destination that means a lot to them. If they go, fall in love with Guatemala and want to return, that is paradise for us, it is very positive that they are happy in the country and want to return.
Specifically for the United Kingdom, Guatemala has been a destination that has represented many satisfactory experiences. The information that we gather with Big Data tells us that it is a public that likes Guatemala, that likes to come, experience nature, archaeology and adventure tourism. In addition, the stay with us is not only long but also fruitful, since they leave Guatemala enchanted and that is why we come with these desires to tell you about our country, to let you know what else there is in Guatemala, accompanied of course by businessmen who can facilitate your travel plans to the country.
We are very excited to be here and to see the response from visitors and companies. We bring a little piece of Guatemala here that we share with the world, so we hope to see excellent results.
Officials from major airlines are attending this event. How is connectivity in Guatemala and what meetings will you have in the coming days to enhance it?
Connectivity is the key, it is the first step to facilitate the entry and movement of visitors in the country, and definitely since the beginning of the new administration this year, different meetings are being held with airlines to generate new routes to Guatemala. Of course, on this occasion there will also be some meetings with airlines with whom we already have some kind of relationship, but which we want to strengthen. Guatemala is experiencing a transition in its airport and we believe that it is an excellent opportunity for them to see the potential that the country represents, to strengthen ties and generate new connectivity routes.
What is the average length of stay in the country?
It's 15 days. It's a high average, and we love to think that because it's an average period of time that allows you to experience Guatemala and everything it has to offer. We are proud to say that it is an authentic country, what you experience there is natural, both the nature itself, as well as the rivers, waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains and everything that can be done in adventure tourism. In addition, there is wellness tourism, which is a different experience, but we also talk about an authentic experience, because we promote community tourism. This represents sustainability in the destination, but it is also a genuine development that is important for local people. These are groups and communities that live both in the interior of the country and in the capital, but mostly in the interior, that are organizing themselves to offer visitors authentic experiences.
They have the heritage of the Mayan culture and one of the things that characterizes them is the honor and respect for nature. And when you can be part of a workshop, for example, on how they work with wood or how they weave their clothes, you realize how profound each experience they carry out is, why they do what they do and how they do it. They transform you, they provide knowledge that really expands your world and makes you admire not only the country, but all of humanity. In the end, to live is to realize that we are all one and that humanity represents us in one way or another.
Everyone here brought items that are gifts for visitors…
Yes, we love being able to bring a little piece of Guatemala with us wherever we go; to fairs, conventions, caravans, etc. Every time we go to a fair we want to somehow open a portal for them to enter Guatemala.
We love to share some of the richness of Guatemala, its culture and crafts. We have some lucky bracelets that we give as a token of our friendship. They are handmade and very colorful. Guatemala is a colorful country. And we also have some little dolls that we call "quit-worry" dolls. You tell them your troubles, you put them under your pillow and the next day you feel better.
We also have some owls and some small cannons made of ceramic and hand painted that are part of the beauty that the artisans work with. And there are some recycled key chains, made from clothes that are no longer used. In this way, the same fabric is used, it is reused and something new is shared with someone else. The textile part is very important for Guatemala. The people have colors, clothes and different forms of weaving that tell stories that we want to share with our visitors or with people that we long for to visit us.