Nicaragua: A Hot Tourist Destination

    WASHINGTON, DC, May 05, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Despite the widespread global slowdown, Nicaragua is among the places with very positive results in tourist traffic, according to data from 2009 of the World Tourism Organization (WTO). Arrivals increased by 8.6 percent compared to 2008 with a total of 931,904 visitors. In 2009, tourism income reached US$345.9 million, representing an increase of 22.5 percent according to preliminary statistics by the Nicaraguan Tourism Board (INTUR).

With the world's greatest concentration of inland waters, plentiful rainforest and a string of striking volcanoes, Nicaragua is considered one of Central America's hottest adventure destinations. The country offers a wide variety of eco-friendly activities that visitors can enjoy. From adrenaline-raising activities such as surfing, volcano skiing, and paragliding, to recreational activities such as bird watching and hiking.

Nicaragua has more than 720 kilometers of coastline with some of the best beaches for surfing in Latin America. The beaches around San Juan del Sur are well-known for their great waves. There is more than 60 kilometers of beach around San Juan del Sur, most of it not yet discovered by the masses. The wind is praised for blowing almost the whole year around.

Volcano skiing is a new yet popular activity in the country. It takes place in the Cerro Negro Volcano located in the department of Leon. Visitors first climb the volcano and try sand surfing, sand boarding, and sand skiing. The renowned extreme sports athlete Eric Barone, known as the Red Baron, set a ground speed record of 172 kilometers per hour down the volcano's skirts.

Paragliding was recently introduced as a sport at Apoyo Lagoon. The lagoon, created when a volcano erupted hundreds of thousands of years ago, is known for its strong winds that circulate due to the shape of the crater. Currently, the practice of this sport is done by private amateurs due to the lack of paragliding schools in the area.

Nicaragua enjoys an extraordinary biodiversity. Harboring not only Central America's largest protected area (the Bosawas Biosphere Reserve) but also providing a rich variety of habitats and vast expanses of natural areas. Nicaragua stands out from its neighboring countries when it comes to possibilities for much-enjoyed and educational activities: bird watching and hiking.

Additionally, the Central America Tourism Integration System (SITCA, for its acronym in Spanish) reported Nicaragua as the only country in Central America to register growth figures in both tourism arrivals and revenues during 2009.

PRONicaragua is the Nicaraguan Investment Promotion Agency, established in 2002. It is a non-profit, public-private institution whose mission is to generate economic growth and job creation in Nicaragua by attracting high-quality foreign direct investment. The agency provides complimentary support services to qualified investors seeking investment opportunities in our country. For further information, please contact us at (505) 2270-6400 or visit http://pronicaragua.org.

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