COSTA RICA: Costa Rica Attracting European Tourists

Increasing numbers of Europeans are boosting Costa Rica's thriving tourism industry, but lagging infrastructure and regional connectivity are crimping its potential, an investment conference in San Jose heard on Friday.

The country stands head and shoulders over the rest of Central America in tourism numbers, receiving 2.9 million visitors a year, many attracted by its eco-friendly image, Tourism Minister Mauricio Ventura told a seminar of French foreign trade advisers from across the region.

Americans account for around 40%. Europeans represent a quarter, but their numbers are rapidly growing following the introduction over the past year of direct flights Britain, France, Germany and Switzerland.

Europeans also spend more time in the country, an average of 18 nights compared to 12 for Americans meaning more tourism revenue.

Other countries in Central America have a great deal to do to improve their images to achieve Costa Rica's level of success, said Thierry de Pierrefeu, former Honduran tourism minister.

He noted that the reputation for violence in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras scares off most tourists.

Pia Lackman, the manager for Air France-KLM in Central America, said her airline had found its new direct flights to Costa Rica to be very successful.

But she pointed out that airlines need a mix of tourism and business travelers on their long-haul flights, and that there were few of the latter flying to Costa Rica.

There was also a lack of connectivity, she said, explaining that the region's flight hub was neighboring Panama, which received far more Air France flights.

The seminar also presented investment round-table discussions, including on public-private partnerships (PPP) to get big infrastructure projects built.

They were needed in Costa Rica because it must be recognized we're a poor country, we're not a country that generates wealth,for instance from oil, said Guiselle Alfaro Bogantes, deputy minister for infrastructure and concessions.

But the attendees were reminded that a PPP to modernise San Jose's airport 17 years ago got bogged down in a costly legal fight between the government and the firm chosen to run it, causing the parent company to go bankrupt.

Round-table participants, among them representatives from France's Treasury and the bank Societe Generale, said the key to prevent such fiascos was to balance risk and the need for private firms to make profit, while clearly defining the policy, legal and technical framework of a project.

BELARUS:UNWTO Supports Scraping Visa Requirements

UNWTO has expressed its full support to the decision of the Government of Belarus to launch the 5-day visa-free policy that will be applicable to travelers from 80 countries.

The measure aims at advancing seamless travel and attracting visitors, particularly those on business trips.

The Government of Belarus has recently decided to advance visa facilitation as a means to stimulate tourism development. The decision introduces visa-free entry at the Minsk National Airport and visa-free stay in Belarus for up to five days for the citizens of 80 states.

Among those, there are 39 countries of Europe, including the entire European Union, Brazil, Indonesia, the USA and Japan.

“Visa facilitation is among the most effective strategies to induce tourism development in a region or in a country, so we are sure that the tourism sector will experience a positive shift in Belarus,” said UNWTO Secretary General, Taleb Rifai.

The promotion of seamless travel is one of UNWTO’s priorities, considering the proven capacity of visa facilitation to stimulate economic growth and job creation through tourism.

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has signed a decree scrapping visa requirements for residents of 80 foreign countries for a period of no more than five days, the press service of the Belarusian president reports.

“The document establishes visa-free procedures of entry into Belarus for a period no longer than five days on entry via a check point across the State Border, the Minsk National Airport, for citizens of 80 countries,” it said, specifying that the decree covers 39 European countries, including all EU countries, as well as Brazil, Indonesia, the United States and Japan.

First of all these are migrant-friendly countries, strategic partners of Belarus, states that have unilaterally introduced a visa-free regime for Belarusian nationals,” the press service explained. The decree also applies to “non-citizens of Latvia and stateless persons of Estonia.

“The document is aimed at giving a boost to travels of business people, tourists, individuals having domestic passports and will not apply to foreigners making official trips: diplomatic, business, special and other passports equivalent to them will not be taken into consideration,” the press service commented.

As for the citizens of Vietnam, Haiti, Gambia, Honduras, India, China, Lebanon, Namibia and Samoa, a compulsory additional demand for them is to have in their passports a valid multi-entry visa of a EU or a Schengen zone state with a mark confirming the entry to their territory, as well as plane tickets confirming the departure from the Minsk National Airport within five days from the entry date.

These visa-free travels don’t apply to people arriving in Belarus by plane from Russia, as well as planning to fly to Russian airports (these flights are domestic and have no border controls). The decree comes into effect one month after it is published officially.

HONDURAS: Guanaja's Conch Festival

Guanaja's Conch Festival is a day commemorating the discovery of our island by Christopher Columbus on July 30, 1502, which he named Isla de Pinos, Island of Pines. This annual event is held on the last week of July and certifies Guanaja as one of the great historic routes of Columbus on his 4th and last voyage.

This event is not only intended to celebrate Guanaja's rich heritage but to also encourage the development of tourism.

Key 2012 Event Dates and Sites:

Guanajas 5th Conch Festival - July 21st to 29th 2012
-Saturday July 21st: Coronation of carnival queen (ball field)
-Sunday July 22nd: Sports Day football match (airport field)
-Monday July 23rd: OFF
-Tuesday July 24th: Mangrove Bight
-Wednesday July 25th: Pelican Reef
-Thursday July 26th: Grahams Place
-Friday July 27th: The Cay
-Saturday July 28th: Savannah Bight
-Sunday July 29th: Soldado Beach - culmination of carnival, with water floats, dramatization of Christopher Columbus arrival to Guanaja, live music, food entertainment & more.

Each carnavalito will have, games, activities, live music, DJ, parades, foods, drinks & much more fun!!!! Come enjoy!

Event Dates: July 21, 2012 - July 28, 2012

Admission Fee (if any)
Free

Ages Event is Appropriate for: All Ages

Garifuna People Of Honduras,Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua,St Vincent, Trinidad And USA

Garifuna are mixed-race descendants of West African, Central African, Island Carib, and Arawak people. The British colonial administration used the term Black Carib and Garifuna to distinguish them from Yellow and Red Carib, the original Amerindian population before the Africans intermixed and those deemed to still look Native by the British. Those Caribs who were deemed to look Native and had less African admixture are still living in the islands of the Lesser Antilles. The Island Caribs lived throughout the southern Lesser Antilles, such as present Dominica, St Vincent and Trinidad. Their ancestors are believed to have conquered these areas from their previous inhabitants, the Igneri.

Since April 12, 1731, the Garifuna people have been living in Central America, where they speak the Garifuna language. The Garifuna people mostly live along the Caribbean Coast of Honduras, but there are also smaller populations in Belize, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. There are also many Garinagu in the United States, particularly in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Houston, Seattle, and other major cities.

The Carib people migrated from the mainland to the islands circa 1200, according to carbon dating of artifacts. They largely displaced, exterminated and assimilated the Taino who were resident on the island at the time.

The French missionary Raymond Breton arrived in the Lesser Antilles in 1635, and lived on Guadeloupe and Dominica until 1653. He took ethnographic and linguistic notes on the native peoples of these islands, including St Vincent, which he visited briefly. According to oral history noted by the English governor William Young in 1795, Carib-speaking people of the Orinoco River area on the mainland came to St. Vincent long before the arrival of Europeans to the New World. They subdued the local inhabitants called Galibeis, and unions took place between the peoples.

According to Young's record, the first Africans arrived in 1675 following the wreck of a slave ship from the Bight of Biafra. The survivors, members of the Mokko people of today's Nigeria now known as Ibibio, reached the small island of Bequia. The Carib took them to Saint Vincent and intermarried with them, supplying the African men with wives, as it was taboo in their society for men to go unwed.

In 1635 the Carib were overwhelmed by French forces led by the adventurer Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc and his nephew Jacques Dyel du Parquet. They imposed French colonial rule on the indigenous Carib peoples. Cardinal Richelieu of France gave the island to the Saint Christophe Company, in which he was a shareholder. Later the company was reorganized as the Company of the American Islands. The French colonists imposed French Law on the inhabitants, and Jesuit missionaries arrived to convert them to the Roman Catholic Church.

Because the Carib people resisted working as laborers to build and maintain the sugar and cocoa plantations which the French began to develop in the Caribbean, in 1636 King Louis XIII proclaimed La Traité des Noirs. This authorized the capture and purchase of slaves from sub-Saharan Africa and their transportation as labor to Martinique and other parts of the French West Indies.

In 1650, the Company liquidated, selling Martinique to Jacques Dyel du Parquet, who became governor. He held this position until his death in 1658. His widow Mme. du Parquet took over control of the island from France. As more French colonists arrived, they were attracted to the fertile area known as Cabesterre (leeward side). The French had pushed the remaining Carib people to this northeastern coast and the Caravalle Peninsula, but the colonists wanted the additional land. The Jesuits and the Dominicans agreed that whichever order arrived there first, would get all future parishes in that part of the island. The Jesuits came by sea and the Dominicans by land, with the Dominicans' ultimately prevailing.

When the Carib revolted against French rule in 1660, the Governor Charles Houel sieur de Petit Pré retaliated with war against them. Many were killed; those who survived were taken captive and expelled from the island. On Martinique, the French colonists signed a peace treaty with the few remaining Carib. Some Carib had fled to Dominica and St. Vincent, where the French agreed to leave them at peace.

Britain and France both made conflicting claims on Saint Vincent from the late seventeenth century onward. French pioneers began informally cultivating plots on the island around 1710. In 1719 the governor of Martinique sent a force to occupy it, but was repulsed by the Carib inhabitants. A British attempt in 1723 was also repelled.In 1748, Britain and France agreed to put aside their claims and declared Saint Vincent to be a neutral island, under no European sovereign. Throughout this period, however, unofficial, mostly French settlement took place on the island, especially on the Leeward side. African refugees continued to reach Saint Vincent, and a mixed-race population developed through unions with the Carib.

In 1763 by the Treaty of Paris, Britain gained rule over Saint Vincent following its defeat of France in the Seven Years' War, fought in both Europe and North America. It also took over all French territory in North America east of the Mississippi River. Through the rest of the century, the Carib-African natives mounted a series of Carib Wars, which were encouraged and supported by the French. By the end of the 18th century, the indigenous population was primarily mixed race. Following the death of their leader Satuye (Joseph Chatoyer), the Carib on St. Vincent finally surrendered to the British in 1796 after the Second Carib War, having resisted for much longer than natives on other islands. "St. Vincent was the last of the Windward Islands to be totally subjugated."

This was also in the period of the violent slave revolts in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, which ultimately led to the slaves gaining the independent republic of Haiti in 1804. The French lost thousands of troops in an attempt to take back the island in 1803, many to yellow fever epidemics. Thousands of whites and free people of color were killed in the revolution. Europeans throughout the Caribbean and in the American South feared future slave revolts.

The British deported the Garifuna to Roatán, an island off the coast of Honduras. Based in part on their experience with slavery in other parts of the Caribbean and North America, the British separated the more African-looking Caribs from the more Amerindian-looking ones. They decided that the former had to be exiled, while the latter were "misled" and allowed to remain. Five thousand Garinagu were exiled but, weakened by captivity, about half or 2,500 survived the voyage to Roatán. Because the island was too small and infertile to support their population, the Garifuna petitioned Spanish authorities to be allowed to settle on the mainland in the Spanish colonies. The Spanish employed them, and they spread along the Caribbean coast of the Central American colonies.

Large-scale sugar production and chattel slavery were not established on Saint Vincent until the British took it over. As Great Britain abolished slavery in 1832, it operated it for roughly a generation on the island, creating a legacy different than on other Caribbean islands.

Elsewhere slavery had been institutionalized for much longer.

In the 21st century, the Garifuna population is estimated to be around 600,000 in total, taking together its people in Central America, Yurumein (St. Vincent and The Grenadines), and the United States. As a result of extensive emigration from Central America, the United States has the second-largest population of Garifuna outside Central America. New York has the largest population, dominated by Garifuna from Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. Los Angeles ranks second with Honduran Garifuna being the most populous, followed by those from Belize and Guatemala. There is no information regarding Garifuna from Nicaragua having migrated to either coast of the United States. The Nicaraguan Garifuna population is quite small. Community leaders are attempting to resurrect the Garifuna language and cultural traditions.

By 2014 more Garifuna were leaving Honduras and "illegally" immigrating to the United States.

The distinction between diaspora and transnational migration is that diaspora implies the dispersal of a people from a homeland, whether voluntarily or through exile, to multiple nation-states. Transnational migration is generally associated with two locations. In addition, in contrast to the more intense contact which contemporary transmigrants have with their country of origin, diasporic populations often have a more tenuous relationship to the "homeland" or society of origin. Historically there was little hope of return; the relationship is more remote, or even imagined.Thus the African diaspora was that of people being taken captive and sold into slavery, and delivered to various parts of the New World. In those early centuries, return was impossible. Slaves from West African peoples formed relationships with the Carib and a new people developed.

The Garifuna people developed through a process of ethnogenesis on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, and were exiled in the colonial period to the Caribbean coasts of Central America. Since the late 20th century, many have emigrated from what are now Honduras, Belize and Guatemala to the United States. For the Garífuna, the politics of diaspora are complex because they have several different homelands and different relationships to them: from the mainly symbolic relationship to Africa and St. Vincent, to the closer relationship to various national homelands of Central America. The specific form of identification by individuals with each homeland has different political implications. Garifuna identity in diaspora is complex, involving local, national, and transnational processes, as well as global ethnic politics.

The Garifuna language is an offshoot of the Island Carib language, and it is spoken in Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, and Nicaragua by the Garifuna people. It is an Arawakan language with French, English, and Spanish influences, reflecting their long interaction with various colonial peoples. Garifuna has a vocabulary featuring some terms used by women and others used primarily by men. This may derive from historical Carib practices: in the colonial era, the Carib of both sexes spoke Island Carib. Men additionally used a distinct pidgin based on the unrelated mainland Carib language.

Almost all Garifuna are bilingual or multilingual. They generally speak the official languages of the countries they inhabit, such as Spanish and English, most commonly as a first language. Many also speak Garifuna.

Garifuna is thought to be a creole language of Caliponian and African languages.

Today, the majority of Garifuna are officially Catholic but some that are following other religions. They practice a syncretic Catholicism, incorporating traditional beliefs. A shaman known as a buyei is the head of all Garifuna traditional practices. The religion has some qualities similar to the voodoo rituals performed by other tribes of African descent. Mystical practices and participation in the Dugu orders are also widespread among Garifuna. Some individuals from Sein Bight and Dangriga, Belize have claimed to have seen feats of levitation.

There is also a Rastafarian minority, primarily living in Dangriga, Belize City, Belize, and in Livingston, Guatemala.

There are also Garifuna who practice the religion of Islam.

In 2001 UNESCO proclaimed the language, dance, and music of the Garifuna as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Belize. In 2005 the First Garifuna Summit was held in Corn Islands, Nicaragua, with the participation of the government of other Central American countries.

There is a wide variety of Garifuna dishes, including the more commonly known ereba (cassava bread) made from grated cassava root, yucca. The process of making "ereba" is arguably the most important tradition practiced by the Garifuna people. Cassava is so closely tied to the Garifuna culture that the very name Garifuna draws its origin from the Caribs who were originally called "Karifuna" of the cassava clan.

They later adopted the name "Garifuna", which literally means cassava-eating people. Making "ereba" is a long and arduous process that involves a large group of Garifuna (mostly women and children) hiking into the jungle to dig up a large quantity of the cassava root (usually several dozen pounds) and taking it back to the village. The root is then washed peeled and grated over small sharp stones affixed to wooden boards.

The grating is difficult and time consuming, and the women sing sad and slow songs to break the monotony of the work. The grated cassava is then placed into a large cylindrical woven bag called a "ruguma". The "ruguma" is hung from a tree and weighted at the bottom with heavy rocks in order to squeeze out and remove the poisonous liquid and starch from the grated pulp. The counterweight is sometimes provided by piercing the bottom of the "ruguma" with a tree branch and having one or two Garifuna women sit on the branch. Whatever the manner in which the weight is provided, the result is the same. The cassava is then ready to be made into flour.

The remaining pulp is dried overnight and later sieved through flat rounded baskets (hibise) to form flour that is baked into pancakes on a large iron griddle (Comal). Ereba is eaten with fish, hudutu (pounded green and ripe plantains) or alone with gravy (lasusu) often made with a fish soup called "machuca". Other accompanying dishes may include: bundiga (a green banana lasusu), mazapan, and bimecacule (sticky sweet rice), as well as a coconut rice made with red beans.

Garifuna music is quite different from that of the rest of Central America. The most famous form is punta. In its associated dance style, dancers move their hips in a circular motion. An evolved form of traditional music, still usually played using traditional instruments, punta has seen some modernization and electrification in the 1970s; this is called punta rock.

Traditional punta dancing is consciously competitive. Artists like Pen Cayetano helped innovate modern punta rock by adding guitars to the traditional music, and paved the way for later artists like Andy Palacio, Children of the Most High, and Black Coral. Punta was popular across the region, especially in Belize, by the mid-1980s, culminating in the release of Punta Rockers in 1987, a compilation featuring many of the genre's biggest stars. Punta musicians in Central America, the US, and elsewhere made further advances with the introduction of the piano, woodwind, brass and string instruments. Punta-rock has grown since the early 1980s to include other electronic instruments such as the synthesizer and electric bass guitar as well as other percussive instruments.

Punta along with Reggaeton music are predominantly popular and influential among the entire population in Honduras. Often mixed with Spanish, Punta has a widespread audience due to the immigration of Hondurans and Guatemalan to the United States, other parts of Latin America and Europe, notably Spain. Punta bands in Honduras such as Kazzabe, Shabakan, Silver Star, Los Rolands, Banda Blanca, Los Gatos Bravos and Grupo Zambat have appeal for Latin American migrant communities. Honduran Punta has caused Belizean and Guatemalan Punta to use more Spanish due to the commercial success achieved by bands that use it.

When Banda Blanca of Honduras sold over 3 million copies of "Sopa De Caracol" ("Conch Soup"), originally written by Belizean Chico Ramos, the Garifunas of Belize felt cheated but celebrated the success. The genre is continuing to develop a strong following in the United States and South America and the Caribbean.

Belizean punta is distinctive from traditional punta in that songs are usually in Kriol or Garifuna and rarely in Spanish or English. calypso and soca have had some effect on it. Like calypso and soca, Belizean punta provides social commentary and risqué humor, though the initial wave of punta acts eschewed the former. Calypso Rose, Lord Rhaburn and the Cross Culture Band assisted the acceptance of punta by Belizean Kriol people by singing calypso songs about punta - songs such as "Gumagrugu Watah" and "Punta Rock Eena Babylon".

Prominent broadcasters of Punta music include WAVE Radio and Krem Radio.

Other forms of Garifuna music and dance include: hungu-hungu, combination, wanaragua, abaimahani, matamuerte, laremuna wadaguman, gunjai, sambai, charikanari, eremuna egi, paranda, berusu, teremuna ligilisi, arumahani, and Mali-amalihani. However, punta is the most popular dance in Garifuna culture. It is performed around holidays and at parties and other social events. Punta lyrics are usually composed by the women. Chumba and hunguhungu involve circular dancing to a three-beat rhythm, which is often combined with punta. There are other types of songs typical of each gender: women having eremwu eu and abaimajani, rhythmic a cappella songs, and laremuna wadaguman; and men having work songs, chumba, and hunguhungu.

Drums play a very important role in Garifuna music. Primarily two types of drums are used: the primero (tenor drum) and the segunda (bass drum). These drums are typically made of hollowed-out hardwood, such as mahogany or mayflower, with the skins coming from the peccary (wild bush pig), deer, or sheep.

Also used in combination with the drums are the sisera, which are shakers made from the dried fruit of the gourd tree, filled with seeds, and then fitted with hardwood handles.

Paranda music developed soon after the Garifunas' arrival in Central America. The music is instrumental and percussion-based. The music was barely recorded until the 1990s, when Ivan Duran of Stonetree Records began the Paranda Project.

In contemporary Belize there has been a resurgence of Garifuna music, popularized by musicians such as Andy Palacio, Mohobub Flores, and Aurelio Martinez. These musicians have taken many aspects from traditional Garifuna music forms and fused them with more modern sounds. Described as a mixture of punta rock and paranda, this music is exemplified in Andy Palacio's album Watina, and in Umalali: The Garifuna Women's Project, both of which were released on the Belizean record label, Stonetree Records. Canadian musician Danny Michel has also recorded an album, Black Birds Are Dancing Over Me, with a collective of Garifuna musicians.

In the Garifuna culture there is another dance called "dugu", which is included as part of a ritual done following a death in the family so as to pay respect to the departed loved one.

Through traditional dance and music, musicians have come together to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS.

Gender roles within the Garifuna communities are significantly defined by the job opportunities available to everyone. The Garifuna people have relied on farming for a steady income in the past, but much of this land was taken by fruit companies in the 20th century.These companies were welcomed at first because the production helped bring an income to the local communities, but as business declined these large companies sold the land and it has become inhabited by mestizo farmers.

Since this time the Garifuna people have been forced to travel and find jobs with foreign companies. The Garifuna people mainly rely on export businesses for steady jobs; however, women are highly discriminated against and are usually unable to get these jobs.Men generally work for foreign-owned companies collecting timber and chicle to be exported, or work as fishermen.

Garifuna people live in a matrilocal society, but the women are forced to rely on men for a steady income in order to support their families, because the few jobs that are available, housework and selling homemade goods, do not create enough of an income to survive on. Although women have power within their homes, they rely heavily on the income of their husbands.

Although men can be away at work for large amounts of time they still believe that there is a strong connection between men and their newborn sons. Garifunas believe that a baby boy and his father have a special bond, and they are attached spiritually. It is important for a son's father to take care of him, which means that he must give up some of his duties in order to spend time with his child.During this time women gain more responsibility and authority within the household.

According to one genetic study the ancestry of the Garinagu people on average, is 76% African, 20% Arawak/Carib and 4% European, but the admixture levels vary greatly between island and Central American Garinagu Communities with Stann Creek, Belize Garinagu having 79.9% African, 2.7% European and 17.4% Amerindian and Sandy Bay, St. Vincent Garinagu having 41.1% African, 16.7% European and 42.2% Amerindian.

The Garifuna culture is greatly affected by the economic atmosphere surrounding the community. This makes the communities extremely susceptible to outside influence. Many worry that the area will become extremely commercialized since there are few economic opportunities within the area.

GUATEMALA: Garífuna Festival

The Garinagu or Garífuna Festival is a week-long celebration of Garífuna culture and traditions. It is celebrated around the National Day of the Garífuna, which happens every November 26th, with dance, song, food and traditional ceremonies.

Every November, Livingston comes alive with people singing, dancing and celebrating in honor of the first Garífuna settlers that came to Guatemala.

The streets of this Caribbean town are the stage for the Punta dance and the singing of traditional songs that reflect the hardship of the Garífuna ancestors.

There are sporting events, cultural pageants, music concerts, traditional food sales, handicraft sales, and even academic conferences and workshops.

In the early morning on November 25th, a special ceremony is held on the beach with a reenactment of the first settlers arriving in traditional costumes and in traditional canoes. The Garífuna people of Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua and even the United States often come to Livingston during the Festival to join in the celebration.

Recreational Opportunities:

Livingston offers a great variety of hotels, bars, discotheques and restaurants and other tourism services like organized tours by tour operators, and land and water transportation services.

Cultural interaction, music concerts, traditional food and handicraft sales, song, and dance are some of the recreational opportunities visitors can take part in when they visit Livingston during the festival.

INDONESIA: Kenya Among Indonesia’s Visa-free Partners In Travel Targeting 20 Million Tourists

Kenyans are free to travel to Indonesia without tourist visas, according to the latest directive issued by the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Indonesian government has offered visa-free travel for a group of countries including Kenya, hoping to pull in more numbers and boost its faltering tourism sector.

So far, tourists from 174 countries no longer need visas to enter the Asian nation. The latest group of countries offered the facility include Australia, Brazil, Ukraine, Kenya, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Palestine, Honduras, and Pakistan.

Others are Mongolia, Sierra Leone, Uruguay, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Costa Rica, Albania, Mozambique, Macedonia, El Salvador, Zambia, Moldova, Madagascar, Georgia, Namibia, Kiribati, Armenia, Bolivia, Bhutan, Guatemala, Mauritania, and Paraguay.

“Offering visa-free travel is one of the easiest ways to boost tourist numbers,” Indonesian Tourism minister Arief Yahya was quoted as saying by the country’s local media.

Indonesia is known for its volcanic islands and scenic beaches. The country hopes to chalk up 20 million foreign tourists in 2019, doubling the 2015 record.

Visa-free travel will only be available through five international airports in Jakarta, Medan, Batam, Bali and Surabaya, and would come with tighter monitoring to minimise misuse of the facility, an Indonesian government official has said, adding foreign tourists found smuggling illegal goods, such as drugs, would face serious penalties.

The country’s President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has repeatedly said the visa-free travel is offered to boost the country’s tourism industry.

Kenya and Indonesia enjoy cordial relations and have had diplomatic ties since 1982. Diplomatic ties between the two countries began in July 1979, and in April 1982 Indonesia opened an Embassy in Nairobi.

The Kenyan High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is accredited to Indonesia and In April, 2015 the Government of Kenya appointed Mr Bilal Asif as the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Kenya to Indonesia.

Foreign Affairs secretary Amina Mohamed said recently Kenya is seeking to forge a strong partnership with the two countries.

“Kenya considers Indonesia an important partner and has identified and expressed interest in opening a mission in your country. In the meantime, Mr Bilal Asif was appointed as the Honorary Consul of Kenya early last year and we hope that the Government of Indonesia is granting him the necessary support to carry out his mandate,” said Ms Mohamed.

She spoke in Nairobi during the farewell lunch in honour of Mr Sunu Soemarno, who was the outgoing Indonesian ambassador in early 2016. She said: “Kenya, like Indonesia, is outward looking to have a diversified and growing economy that creates a lot of opportunities. We look forward to the review of the JCC that was signed on 3rd December, 2008. I believe this will bring on board new areas for co-operation between Kenya and your great country.”

The countries have signed bilateral agreements for co-operation in various fields, notable among them the agreement on economic, scientific, technical and cultural co-operation signed in Nairobi on September 2, 1992, an MOU on establishment of Joint Commission signed on June 19, 2008.

The two nations also signed Agreed Minutes for Joint Commission for Co-operation signed on 3rd December, 2008 besides Bilateral Air Services Agreement signed in 2007 and an MoU on Fisheries Co-operation signed in 2009.

According to the Export Promotion Council, the bi-lateral trade between Kenya and Indonesia is heavily in favour of Indonesia, with the trade balance rising from $272.6 million in 2007 to $327.3 million in 2009 and $491.4 million in 2011.


Kenya’s exports to Indonesia amounted to $24.9 million and accounted for only 0.4 per cent of Kenya’s total exports in 2011.

The exports to Indonesia fluctuated over the period between 2007 and 2011 and the export products included soda ash, black tea, tobacco and products, sheep skin leather and dried leguminous vegetables. Imports from Indonesia amounted to $516.3 million in 2011 and accounted for 3.4 per cent of Kenya’s total imports.

The main import products include crude palm oil, industrial chemicals, refrigerator, yarns, natural rubber and paper and paperboard.

BELIZE: Tropic Air

Tropic Air is an airline operating scheduled services. Founded in 1979 by John Greif III with a single airplane and two employees, Tropic has steadily grown to become the largest airline in Belize. It now employs over 340 staff and offers over 210 daily scheduled flights throughout Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.

Destinations
Belize City Municipal (TZA) Belize City International (BZE) Corozal, Belize (CZH) San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize (SPR) Caye Caulker, Belize (CUK) San Ignacio, Belize (CYD) Belmopan, Belize (BCV) Placencia, Belize (PLJ) Punta Gorda, Belize (PND) Dangriga, Belize (DGA) Orange Walk, Belize (ORZ) Cancun, Mexico (CUN) San Pedro Sula, Honduras (SAP) Roatan, Honduras (RTB) Flores, Guatemala (FRS) Mérida, Mexico (MID) Guatemala City, Guatemala (GUA) Tegucigalpa, Honduras (TGU)

Fleet
Tropic Air fleet includes:

- 10 Cessna Caravans (G1000 equipped)
- 2 Gippsland GA8 Airvans
- 1 Cessna 172
- 1 Twin Otter (Leased Seasonally)

Tropic Air Launches Codeshare To Tegucigalpa

Effective, February 17, 2015, Tropic Air has entered into a partnership with CM Airlines of Honduras to offer same day travel between Belize City and Tegucigalpa, Honduras via both airlines’ flights to San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

This service will eliminate costly overnights when travelling between Belize City and Tegucigalpa, and will serve to stimulate tourism and trade between the two countries. “Today, in partnership with CM Airlines, we are pleased to add Tegucigalpa, Honduras to our route network” says John Greif III, President of Tropic Air. “Our passengers have been asking for this service for some time, and today we are pleased to make it happen”.
Tropic’s schedule between Belize City International and Tegucigalpa:

The service now available for sale and seats can be reserved via our website at www.tropicair.com, via reservations@tropicair.com, by calling (+501) 226-2012, by contacting any Tropic Air office, or through your friendly travel professional.
Tropic Air currently operates a fleet of 15 aircraft to destinations in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. With over 300 employees, Tropic Air carried over 300,000 passengers in 2014.

Zika News: Pregnant Passengers Get Refunds From Airlines

Travellers worried about the implications of flying to Latin America amid growing concerns about the Zika virus should be able to amend their travel plans without expense – as airlines and holiday firms acknowledge the threat from the mosquito-borne infection.

The World Health Organization (WHO) this week declared a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” regarding the virus, and warned that it could affect up to four million people in the Americas. Its epicentres are Brazil and Ecuador, but cases have also been reported in Mexico, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Cape Verde.

While the WHO has also stated that there “should be no restrictions on travel or trade with countries, areas and/or territories with Zika virus transmission”, tourists who are pregnant and who wish to alter their travel arrangements should be able to do so for free if they act quickly.

The Zika virus is mainly an issue for pregnant travellers, as, while it causes flu-like symptoms of fever and headaches in adults and children, it can be devastating for the human foetus – leading to babies born with defects that include abnormally small heads.

The majority of the big airlines have been united in their response to this threat – with British Airways allowing passengers a month-long window to reorder their travel plans.

A spokesperson for British Airways says: “If a pregnant customer is due to travel up to and including February 29, but they no longer wish to travel, they can change their booking free of charge, and delay their journey or amend to an alternative destination.”

“This applies to flights to Brazil, Mexico, Barbados and the Dominican Republic.”

This advice includes flights booked with affiliate airline Iberia.

Virgin Atlantic is taking a similar line, stating that “we are closely monitoring reports of cases of Zika virus in Barbados, Mexico and other destinations in the Caribbean and South America.” The airline is offering refunds to pregnant passengers due to fly to all affected destinations – including countries which it does not fly to directly, but offers connections to, such as Colombia, Panama and the United States territory of Puerto Rico.

Lufthansa has said that pregnant passengers and - unusually - their travelling companion, can alter an existing booking to any of the affected countries for free, stating that “this policy applies to all flights from or to Latin and Central America, and Caribbean countries, from January 28 until March 21 2016. Tickets must be issued on or before January 28 2016.”

This concession also applies to affiliated carriers Austrian Airlines and Swiss.

Airlines on the other side of the Atlantic have also reacted to the threat from the virus.

United Airlines has stated that “we are offering customers who are travelling to the affected regions the opportunity to rebook at a later date or receive a full refund.”

American Airlines is offering a full refund to pregnant passengers if they are flying to El Salvador, Honduras, Panama or Guatemala.

Delta says that pregnant customers can alter their flights to alternative destinations, change their dates or receive a refund – but “changes need to be made by February 29.”

Holiday companies are also responding to customers’ fears about the health scare – with Thomas Cook saying it will accept changes to existing bookings until the start of May.

“Thomas Cook is currently allowing amendments to an alternative destination for anyone who is pregnant and due to travel on a Thomas Cook charter holiday to the affected areas, up to and including April 30 2016,” a spokesperson says.

“We are contacting all customers due to travel to Mexico, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Cape Verde, up to and including April 30, to advise them of the situation, and offer assistance – prioritising those departing over the next few days.”

Thomson has outlined a similar strategy, stating that “customers due to travel with us to Mexico, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Colombia and Martinique, who would like to amend to an alternative destination, and have a doctor’s note confirming their pregnancy, can do so without incurring an amendment fee.”

Travel insurance policies should also shield holidaymakers from any costs of having to alter their plans due to the Zika situation – with policies purchased prior to the outbreak likely to offer cover. However, tourists also should check the small print on their policies.

“If one of our customers is currently pregnant and has booked a holiday to Barbados, Bolivia, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, St Martin, Suriname or Venezuela, they would be eligible to make a cancellation claim – as long as they purchased the policy before January 20,” advises Rob Clarkson of Post Office Money Insurance.

However, non-pregnant travellers may find that they are less protected in this scenario.

“If one of our customers is not pregnant then, as the Foreign Office has not advised against travel to this area, there would be no cover for cancellation,” Mr Clarkson adds.

“It is important that any customers planning on holidaying in countries with ongoing Zika virus outbreaks do their research before they travel, and take all necessary precautions.”

Byron Shirto, chairman of the Latin America Travel Association, says: “In line with the current recommendations of the Foreign Office and National Health Network and Centre (NHNC), we would advise pregnant travellers to areas where Zika virus outbreaks are currently reported available via the Pan European Health Organisation to consult a health professional prior to travel."

CUBA: Cubans Plead To Court, They Are Not Criminals.

Two Cuban nationals were sentenced on Monday to 10 days imprisonment after pleading guilty to illegal landing.

Eduardo Yasmani Tamayo Puig, 28, and Daikel Alcolea Milan, 32, both told Chief Magistrate Nova Hall through an interpreter that they were not criminals.

“My intention was to continue my journey to Honduras,” Milan said. “I don’t think that is a valid reason to have us incarcerated. We didn’t steal, we didn’t kill anybody. We just entered here to continue our journey.”

Milan asked to be sent back to Cuba as soon as possible or be transferred to the detention center “because no one speaks Spanish at the prison.”

Puig said he came looking for a better future. “We never thought we would end up in prison in another country. I have never been in trouble in Cuba. I have never been in prison till I came here.

“It’s difficult to understand the situation we’re in right now. We’re not criminals. The only thing we are looking for is to live a better life, an honest life, like any decent human being.”

Earlier, Crown counsel Greg Walcolm provided the men, via the interpreter, with a summary of the charges against them. They agreed to the facts presented. Each had admitted entering and remaining in Cayman without specific permission between Jan. 31 and Feb. 6.

In Milan’s case, he said he arrived around Jan. 28 on a makeshift vessel in which he and others had departed Cuba. He hid from authorities until Feb. 6, when he turned himself in.

Puig told interviewers that he fled the scene after seeing police officers while making repairs to the vessel he had arrived in – El Arca. His intention was to find another Cuban vessel passing these shores and attempt to board and continue his journey to Honduras, with his final destination being the U.S.

Puig confirmed receiving assistance from people unknown to him, but said he had been “sleeping in the streets.”

In passing sentence, the magistrate noted that the men had not faced any other charges. Very often, she said, defendants charged with illegal landing have more serious charges as well, such as importing drugs.

She imposed terms of 10 days imprisonment, with credit for time in custody since their arrest. She recommended each man for deportation.

Five Cubans were sentenced last week in another court for escaping lawful custody. Of those who spoke before the magistrate passed sentence, one spoke of the risks that had been taken to reach this far and he asked to be allowed to continue his journey to Honduras. One said many of the men were educated, but did not have jobs in Cuba so it would be painful to go back.

USA: U.S. Airlines Refund Tickets For Pregnant Passengers Travelling Zika Regions.

Two major U.S. airlines are offering refunds to passengers worried about the Zika virus outbreak in many tropical countries.

United Airlines says customers booked to fly to areas affected by the virus can reschedule or get refunds. American Airlines says it will give refunds to pregnant women who were planning to travel to parts of Central America.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned pregnant women to take precautions against mosquito bites when traveling to areas in Latin America and the Caribbean where there have been Zika outbreaks. The CDC says the mosquito-borne illness could be linked to a birth defect of the brain.

The United Airlines offer began Tuesday and includes any country covered by a CDC travel notice, an airline spokesman said. American Airlines began refunds Monday for pregnant passengers holding tickets to El Salvador, Honduras, Panama or Guatemala, according to a spokesman.

A spokesman for Delta Air Lines said the carrier was monitoring the situation but not yet offering waivers. JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines were not immediately able to say whether they were offering refunds. Southwest Airlines said it was sticking to its normal policy, which lets customers who cancel ahead of time reuse the value of their tickets. All of those airlines fly to at least some affected locations.

On Tuesday, the CDC expanded its travel alert for pregnant women to add the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic to the list of areas with Zika outbreaks. The CDC has already recommended that pregnant women consider postponing trips to 22 other destinations.

— In Central and South America: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname and Venezuela.

— In the Caribbean: Barbados, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, St. Martin and Puerto Rico.

— And Cape Verde, off the coast of western Africa, and Samoa in the South Pacific.

BAHAMAS: Cruise Ship Makes Maiden Voyage To Freeport Harbour

Grand Bahama saw a new cruise ship for the New Year on Tuesday when the Costa Luminosa made its maiden voyage to Freeport Harbour, with more than 2,000 passengers.

The vessel sailed from its home port in Miami. It is the first of four calls the ship will make to Freeport this year as part of a 10-day Caribbean cruise.

Ministry of Tourism and Freeport Harbour officials marked the occasion with a plaque exchange during a brief welcome reception aboard the vessel.

Captain Nicolo Alba – who also presented a replica of the ship to officials – said the ship brought 2,400 passengers to Freeport.

He said the vessel has a crew of 1,000, and can accommodate 2,680 passengers.

The passengers on board were mostly Europeans travelling from Italy, and some Americans.
Despite the windy and chilly weather conditions, many passengers came off the ship to venture in the stores and the straw market at the port, as well as into Freeport itself.

Capt Alba said they will make two or three more visits to Freeport in the year. He said they will also sail to Nassau on their next cruise.

Costa Cruises operate the Costa Luminosa. The ship features four restaurants and 11 bars.

Its ten-day itinerary includes calls at Nassau or Freeport; Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos or Princess Cays; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Roatan, Honduras, and Cozumel, Mexico.

Orlando Forbes, port director at Freeport Harbour Company, was very pleased to have Costa Luminosa call at the harbour.

“We will continue to talk with them, and hopefully get them to add Freeport to their itinerary which can help our cruise numbers significantly,” he said.

Mr Forbes reported that business at the harbour is “pretty good” due to regular calls by Carnival.

He said Carnival sends in excess of 200 ships annually to Freeport. He noted that Norwegian Cruise Lines also calls at the harbour.

“We are expecting slightly over 300 calls in 2014. Carnival is our main business and accounts for 2/3 of the ships calling here. And so to get vessels from brands like Costa Cruises and MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) helps Freeport, and we continue to reach out to them,” he said.

Brooke Sherman, MOT public relations officer, said they are excited about tourism on Grand Bahama in 2014.

Grand Bahama is rebounding now. We are excited about all the projects that are ongoing in 2014. We can look forward to more airlift and the new hotel is about to open,” she said.

“There is a lot of excitement and attention coming to GB, and this (call by Costa Luminosa) is very welcome.”

HONDURAS: "Coffee Route": Honduras' Newest Tourist Attraction

Honduras, the leading coffee exporter in Central America and the third-largest in Latin America, announced the launch of its newest tourist attraction, the "Coffee Route," the result of a joint initiative of the Honduran Institute of Tourism (IHT) and the Honduran Coffee Institute (IHCAFE).

The IHT and the IHCAFE have collaborated since 2013 to develop coffee plantations, equipping them with the necessary infrastructure and training to support visitors to the sites. The investment and development is seen as an important economic driver for the region.

The "Coffee Route" encompasses the country's six coffee-growing regions––Copan, Opalaca, Montecillos, Comayagua, Agalta, and El Paraiso––each with distinct geographic and bioclimatic conditions.

Domestic and international tourists will be able to closely observe the coffee-making process from seed to cup. Additionally, they will be able to visit coffee plantations, schools and research centers, and participate in ecotouristic activities, coffee tastings and visit one of the nearly 60 specialty coffee shops serving the country's renowned blends.

"The combination of tourism and coffee with the launch of the 'Coffee Route' allows us to offer the best of Honduras to both domestic and international tourists. It also serves to diversify income sources and create new opportunities for our coffee farmers," said Rene Leon Gomez, general manager of the Honduran Coffee Institute (IHCAFE).
The quality of Honduran coffee, as well as its distinct flavor and aroma, have allowed it to receive prestigious awards and international recognition, and have helped position the country as the sixth-largest coffee exporter in the world.

HONDURAS: Crocodiles Starving To Death As Owner's Assets Frozen

More than 10,000 crocodiles are starving to death on a farm in Honduras after the wealthy family owning them had their assets frozen because of US accusations they laundered money for drug traffickers.

Think modern crocodiles are terrifying? How about a 16-foot-long, nearly half a ton sort-of-crocodile that was so tough is even outlasted the mass extinction of 60 million years ago.

Journalists visiting the 30-hectare (70-acre) property called Cocodrilos Continental, in San Manuel near the city of San Pedro Sula, also saw seven scrawny lions kept in cages.

"The crocodiles and lions are dying of hunger, and we are too because we haven't been paid the last two weeks," said one worker at the entrance to the farm who asked to go by the pseudonym Jose.

"Forty animals have already died. They were taken away in boxes by trucks to be buried," he said.

The farm is owned by the Rosenthal family, a powerful clan in Honduras with interests spanning banking, media, property, tourism, livestock and agriculture.

On October 7, the US Treasury Department said it was targeting the family's 79-year-old multimillionaire patriarch, Jaime Rosenthal, his son Yani Rosenthal, and his nephew Yankel Rosenthal "for their money laundering and drug trafficking activities".

It imposed an asset freeze on them and barred US businesses from dealing with them, which notably affected their Banco Continental. The bank, headquartered in San Pedro Sula, is being liquidated on orders of the Honduras' Banking Commission. A newspaper owned by the family has also been shut.

Yankel Rosenthal was arrested in Miami by US authorities the day before the Treasury announcement.

The US accusations and sanctions have rocked Honduras, which had long perceived its wealthiest families to be untouchable. That held especially true for the Rosenthals: Jaime Rosenthal was vice-president of the country from 1986 to 1989; his son Yani was a minister in the government from 2006 to 2009.

Although the crocodile farm was not one of the seven Rosenthal businesses designated for US sanctions, it has found itself caught up in the freeze affecting other parts of the business empire.

An official at Honduras' state Forest Conservation Institute (ICF), Pablo Dubon, said the executives running Cocodrilos Continental told authorities the freezing of the Rosenthals' assets led to the accounts used to pay the workers and buy animal feed being blocked.

Dubon said the municipality and animal protection groups were working on an emergency plan to temporarily care for the animals while a permanent solution was found. One option was to have the employees work for food while the legal status of the farm was assessed.

A week ago, the ICF delivered 1.5 tons (3,000 pounds) of chicken meat to the farm but workers refused to feed it to the animals until they were paid their monthly wages of $340 each.

"The 3,000 pounds doesn't amount to much because a crocodile eats the equivalent of half a horse in a day," said Jose, the worker at the gate.

"But at least something is being done," he added.

According to security guards at Cocodrilos Continental, there are 11,000 American crocodiles spread out over 135 pools hidden by weeds and bushes turned green by recent rains. Some 60 newborn crocs are among them. An on-site clinic meant to look after around 70 ailing crocodiles has ceased to function.

The farm's website says the crocodile business was created to generate profits by exporting meat and skin to the United States, while also "preserving the species". It had a yearly budget of $1 million to pay employees' wages and food for the animals.

Three farm employees who refused to give their names told AFP they were thinking of looking for jobs elsewhere because they haven't been paid beyond the second week of October.

But if they did so, they warned, people living nearby would likely rush in to grab the crocodiles to eat.

HONDURAS: Deadly Floods In Honduras,7 Killed In Comayagua

At least 7 people have died in floods in Honduras since heavy rain began to fall on 17 October.

Elsewhere in Central America, flooding has also been reported in Guatemala, Belize and Nicaragua.
Honduras

Heavy rain has been affecting parts of Honduras since 17 October 2015, triggering floods, landslides and rivers to overflow.

COPECO, (Comisión Permanente de Contingencias), the disaster management agency in Honduras, issued red alerts for several areas along the Ulúa river, including Potrerillos, Pimienta, San Manuel and Villanueva in Cortés; El Progreso, Negrito and Santa Rita in Yoro; and also some areas in Atlántida.

Yellow alerts were issued for for the town of El Rosario, in the department of Comayagua, and lower level green alerts for some areas of the departments of Choluteca, Valle and Francisco Morazán.

Local media report that at least 7 people have died in floods in Comayagua department. As many as 2,000 people have been left homeless in Siguatepeque and the local authorities there have declared a state of emergency.
Rainfall

Amapala in Valle department saw 119 mm of rain fall in 24 hours on 17 October. La Esperanza, Intibuca department, recorded 61 mm, during the same period, according to WMO figures. Further rainfall has been forecast for the next 24 hours, although this should be less intense.



Guatemala

CONRED, the emergency agency in Guatemala, reported on 18 October that heavy rain had caused flash floods in the departments of Petén and Suchitepequez. Around 238 people were affected and 38 homes suffered minor damage.

During the evening of Saturday 17 October, heavy rains caused flooding in the town of Las Cruces, Petén, affecting around 200 people and damaging 30 homes.

After a period of heavy rain late last week, CONRED reported floods in Izabal where 26 homes were damaged. The heavy rain also caused yet another deadly landslide in the country, this time in Alta Verapaz, Escuintla, where one person was killed.

Guatemala is still recovering from one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters when heavy rain resulted in a landslide in the community of El Cambray II, Santa Catarina Pinula municipality on 02 October, which left hundreds dead and over 300 missing.
Belize

In neighbouring Belize, at least 100 people have been displaced by floods in Belize City after 2 days of heavy rain in the area. Local media report that over 10 inches (254 mm) of rain fell in 36 hours in Belize City causing flooding up to 2 and a half feet (75 cm) deep in parts of the city.
Nicaragua

According to local media in Nicaragua, heavy rain on 17 October resulted in rivers overflowing, forcing evacuations in the department of Estelí.

HONDURAS: Floods Damage Homes And Schools After 7 Days Of Rain

Heavy rain has caused flooding in several departments of Honduras over the last few days, according to the country’s civil defence agency, Copeco. Heavy rain has also affected several other countries in Central America, including Panama and Guatemala.
Honduras

Damage to homes, schools and roads has been reported around the capital, Tegucigalpa, and in the surrounding department of Francisco Morazán. The wall of a supermarket collapsed as result of the heavy rain. No injuries were reported. The heavy rain has also caused several landslides, and caused damage to the storm water drainage system in La Cabaña areas of Tegucigalpa.

River levels are also high, in particular the San José, Guacerique and Sabacuante, according to Copeco.

The authorities have issued three flood warnings over the last 7 days. Yesterday Copeco issued a green (low) level weather warning for the next 48 hours for the nine departments of Copan, Ocotepeque, Lempira, Santa Barbara, Comayagua, La Paz, Francisco Morazan, Valle and Choluteca.

Rainfall

Copeco say that further heavy rain is expected due to the interaction between two low pressure systems, one in the Gulf of Fonseca and the other in the Gulf of Honduras..

Rainfall figures according to WMO for a 24 hour period between 27 and 28 September 2015:

Amapala – 53.6 mm
Santa Rosa De Copan – 64.4 mm
Nueva Ocotepeque – 51.7 mm